The Gift of Grace

Christmas and gifts just seem to go hand in hand, but have you ever met someone who has a tough time accepting a great gift? The proper response to receiving a great gift would be a simple “This means so much to me,” “Wow, this is really generous,” or “Thank you sooo very much.”

Instead, this person might respond with, "Oh, you didn't have to do that!" "I didn't get you anything!" or the terrible, "How much did this cost? Let me pay you back."

While some of us might be shamelessly open to receiving free stuff, many struggle to accept a great gift, especially graciously! Many believe they must somehow earn it, justify it, or return the favor.

If we can be that awkward with earthly gifts from people, imagine how we can be with heavenly gifts from God.

The book of John has this beautiful line: "For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace" (John 1:16).

Grace is the unmerited favor of God, love we don't deserve, mercy we have not earned, and acceptance we could never achieve on our own.

John tells us that from Christ's fullness we receive "grace upon grace," like waves that continuously wash over us. This is not just a single transaction. It is more like an endless supply, grace stacked upon grace, blessing upon blessing, one divine favor after another. It reveals a God whose very nature is generosity, whose character is defined by giving what cannot be earned. Grace is God saying, "I love you. Full stop."

God’s grace is often offensive to human pride because it reminds us that we are not self-made, we are not self-sufficient, and we are not worthy. Grace is God's character on full display: a God who gives extravagantly to people who truly do not deserve it and cannot pay Him back.

The Christmas story is filled with grace at every turn. Remember when the angelic messenger visited a teenage girl, announcing her as God’s choice to carry the Savior of the world? When Joseph, discovering Mary's pregnancy, chose compassion over public disgrace? When the King of Kings entered our world, not in a palace but among the animals and the humble? Or when the royal announcement of His birth was made not to the political and religious elite, but to blue-collar shepherds and their sheep on the hills of Bethlehem?

The incarnation is grace personified, an almighty God stepping into human flesh. Jesus didn't come because we had finally gotten our act together or had proven ourselves worthy. He came precisely because humanity continually fell short and needed a Savior. The manger represents the scandal of grace: divinity wrapped in human skin, infinite love contained in a fragile infant, the holy entering an unholy world to make us whole.

This gift is desperately needed today because we are drowning in a culture of self-promotion, performance, perfectionism, and pride. So often, social media feeds are human highlight reels clamoring for the approval of everyone but God. Grace is a powerful reminder of who we are before a Holy God and of how His unmerited favor sustains and guides us.

In his book What’s So Amazing About Grace?, author Phillip Yancey writes: “Having spent time around 'sinners' and also around purported saints, I have a hunch why Jesus spent so much time with the former group: I think he preferred their company. Because the sinners were honest about themselves and had no pretense, Jesus could deal with them."

Maybe this Christmas season, many of us need to become better receivers than givers. Yes, this could apply to being more gracious when receiving an earthly gift. But more importantly, some of us need to be better receivers of His grace.

Let’s deeply meditate and consider how many times grace has already blessed us today:

• We woke up. God graced us with another day.
• Our bodies and all their functions actually worked (for the most part).
• We have something to wear, eat, and even do.
• We can choose to live for Him, work or study, and to exercise free will.
• We can tell others about how His grace has changed us…or choose not to.

Let’s become better receivers of His great gift of grace.

First, let's acknowledge our need for grace. Grace only makes sense when we stop pretending we are self-sufficient. It requires the humility to admit we are broken, flawed, and in desperate need of what we cannot provide for ourselves.

Second, we receive grace by faith. We open our hands and hearts to accept what God offers without trying to convince Him that we are worthy. This is harder than it sounds for those of us trained to earn our worth.

Third, we practice grace toward others. We cannot hoard what flows from an Infinite Source. When we truly receive God's grace, we become conduits of it, extending to others the same unmerited favor we have received. Maybe this might mean forgiving someone who does not deserve it or showing love to someone who cannot love you back.

Finally, we rest in grace. We stop the exhausting work of self-justification and self-improvement as paths to God's acceptance. Instead, we perform good works inspired by God’s good work for us. There is a difference. We work not to earn more of God’s love, but instead we work because of God’s great love for us.

John 1:16 promises not a small dose of grace but rather grace upon grace, an inexhaustible supply. This Christmas, the invitation is to stop striving and start receiving. To let go of the heavy burden of earning God's love and rest in the revolutionary truth that His favor cannot be won because it has already been given. The gift has been wrapped in swaddling clothes, placed in a manger, and offered to the world. All that remains is for us to receive and unwrap it with open and grateful hearts.

This devotional was written by Kevin Batista, the Minister to Students at First Baptist Dallas.

Two Questions for Thought:

1. In what areas of your life are you still trying to earn God's love or approval rather than resting in His grace? What would change if you truly believed His favor cannot be earned?
2. Who in your life needs to experience grace through you this season? What is one concrete action that you could demonstrate God's unmerited favor to them?

Daily Challenge:

This week, identify one person you find difficult to extend grace toward and intentionally show them undeserved kindness, remembering that this is exactly what God has done for you in Christ.