Part 2: Grace is Unmerited Favor
What is Grace?
Grace is the foundation of the Christian faith, yet it is often misunderstood. Many people see grace as just a nice “gift” from God, but in reality, it’s far deeper and more profound than that. Grace is unmerited favor—it is God’s undeserved, unearned, and unrepayable love and kindness extended to us, not because of anything we’ve done, but simply because God chooses to give it.
Grace: The Gift We Could Never Earn
One of the central themes of the Bible is that God’s favor cannot be earned. It’s not about working hard to prove our worthiness or following a set of rules to make ourselves acceptable to God. The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
This passage highlights the heart of grace: it’s a gift. It’s not something we can work for, and it’s certainly not something we deserve. If we could earn it, it wouldn’t be grace—it would be a payment for our work. Grace, by definition, is unearned and undeserved.
Grace vs. Works
In many religious traditions, there is an emphasis on good works—doing things that please God in order to earn His favor. While good works are important and are an outgrowth of a life transformed by grace, they are never the means of gaining grace.
In fact, if grace could be earned by our actions, it would no longer be grace at all. Paul is clear on this point in Romans 11:6:
“And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.”
If we could earn God’s love by our works, it would contradict the very nature of grace. Grace is freely given, not earned. It is God’s decision to give us favor, even when we don’t deserve it.
Grace: God’s Love Despite Our Failures
One of the most incredible aspects of grace is that it’s given despite our shortcomings. We don’t have to clean ourselves up before we come to God. Grace is not conditional; it doesn’t depend on us being “good enough.” In fact, grace is most fully displayed in our weakness and failure.
In Romans 5:8, Paul writes:
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
God didn’t wait for us to become perfect before He sent Jesus. He sent His Son to die for us while we were still sinners—completely undeserving of His sacrifice. This is the true essence of unmerited favor: God’s love is not dependent on our performance, but on His grace.
The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
Jesus told the parable of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) to illustrate this very point about unmerited favor. In the parable, a landowner hires workers at various times throughout the day. At the end of the day, he pays all of them the same wage, regardless of how many hours they worked.
Naturally, the workers who had been hired first complained, feeling that the ones who worked fewer hours should have been paid less. But the landowner responds:
“Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?” (Matthew 20:15)
This story illustrates grace perfectly. The landowner, representing God, gives to everyone according to his own generosity, not according to what they deserve. The workers who were hired last did nothing to earn the full wage, but they still received it, because it was the landowner’s choice to give freely.
Living in the Freedom of Grace
If grace is truly unmerited favor, how should we live in light of that? First and foremost, we should live in gratitude—acknowledging that everything we have is a gift from God. This doesn’t mean we should live carelessly or sinfully, but it does mean that we are free from the burden of earning God’s favor. We can rest in the fact that God’s love is not based on what we do, but on His love for us.
Grace should lead to freedom, not guilt or shame. In Romans 6:14, Paul says:
“For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”
When we understand that we are under grace, we can live in freedom—freedom from trying to earn God’s love, freedom from legalism, and freedom to love and serve others because of the grace we’ve received.
Final Thoughts: Rest in the Gift of Grace
In this series on grace, we’ve explored how God’s grace is unmerited favor—a gift we can’t earn and don’t deserve. It’s not about what we do, but about what God has already done for us through Jesus. Let’s remember that we are not defined by our works, but by God’s love and His grace, freely given.
As you continue in this journey of grace, may you be reminded that it’s a gift—a gift that doesn’t require you to be “good enough,” but only to receive. And in that receiving, you are called to offer the same grace to others.