Written by Bill Gaultiere, a contemporary psychologist and spiritual mentor and founder of the Soul Shepherding ministry.
Many people who study the Bible define grace as “undeserved favor.” While this is true, it doesn’t capture the full picture…The Bible teaches that, despite our sinfulness, all who trust in Jesus are forgiven and justified before God because of Christ’s sacrifice. We have a credit of righteousness on our account and will go to heaven when we die. But what about life today? Is there any hope to overcome sin, live in God’s freedom, and love others in partnership with Jesus? Dallas Willard says that grace is God acting in our lives. It is the means through which he generously and powerfully helps us with what we cannot do for ourselves. Practically speaking, grace is an energy source that can help you get out of bed, speak a kind word to a stranger, grow in a Christlike virtue, persevere through a difficult situation, face a fear, or offer compassion to someone who has criticized you. Grace is fuel for our apprenticeship to Jesus. It is power for living a fruitful and glorious life today! Yet grace isn’t “passive” in the sense that it falls on us from the sky. We don’t earn it — this would be an attitude of pride and self-sufficiency. But we do put forth effort by opening our hearts to God and acting in tandem with him. We interact with grace through training our body and soul to receive it, respond to it, and work with it. Grace encompasses both God’s activity and our response. We’re in an interactive relationship with Jesus, partnering with him while remaining in a posture of reliance on him. Dallas emphasizes that grace is both God’s favor and power at work in our lives. Even if we had never sinned, we still need grace to practice God’s presence, yield to his movement, and pray for others, among many other activities. Jesus models for all of us the importance of growing in grace for life and ministry.
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. [2 Corinthians 9:8]
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