Grace is God’s practical, undeserved outpouring of the kindness and affection of His Heart upon humanity and His people. Grace is a harmony of the love of God, His holiness, and righteousness for our benefit.
Grace is always an undeserved gift. Adam and Eve did not deserve to be made in God’s image, nor were they asked to pay rent on Paradise, the Garden of Eden. Lavishly, God provided unlimited water for irrigation, a gorgeous garden to be kept, and mineral wealth in the earth (Genesis 2:8-14).
The grace of God is always undeserved, and its ultimate great and infinite display was predicted in the Bible verses of the Old Testament and realized in the Bible verses of the New Testament. The Old Testament predicted that God would be born as a baby and would grow into an adult. This one is the almighty God who would become the gracious Prince of Shalom, or “abundant well-being!”
“For a child will be born for us, and a mature son will be given to us, and the government will rest on His shoulders, and His name will be called: an Astonishing Wonder, a Counselor, Mighty God, Father of Continuous Time, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
The same prophet Isaiah also predicted a suffering servant of God who would infinitely satisfy God concerning humanity’s great moral weaknesses and sin.
“But the LORD was delighted to crush Him, making Him sick. If He will give Himself as a guilt offering, He will lengthen His days, and the satisfaction of the LORD will sprout in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see and be satisfied. By His knowledge, the righteous one, my servant, will justify the many as He will bear their iniquities.” Isaiah 53:10-11
Notice in Isaiah 9:6, a person will come who will bring astonishing benefit to humanity, and further, one will come who will satisfy God concerning the issue of human wrong. Positive blessings will be joined with deep forgiveness—that is the grace of God.
The New Testament states that the God-man of Isaiah 9:6 and the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 is the same person, the Lord Jesus Christ. The grace of God, the outpouring of God’s heart, becomes both a person and the poured out life of that person for our sins. Blessing and satisfaction for sin join in the person of Jesus.
