"HEARTLINES - the Feature Film"  www.heartlines.org.za

Describing grace is like describing God.  It's tough.  For me the Bible does not give a definition, but does speaks about it a lot.  For bible believing Christians it is one of those principles like love and faith.  Bono of U2 notes that all other belief systems of the world have karma,  but we have Grace.  The world says you get what you deserve, but Jesus says you get grace.  The best way to start thinking about Grace is by understanding it as God's "undeserved favour".  U2 have a song about God's grace.

GRACE
Grace, she take the blame
She covers the shame
Removes the stain
It could be her name

Grace, it's the name of a girl
It's also a thought that changed the world
And when she walks on the street
You can hear the strings
Grace finds goodness in everything

Grace, she's got the walk
Not on a ramp or on chalk
She travels outside of karma
She travels outside of karma
When she goes to work
You can hear her strings
Grace finds beauty in everything

Grace, she carries a world on her hips
No champagne flute for he lips
No twirls or skips between her fingertips
She carries a pearl in perfect condition

What once was hurt
What once was friction
What left a mark
No longer stings
Because Grace makes beauty
Out of ugly things

Grace makes beauty out of ugly things
Grace finds goodness in everything

THE BIBLE IS FULL OF GRACE
"But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." (Genesis 6:8)
chen khane from graciousness, i.e. subjective (kindness, favor) or objective (beauty):--favour, grace(-ious), pleasant, precious, (well-)favoured.

"we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ ... we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand." (Romans 5:1,2)
Grace is a Place or rather position in which we Stand.
 - Faith in Jesus has brought for us a "get out of jail free" card.
 - The cross took the anger & punishment and now we have peace with God.
 - Faith in Jesus brought us into the favor / smiling face / blessing of God.

"And He has made you alive , who were once dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience; 3. among whom we also had our way of life in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the thoughts, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4. But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love with which He loved us 5. (even when we were dead in sins) has made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved), 6. and has raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus, 7. so that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8. For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God,. not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them."  (Ephesians 2:1-10)
 - HE made us alive!!!
 - BUT we all used to be directed by ways of the world and Satan.
 - By our natures we were heading for wrath & punishment.
 - Because of God's great love / mercy / grace He made us alive with Christ.
 - God's great favor / blessing is coming because of His heart of love & favour.
 - Because of God's great mercy, His grace / smile on us --- all only made possible because Jesus covered hell over for us - we can inherit this all IF we believe.
 - Now that we are under God's smile (grace) we can walk with and in the works of Jesus.

"Grace makes beauty out of ugly things"
"Grace finds goodness in everything"
There are still many ugly things in our lives but as we spend more time under God's smiling face (GRACE) the ugly goes away.

"The grace of God that brings salvation ... teaches us to say no to ungodliness." (Titus 2:11)

HEARTLINES: www.heartlines.org.za

Erik Momsen