The Spirit of Grace: All that we need

I’ve been infatuated with grace for years. It always seemed mysterious–like Vitamin D and sunshine. The fact that the sun can raise your Vitamin D levels blows my mind. And the way grace changes us amazes me too. Anyway, I’ve questioned what grace is and what it does. But I came across the title for the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of Grace,” and lightbulbs suddenly turned on in my brain! I love when the Lord answers us. I pray this article will help you understand grace better too. Grace is found in the person of Jesus Christ, but the Holy Spirit delivers its power that saves, empowers, and makes us whole. He is the Spirit of Grace.

Saved by the spirit of grace

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

God sent His son to satisfy the law of sin and death. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit, this law was activated. Thousands of years later Moses was given the Law. But the Law proved our need for a Savior, and then He came. Incarnate grace was born under the stars for our salvation. Thirty-three years after His birth, He was unjustly crucified. The actions in the Garden of Eden were finally atoned for forever by His sacrifice.

This is the Spirit of Grace. Grace does not make sense. The only way I can understand why God would do this for us is because He really does love us. His grace can’t be earned. Nor can His love. It’s a gift. All that grace requires is faith, trusting the light of Jesus.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5: 6-8

The Spirit of God’s Grace initiated this new covenant of grace. Zechariah prophesied of this new covenant and the author of Hebrew’s includes this prophecy:

This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel
    after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
    and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.
¹¹ No longer will they teach their neighbor,
    or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
    from the least of them to the greatest.

Hebrews 8:10-11

How would God do this? How would He write the laws on their hearts? Though this prophecy has not been completely fulfilled, for those of us who have trusted Jesus, we’ve experienced this heart change by the Spirit of Grace.

Changed by grace

This change does not come all at once. Each day as we walk with the Spirit of Grace we become more aware of what’s right and what’s wrong. I once heard a pastor telling a story on the radio about a man who was upset because he fell into his old, sinful habits. The pastor ask him, “Did it bother you when you did these things before you became a believer?”

The man thought for a little while and replied, “No, not really.”

“That is grace working in you,’ the pastor assured. “You can know you are changing because now you don’t want to do those things. Grace takes time. Change takes time.”

The nature of grace is merciful and patient, but it will change us as we allow it to soften our hearts and rewire our minds. In the process of becoming holy, we are actually becoming whole.

Made Whole for holiness

The Ephesians scripture above promises salvation by grace. The Greek word for salvation is sozo. This word does mean to be delivered or saved, but it also means to “make whole.” Oh somebody say, “Hallelujah!” Christ did not die only for our eternal life, He died for us to be whole again starting in this life. Peter writes about this in his second letter:

 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

2 Peter 1: 3-4

Did you catch it? We may participate in the divine nature. We cannot do this apart from the divine power inside us, The Spirit of Grace. He changes us, makes us a little bit holier and whole as we walk step by step with Him.

Empower By grace gifts

His grace opens the door to eternity, it reshapes our hearts, makes us complete, and empowers us to do what God has called us to do. That empowerment comes through the Fruit of His Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. This helps us every day with the smallest to the largest of tasks.

Paul proclaimed God’s grace enabled him to preach the gospel (1 Cor. 15: 9-11). And he encourages Timothy to be strengthen by the grace of Christ (2 Timothy 2:1). Perhaps Paul understood grace more than anyone. As a man who once imprisoned Christians, Paul had experienced the Spirit of Grace’s affect on the heart. He was a changed man. A man who suffered for Christ yet remained strong and consistent. Even while under house arrest Paul preached in his letters to the churches. It was God’s grace that gave him strength. Even when dealing with his “thorn in the flesh” Paul wrote:

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

2 Cor. 12:8-9 emphasis mine

Christ’s power rested on him by the Spirit of Grace.

The next time you find yourself trying to find the words to say, or discipline your children with patience, or do well in a job interview, pray for His empowering grace.

spirit of grace bible reading plan

Are you ready to soak in scriptures about the Spirit of Grace? I’m so excited for you to study these scriptures. His grace is paramount to our freedom and wholeness in Christ. It’s the vehicle in which the Lord delivers His strength, wisdom, and power. I don’t want to miss one thing the Father has for us, and I don’t want you to either.

Come study with me. Print the free printable or simply take a screen shot. I want to encourage you to grab a journal or spiral notebook to copy the scriptures down each day and journal your thoughts or prayers. Linger with the Spirit of Grace.

Let’s pray

Hold my hands.

“Father, we thank you for Jesus. Thank you for your grace that saves us and changes us. I pray for those hearts going through this reading plan this month that lightbulbs will suddenly turn on as they read the scriptures. I pray for more awareness of the Spirit of Grace. Make us whole. Strengthen our weary faith muscles, and use us mightily for your glory. Amen and amen.”

or

Catch me on YouTube! Let’s unpack these verses together.

Thanks for stopping by!

XO

Andy