2Corinthians 5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 6:1 We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
To be told not to receive grace in vain implies that one can receive grace without it being effective at accomplishing it’s purpose.
In vain means that it did not achieve all that was intended to achieve because it is not being utilized properly. It is being rendered as useless.
A vacuum cleaner is designed to pick up messes made on the floor. It can belong to me and even be plugged into the wall, but if turned on it does nothing when I push it across a mess on the floor. Actually you'll find it simply spreads the mess and makes bigger in a sense. Why? It has been rendered useless. I have this vacuum in vain. But if I turn it on amazingly it does what it is intended to do. I no longer possess it in vain. The switch is like the grace of God in my life. It is grace that allows the power of the Spirit to operate withing me and through me. If grace is not allowed to function as grace in my life I have it in vain.
Grace is unmerited favor. It is God’s free action for the benefit of His people. It is different than Justice and Mercy.
Justice is getting what we deserve.
Mercy is not getting what we deserve.
Grace is getting what we do not deserve.
In grace we get eternal life, something that, quite obviously, we do not deserve. But because of God’s love and kindness manifested in Jesus on the Cross, we receive the great blessing of redemption.
An acronym for it is Grace is:
G-God’s
R-Riches
A-At
C-Christ’s
E-Expense.
Grace rules out all human merit. We did not work to be saved.
Grace is the product of God that is given by God, because of who He is not because of who we are. It is a gift to us from God.
About The Author
- Tim Atchley
- Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
- I currently serve as Senior Pastor of Harvest Church in Knoxville, Tn. I was sent out from Trinity Chapel of Knoxville in 1993 accompanied by my wife Sheila our four children Sarah, Hannah, Josiah & Isaac and a handful of bold, brave and committed believers determined to plant our first church. Pioneering is hard work but well worth the journey. That is why we desire to make disciples of Christ who will, like us, also embrace the call to plant churches.
