What Is The Gospel Of God’s Grace?
In Acts 20:24 (see also Galatians 1:11-12), Paul states he received the gospel of God’s grace directly from the ascended Jesus.
But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace. (Christian Standard Bible)
What is the gospel of God’s grace Paul received directly from the ascended Jesus?
The statement about the gospel of God’s grace in Acts 20:24 is part of a larger conversation Paul was having with the leaders of the assembly of believers in Ephesus.
In Acts 20:32, Paul said to these leaders,
“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up…”
Because Paul committed to the Ephesian leaders the word (message) of God’s grace, we can reasonably conclude that what Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians about grace provides valuable insight into the gospel of God’s grace.
In Ephesians, Paul uses the word grace thirteen times.
Let’s examine the grace of God that Paul writes about in Ephesians.
In Ephesians 1:3-2:22, Paul writes about spiritual blessings of God that have freely and fully come to believers through Jesus.
These blessings include that believers in Jesus are:
Holy - We are cleansed from all sins through the blood of Jesus.
Blameless - No sin can be charged against us because all sins were charged against Jesus.
Loved sons and daughters of the Father - God views us and relates to us as his loved sons and daughters.
Forgiven of all sins - There is no more forgiveness we need from God. He has given us eternal forgiveness through Christ Jesus.
Made alive with Christ - We are born spiritually dead. But through the resurrection of Jesus, we are now spiritually alive with Christ. If all of our sins are not forgiven, then we can’t be made spiritually alive. However, because all of our sins are forgiven, we are spiritually alive.
Saved - Through faith in Jesus and being made alive with Jesus, we are saved from spiritual death. We are saved from judgment because we are holy, blameless, forgiven, and spiritually alive through Christ.
Members of God’s family of grace - No matter who we are, where we live, or what we have done…when we place our faith in Jesus, we become valued members of God’s family of grace.
As members of God’s family of grace:
- We relate to God through grace and not by law or any other standard, system, or structure. We relate to God in freedom and confidence (Ephesians 3:12) because of what Jesus has done for us.
- We form the spiritual temple of God’s grace that expands throughout the world as more and more people hear about grace and place their faith in Jesus.
Believers in Jesus also have direct access to God by the Spirit of God that lives within us.
- There are no acronyms we must follow to enjoy the presence of God.
- There are no confessions we must make to enjoy the presence of God.
- There are no disciplines we must practice to enjoy the presence of God.
Loved by Christ - Paul writes in Ephesians 3:14-19 that the love of Christ for us cannot be measured.
This is the gospel of grace.
This is the word of grace that builds us up.
Paul received this gospel directly from Jesus.
Paul writes in Ephesians 3:2-4:
Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ…
Grace is everything God has done for us in Christ, leaving us nothing to do.
Through faith in Jesus, we receive the grace God has freely and fully given to us in Christ, and we relate to him forever based upon his grace.
