Grace. Undeserved favor. Unmerited blessing. Grace extended to us by God. Grace extended by us toward one another. How often do we treat grace as if it is a right we deserve, but at the same time a possession that we choose to grudgingly grant – or not grant – to others? Our social media feeds bear witness to the fact that most frequently we are much quicker to receive grace than we are to extend it.
At the same time, we often confuse grace with license. We act as if we think we deserve grace; therefore, we can do or act in any way we desire, and still expect to receive it.
And in many instances, the grace we extend is actually a counterfeit grace – a grace that expects something in return – more of a “quid pro quo.” But true grace – undeserved favor – meets us where we are, but doesn’t leave us where it found us. And it reaches out to those around us with the same intent.
So what does it look like to be someone who extends that kind of grace? First of all, we need to understand that we don’t possess it within ourselves. We can’t buy it. We can’t bottle it. And we sure can’t manufacture it. It can only come from God. So how do we live it out?
Other than Jesus, there is only one other person mentioned in the Bible who is described as being “full of God’s grace,” and that is Stephen. He is described as “a man full of God’s grace and power”.(1) A few verses earlier, he is described as “a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit.”(2) One statement is the cause, and the other is the effect. Stephen was “a man full of God’s grace and power” because he was “a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit”. To be full of grace is the result of being full of faith. There are several expressions of grace, but all of them come as a result of faith.
First, the apostle Paul wrote, “For by grace you have been saved through faith.”(3) That is the grace of God that leads to our salvation, and it comes by faith.
Second, Paul wrote that he pleaded to the Lord to remove his thorn in the flesh, and in response the Lord said to him, “‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, [Paul went on to say], I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”(4) That is a grace that enables us to overcome, and it, too, comes by faith.
Third, there is the grace of extending loving kindness toward others that also comes by faith. Paul wrote that “He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His loving kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”(6) i believe this is the kind of grace that was so clearly seen through Stephen’s life. He was full of grace toward others. He demonstrated the grace that we need to extend toward those around us.
The church chose him to be one of the men responsible for serving the Hellenist widows. His life reflected an unselfish willingness to serve others. But the greatest example of grace extended toward others was seen when he was surrounded by the men who were stoning him. The rocks were smashing against his head and shattering his body, and yet, he looked up to heaven and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!”(7) That is nothing short of graciousness and loving kindness. That is bestowing favor upon those who most definitely do not deserve it – those who would attack you – and perhaps, even kill you. How in the world could he possibly do that? How could he be so gracious and forgiving? Because he believed that God was sovereign, even over persecution and death. He wasn't busy trying to protect himself and stand up for his own rights. He was even willing to die if that is what God wanted him to do. Only by faith could he so completely trust God’s grace, and extend that grace and loving kindness, even to the point of his own death.
But also, he was a man full of God’s power. Isn’t it interesting that power accompanied grace? It almost seems counter-intuitive. If you're full of the Holy Spirit then you are full of God’s grace and power! Jesus promised, just before He ascended to sit at the right hand of the Father, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”(8) We will never truly understand grace toward others or experience the power of God working in and through us until we are filled with His Spirit. It is a simple spiritual principle … and promise. Luke records that Stephen “performed amazing miracles and signs among the people.”(9) The power of God and the grace of God were exhibited in his life because he believed God and obeyed the Spirit.
The same can be true of us today. If we are filled with the Holy Spirit, walking with Him by faith, our lives will be reflective of His grace and power. We will become a “grace-full” people, extending His love and kindness in truth to all those around us.
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This post is adapted from Until He Returns, chapter 19, entitled “Grace-full”. This sixth book in the Lessons Learned In The Wilderness series is available through Amazon in print and for your e-reader. Click HERE for more information on how you can obtain your copy.
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(1) Acts 6:8 NLT
(2) Acts 6:5 NLT
(3) Ephesians 2:8 ESV
(4) 2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV
(5) 1 Peter 3:14 ESV
(6) Ephesians 2:7 NLT
(7) Acts 7:60 NLT
(8) Acts 1:8 NLT
(9) Acts 6:8 NLT
(10) Acts 6:15 NLT
(11) Exodus 34:29-30
Copyright © 2021 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.
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