“Grace is the Basis of Everything"

“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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV)

Grace is the basis of everything. In the beginning, God, in His grace, expressed His glory in creation. A glory that would give Him delight, not like a puppy delights a child, but delight in His glory. Creation delighted Him because in His creation, He had planned everything from the end to the beginning. In this, He accounted for everything. He created every plant, every tree, every human life, knowing the end before the beginning, and He elected His adopted children who would not be conceived for thousands of years.

Like a man building a bridge, who stands back delighted with his creation, knowing that what he designed will serve, provide, and help others for decades to come, so God was delighted in Himself, for He created such a thing that would display His glory and yet need every nano-second's attention of His grace, care, and nurturing until His creation had run its course. Then His ultimate glory would be displayed in a new heaven and new earth. God’s plan of grace is the bridge to the two. Like an old bridge of the builder, demolished and replaced with the new, in His just wrath, the old creation will be destroyed, only to be replaced with the everlasting.

People may scoff or question the fairness of creation and election, but God's sovereignty is rooted in His perfect grace, justice, and love. He is fair because He rules by unchanging, loving rules. His divine sovereignty ensures that His election is based on His perfect wisdom and grace, not human merit. Understanding this helps us trust in His divine fairness and His loving plan for salvation.

God’s grace was given in the garden after Adam and Eve’s rebellion. He could have destroyed them right there, ending His human creation. But the rebellion was no surprise; instead, God made the two clothes. “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” (Genesis 3:21) In this, the grace of God was multiplied.

All through the history of the Bible, we see God’s grace. We see it in Egypt in the Exodus. Grace is found in Noah, where God preserved humanity through one righteous man. We see it in the Kings, we see it in the Prophets, “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).  God’s grace allowed humanity to continue. It continued because of God’s patience and grace. Peter wrote, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Before creation, God knew the fall, the sin, and the rebellion, and to complete His plan for creation, He would need to undertake a rescue mission Himself. In His grace, He would rescue His elect from His wrath, and for Himself that He would remain eternally glorified.

So, the plan of redemption was initiated with God’s perfect timing. And in the incarnation, the Savior Christ Jesus came. In the agreed plan of the Trinity, Christ became the propitiation (the act) that satisfied God’s wrath against Human sin. Did the Father kill Jesus? Yes, it please Him to crush Jesus. Isaiah wrote: "Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.” (Isaiah 53:10).

God did crush Christ, but did so out of His immense grace, knowing full well that the Son would rise again in the glory of the resurrection, and in doing so, the grace of God would be bestowed upon the elect, bringing on faith in the risen Son of God, providing salvation for all who believe in Christ alone.

Grace is the basis of everything. We would not be here, creation would not have been made, and the innumerable number of those redeemed, and those yet to be regenerated, would never be saved.

God did place Jesus on that cross, but so did we, every saint, and every sinner who comes to Christ. It was done out of the mercy, love, and above all, the grace of the one true living God.

Praise be to God, and glory be to our Savior, Christ Jesus, forever and ever. Amen

Grace and Peace!