(Read 2 Corinthians 12)
When we say, “God is love,” it’s a truth often shared but seldom understood in its full depth. Our human experience of love is usually based on relationships, commonalities, or mutual understanding. God’s love, however, is vastly different: it is a love marked by grace, given without condition, entirely unaffected by our actions or state.
Grace is not love. It is so much more. Grace and love are related but reside on different levels. I see grace as an explosion compared to a spark. Love is often rewarded to people because of circumstances or merit. Despite our human attempts at fostering unconditional love, we still end up attributing conditions to it. We can’t help it. Unlike God, we base our feelings on our limited awareness. If we’re insulted or offended, it jades our fondness for that person even when we still love them. If a family member bruises our ego, our love for them is stretched, pulled, twisted, and tested. Not so with God.
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”
Jeremiah 31:3
In this verse, the Prophet Jeremiah writes that God’s love isn’t just a feeling—it’s an action. This love is everlasting, extending beyond time and circumstance and actively reaching out to us. It is not passive; it draws us near to Him, enveloping us in a closeness that never ends. God’s grace, revealed in His active love, invites us into a relationship with Him for a purpose that cannot be fulfilled by human intentions, work, or will.
One characteristic of our love that can never match God’s is that His love is proactive. He took the initiative to draw His people to Himself. We can never equal the sovereignty of His love. He knew us and loved us before we had life. “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:6)” Jeremiah’s prophecy invites us to understand the profound significance of God’s love, revealing the depth of His grace. This love, given through grace, is a foretaste of our eternal lives.
Grace is love that seeks you out when you have nothing to give in return. Grace is love coming at you that has nothing to do with you. Grace is being loved when you are unlovable…. Grace is a love that has nothing to do with you, the beloved. It has everything and only to do with the lover.
Rev. Paul Zahl
When I asked my son what grace means to him, he replied, “Receiving what I did not deserve.” He’s an engineer so he’s always accurate and to the point. From my perspective, he’s always been a good kid. My wife and I never really went through that corrective period with him as a teenager. But there are always times when children test your patience. A parent’s love endures, cutting through the sticky messes their children create. Beyond any problem, the lasting comfort of that love remains.
One day, in middle school, I told my Mom I hated her. Not a proud moment in my life. She wouldn’t let me stay awake to watch Don Kirshner’s rock concert, and I was furious. I will never forget how she reacted. “I hope you don’t mean that,” she said. “Think about what you said. Well, I still love you.” You can imagine how small I felt then realizing that my need-it-now desires were petty compared to something so much more significant, substantial, and important than me. There was grace in her love. Her love for me was obvious, though certainly not merited. Despite how horrible I felt from my hurtful words, I felt valuable and cherished.
Who is like the Lord our God,
the One who sits enthroned on high,
who stoops down to look
on the heavens and the earth?
Psalm 113:5-6
We see, feel, taste, and touch love in a sensory way, yet God bestows it in incomparable ways. This Psalm showcases the majesty of God’s sovereignty and His enduring compassion. God, who reigns above all creation, humbles Himself to engage intimately with the world. The psalmist marvels at the paradox of God’s greatness and willingness to connect with humanity, reminding us that God’s love isn’t distant but deeply involved in our lives, reaching into even the most minor details.
This Scripture paints a beautiful picture of God’s unmatched glory and intimacy. “Who is like the Lord our God?” emphasizes that no one compares to Him. This God who dwells “on high” is also the One who “looks down on the heavens and the earth.” We have a God who bridges the gap between His majesty and His compassion. God is above all while also attentive to all.
As demonstrated by His attentiveness to the heavens and earth, God’s humility contrasts sharply with human tendencies to ignore those deemed lesser or far away. “Stooping down” suggests not just a glance but an intentional, compassionate gaze, which paved the way for the most humble act ever done in history, when He paid the price for our sins on the cross.
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 Corinthians 12:8-9
God’s grace does not waver; it is patient, merciful, and transformative. It is a promise that we are never beyond His reach, regardless of our past. God wants us to know that no matter what we think we have, God’s grace is all we need. This divine grace calls us to live with deep gratitude, realizing that we are loved not for what we’ve done but for who we are to God—His beloved. Our worthiness for His grace stems not from us but from who He is.
When we reflect on God’s grace, we are reminded that His love doesn’t come with conditions or limits; it’s a promise that we are His, regardless of our past or failures. The truth of His grace is both humbling and empowering. It’s a call to love others as He loves us, knowing that our love, while imperfect, can reflect a fraction of His goodness and compassion.
In Romans 5:8, Paul underscores this truth, saying, “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God’s grace was extended in its fullest measure through Jesus, who sacrificed Himself for us before we even sought His forgiveness. Grace, then, is the highest expression of God’s love.
Grace isn’t just God’s kindness. It isn’t just God’s love; It’s His active, powerful presence in every moment, transforming trials into testimonies and struggles into triumphs. The greatest triumph is awarded by Jesus paying the ultimate price on the cross. There is evidence of love and grace everywhere, but you can only look at the vertical source to see the truest form of grace. Nothing compares to God’s grace. One friend of mine said it best, “Grace is God’s riches at Christ’s expense. Christ saved me from what I deserve and not merit on my own doing.”
Flowers thrive in the rain. Rain seems to make them smile. They can’t ask for it to happen, but it is essential to survival. Flowers do nothing to earn this sustaining water, which God provides according to His Grace.
While it might serve to comfort us, propel us, make us feel better, and feel loved, God’s grace is meant for something even more significant—to save us. Grace provides us with unmerited salvation. So, when you think about grace, remember how sufficient God’s grace is and how much it cost Him, not you.
And Hallelujah
Grace like rain falls down on me
And Hallelujah
And all my stains are washed away, they’re washed away
Grace Like Rain – Todd Wilson Agnew
Key Applications:
- When God says, “My grace is sufficient,” it reminds us that His grace is not enough to cover our needs but is actively at work, strengthening and sustaining us even in difficulty. Is that enough for you? If it’s not, pray that it becomes enough.
- Live out faith authentically, lean on God, and find purpose through life’s challenges, knowing His grace sustains us.