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GRACE

Being The Keynote Address By Cosmas Ilechukwu, the Chair of the Global Governing Council, At The 2025 Edition Of The Open Gate Conference Of International Ministers Fellowship (IMF), January 10-12, 2025.

John 1:14-17

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

INTRODUCTION

The choice of “Grace” as our theme for this years Open Gate is apt. Grace is one concept that evokes so much interests among bible scholars and preachers, and which has been a subject of much controversy among well meaning believers. Sparsely occuring  in the Old Testament Scripture, Grace is one of the most loved and the most misunderstood concepts in the New Testament lexicom. Whereas some see it as God’s benevolent intervention lifting humanity out of the debilitating effects of sin, others consider it as a licence to do whatever they like. This later view must have been what Paul addressed when he raised the question: “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” (Romans 6:1). The right answer to the question is obviously no. Grace is revealed to free people from sin and empower them to live righteously in this present world to the glory of God.  Of the approximately 170 times it is used in the King James Bible, about 131 is in the New Testament, while the remaining 39 mentions are in the Old Testament. This makes grace an overwhelmingly a New Testament term.

Grace is very intimately associated with Jesus. John presents Him as one “full of grace and truth;” of whose fullness we have received grace for grace. Just to ensure that his readers recongise the importance of grace, John affirmed Jesus as the source of grace – “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” If Jesus is the source of grace, then grace is most effectively used when it is deployed for His glory. Grace is behind every human action that glorifies Jesus. It is not the work of grace when Christ is not honoured and glorified.

DEFINITION OF GRACE

Arriving at a succinct and yet an all embracing definition of grace has not been easy. The vast richness of the term defies any form of comprehensive summary.  Grace has been part of the human history right from creation but it was not described by that term. Grace was obiously implicated in the conceptualization and materialization of the creation in general and that of human beings in partcular. The notion of grace was evident in the way God handled Adam and Eve subsequent to their fall and more so in His dealing with Cain after he murdered his brother Abel.  It was however not until the time of Noah that it found an appropriate nomencleture and voice: “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8). Grace here means favour.  Noah found favour in the sight of God not based on any merit of his own  but purely on divine magnanimity.

The following  are samples of definitions by some authors. The best known definition of grace presents it as “the unmerited favour of God.”  This is  a good way to begin to think about grace but it is not farreaching enough. Every act of kindness to a stranger is an unmerited favour.  It is by God’s unmerited favour  that “… He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45)

Here is what I consider a biblically and theologically balanced working definition of grace: Grace is the unmerited, unconditional, and freely given favour of God towards  humanity, demonstrated through the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ, and continually bestowed upon believers as a transforming and empowering presence in their lives.

This definition highlights all the essentiall components of grace namely:

1. Unmerited: Grace is not earned or deserved (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 11:6).

2. Unconditional: Grace is not dependent on human actions or worthiness (Romans 5:8, Ephesians 2:4-5).

3. Freely given: Grace is a gift from God, motivated by His love and kindness (John 3:16, Romans 6:23).

4. Demonstrated through Jesus Christ: Grace is personified in Jesus, who is the embodiment of God’s grace (John 1:14-17, Hebrews 1:1-3).

5. Transforming and empowering: Grace affects not only salvation but also the believer’s life, enabling them to live a holy and fruitful life (2 Corinthians 9:8, Ephesians 3:16-21).

THE NATURE OF GRACE

Contrary to some popular views, Grace is not a dormant or abstract quality, but rather a dynamic, active, working principle. Grace is the wellspring of noble intention, an enabler of godly actions, an activator of sublime and holy character (Philippians 2:13). Paul presented grace as the a mighty surging salvific force that brings salvation to sinners and teaches believers the way of godliness – “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11-13). Notice the key roles of Grace:

• It brings salvation to sinners – “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).
• Teaches believers to deny ungodliness and worldly lust.
• Motivates believers to embrace a godly lifestyle.
• Enables them to focus on the second coming of Christ. 

1. Grace is God’s sovereign initiative to save sinners –  “Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:5-6). There is nothing outside of God that could have motivated Him to show kindness to fallen humanity. Grace is a soveriegn disposition of God to deal kindly with sinners. It is the goodness of God extended to undeserving humanity in demonstration of divine benevolence for the sake of Christ.  

• Grace is divine pardon  at the expense of the blood of Christ– “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7). We receive the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of God’s grace. Based on the sacrifice of Christ, God remits our sins and releases us from penalty due to them.

• Grace is the power of God at work in a people inspiring them to extraordinary performance as they deploy their gifts in the service of God and humanity – “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).

• Grace is the dynamic power that drives the christian life and witnessing. “…For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them” (Hebrews 13:9). The way food provides the fuel for the flesh, so does grace for the spirit.

• Rather than be a pond, grace is like a flowing stream that is both self-refreshing and self-resourcing. Peter therefore exhorts us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…” (2 Peter 3:18). Grace is as vast as Christ, allowing for ever increasing expereince as much as one desires.

THE ROLE OF GRACE IN SALVATION

Sombody observed, “Christianity offers a unique view of salvation. We are saved by sheer grace and Christ’s work not ours. We cannot contribute to salvation with moral effort, religious observance, prayers, transformed consciousness, etc. A finished salvation is received, not achieved.”  Paul presents grace instead of the law as the only means to salvation. The law derives its power from what we do as humans whereas grace derives its power from what Christ had done. It is not what we do but what Christ did that ultimately determines salvation.

As means of salvation, grace and work run on parallel tracks. One cannot be saved by his works and by God’s grace at the same time.  Paul asserts, “And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work” (Romans

GRACE AND THE LAW

“What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!” (Romans 6:15).

Both grace and the law are firmly united in their disdain for sin. What grace challenges is the legalism that the law foists on people. Paul argues that one who is under grace has died in Christ and therefore should no longer be subject to the legalistic demands of the law:  “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh” (Colossians 2:21-23). When sinners believe Jesus for salvation, they are transformed from being slaves of Sin to Slaves of God, now subject to a new law known as the law of the Spirit of life in Christ (Romans 8:2). Under this new law, the believer is freed totally from the law of sin and death. Hence, the scripture declared, “… sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Romans

Meanwhile, we are free to enjoy freedom from sin’s cruel power and defiling influence. God has enabled us, through grace, to “deny ungodliness and worldly desires” so that we can enjoy a sensible, righteous, and godly life in the present age (Titus 2:12). Once delivered, the believer engages the purpose for which God made and saved him: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). Grace reigns through righteousness (Romans 5:21). Where grace abounds, righteousness ought to abound also. Grace also reigns by truth, both of which are conjoined in Christ. Hence the bible declares that “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” The two are inseparable and complementary. Truth without grace leads to heartless legalism; grace without truth leads to damnable licence. Someone observed, “Grace without truth would render God a liar, for there is none good no, not one – but truth without grace would condemn humanity to eternal separation from God.”

THE MANIFOLD GRACE OF GOD

“As each one has received a gift, minister it to oneanother, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).

Notice the phrase “manifold grace of God.”  The word “manifold” refers to something that has many and varied forms. It describes something that is diverse, complex and multifaceted. As used by Peter it refers to diverse ways in which God’s grace is experienced and expressed.

• First, God’s grace is experienced and expressed through different spiritual gifts Christ has gifted His body with – Romans 12: 6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 1 Peter 4:11, Ephesians 4:11.

All the spiritual gifts mentioned in the New Testament are gifts of grace. Each of them is a channel of experiencing and manifesting the grace of God. 

• Secondly, Grace is manifesterd and expereinced in vairous other ways such as salvation, forgiveness, healings, provisions and guidance.  None of these blessings can ever be earned through human effort.

THE ROLE OF GRACE IN PRAYER

Grace is at once the means by which we pray and the end for which we pray.

In other words, we pray by grace for grace. Every answer to prayer is God’s grace on parade. Prayers and  thanksgiving are what faith uses to get access to what grace has provided by reason of Christ and His finished work. Effective prayer depends on the supply of grace that  propels it.  True praying is a pilgrimage to the throne of grace. Therefore the Bible affirms: “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16 NKJV).

 CONCLUSION

Christianity is a religion of grace, which is made possible by the sacrifice of Christ. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus established a system of relating with God by faith. This system of relationship is what is known as christianity.  Christianity stands and fall on her understanding and stewardship of grace. Grace is a very expensive thing in the economy of God’s kingdom. Even a modicum of it is priceless.  A mere pinch of grace is worth far more than the wealth of the entire universe can afford. This is why God gives it out to people free, only on the basis of faith in the finished work of Christ. It is my prayer that the few thoughts we have shared here will contribute however small to our understanding and appreciation of the grace of God towards us.

God bless you

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:28-33, NKJV).

The word, Christian, as used today is an amorphous term. It once described a people who hold and espouse a set of values that are wholesomely godly. The writers of the New Testament used it originally to describe people who are like Christ in character and deeds. For a long period of time, the term remained synonymous with goodness, honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness. When you say someone is a Christian, it is taken as a public testimony that the person is good and dependable; someone you can trust and rely upon. One stands to wonder if that is still the same today with so many among those who parade themselves as Christians. In our days, Christianity now describes a motley assemblage, many of whom have no meaningful relationship with Christ. They are Christians only because they use Christ as a brand name to pursue their vested interests. I once confronted a young man, a banker, who switched denominations wanting to know the reason behind his move, he told me in clear terms that the new church offers greater potential for getting customers. For such people as the one I just described personal commitment to the person and ideals of Christ do not feature among the reasons they are Christians.

A Christian is simply a disciple of Christ. A disciple is a learner who practices what he has learned. A disciple of Christ is therefore someone who is committed to learning from Him and living according to what he has learnt. Being like Christ and following His example has never been easy at any time, more so in the twenty-first century world of today. It is for this reason that Jesus demands that those who would wish to follow Him should first and foremost carefully consider the implications of doing so. He therefore requires each of us to count the cost of being His disciple and make a decision to come on board or not based on factual data. He told the two striking parables in our text to drive His point home. A man who wants to build a house should work hard at creating a good budget for the project. A budget is a spending plan based on income and expenses. He must know how much he needs to execute his project and how to raise the needed funds. A lot of planning goes into building projects ranging from preparing the cite, drawing the plan, purchasing the building materials, engaging the workers and so on. All these details are usually worked out before embarking on the building. Where this is not done, it could lead to having an abandoned project. Our Lord’s argument is that following Him demands such meticulous planning. It demands an effective use of our commonsense.

The popular maxim has it that when you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Being a Christian is like going to war against a powerful enemy. You need to be sure that you have what it would take to engage the enemy and come out victorious. Recognising that this going to be hard task for everyone, our Lord made provisions for grace. Grace avails us with adequate resources to be like Christ and live like Him on earth. Our bold testimony on the day of judgement is that all that Jesus is now, is what we are in this world (1 John 4:17). And who is sufficient for these things? None of us except one armed and propped by His grace. Hardship and difficulty abounds to those who would live like Christ on earth, but the promise of God is sure, “And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness…”(2 Corinthians 12:9). Again, He declared, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world”(John 16:33). It certainly pays to follow Jesus at whatever cost. But you must make a deliberate common-sense decision to do so. Take the leap! Let’s run with Christ in Jesus name.

“Do your utmost to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, as well as Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren.” (2 Timothy 4:21, NKJV).

The first time I visited the United States of America was in a winter season. It was early in January right in the middle of winter. I recalled sending a text to my wife describing my first impression of life in America as people living right inside deep freezers. I later learnt to my dismay that all the clothes I brought from Nigeria to America would be of no practical use to me in the face of the freezing winter weather. I had to buy new clothes to be able to survive under the freezing cold I was experiencing. What frightened me the more was that my ears suddenly went numb and until a friend loaned a winter cap and advised me to cover my ears properly. The objective lesson I learnt quickly was that winter, as a season, has a set of protocols that one must observe if one is not courting for problem. Winter affects everything in the temperate regions of the earth. Apart from its unique demands for clothing, vehicles are required to use special tyres designed for the winter roads. Air travels are disrupted and navigations, whether through the air, land or sea are more problematic. It makes sense therefore when Paul advised Timothy, his protegee, to do his utmost to undertake his impending trans-Mediterranean trip before winter.

Paul’s advice to Timothy: “Do your utmost to come before winter,” was in cognisance of the fact that the harsh conditions of the winter weather made travel by sea difficult and sometimes impossible. Paul had had his fair share of hazardous experiences on sea travels. He testifies, “… three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep”(2Corinthians 11:25). Therefore, he was drawing from his wealth of experience to advise Timothy. Paul understood that winter storms generate high wind, large waves and rough sea that makes navigation precarious. He was clearly aware that fog, snow and freezing spray can reduce visibility in the seas and thus increasing the chances of collusion or grounding of ships. Based on verifiable information at his disposal, he advised Timothy to endeavour to make his trip before winter. He did not advise him to fast for seven days and bind the demon of winter and come anytime. This is a typical example of commonsense Christianity. Commonsense Christianity acknowledges the unique roles of faith and reason in balanced Christian living. It would be totally a very different scenario if an emergency arose that would compel Timothy to travel in winter. This was not the case. This was a planned journey probably on the invitation of Paul, who had earlier directed, “Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the books, especially the parchments”(2Timothy 4:13).

Doing things at their proper times is simply a matter of commonsense. The Bible affirms, “Everything has its time to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). When you miss the proper time of doing a particular thing, you disrupt the rhythm of nature and cause avoidable problems. For example, when a farmer fails to plant his seed at the appropriate times, he stands the chance of reaping diminished harvest or no harvest at all. Hence, the Bible affirms that there is a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted. When you do anything at its God-appointed time, things go on seamlessly without much difficulties. But when you do things off seasons, you create problems because you will be required to put in more effort to achieve the required results. There is time to work hard and a time to pray. When you refuse to work hard when you should but rather decide to pray, you are creating problem for yourselves. On the other hand, when you refuse to pray when you should, you may end up discounting on God. Commonsense Christianity demands that everything must be done as and when due to maintain the rhythm of nature. The combination of faith and reason is a winning pair any time any day. Run with the combo and be forever blessed in Jesus’ name.