For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

By Grace

The first time the word “grace” is found in Scripture is when Noah found favor or grace in the eyes of the Lord. It was in the Garden of Eden that grace was first demonstrated after Adam and Eve took the forbidden fruit. God created Adam and Eve, placing them in the garden to tend and care for it. They were told to eat of every tree of the garden, but the tree in the midst of the garden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, was forbidden. God warned that in the day they ate of its fruit; they would die. Satan deceived the woman who took of the fruit and gave it to her husband. The eyes of both of them were open, and they knew they were naked. Hearing the Lord walking in the cool of the day, they hid themselves in fear.

Sin brings fear. Adam and Eve did not fully understand the consequences of their actions, but they knew to fear God. When the Lord confronted Adam and Eve, He told them the consequences of their disobedience would be grave. He punished Eve with sorrow in pain in childbirth. Her desire would always be in submission to her husband, as he would rule over her. To Adam, the Lord cursed the ground, and that he would labor by the sweat of his brow to survive. Fearing Adam and Eve would eat of the tree of life and live forever, God cast them out of the garden, protecting the tree with a cherubim at the east of the garden and a flaming sword guarding the way to the tree of life. What Adam and Eve experienced without them knowing it was the grace of God.

The Lord had no other choice but to save man. His righteousness is found in the grace He gave Adam and Eve. Before time began, a plan was in place to redeem sinful man through the gift of grace. When Adam and Eve sinned, God did not abandon them to their own folly without the promise of salvation. He told Satan the woman would bring forth a seed who would destroy him and bring about his eternal ruin. The first message of grace was ironically told to the devil that through Jesus Christ, God would save mankind. God did not destroy Adam and Eve and create two new beings. He formed Adam from the dust of the ground and, taking a rib from Adam, created Eve. The Lord could have destroyed what He created as easily as creating them. Instead, the Lord preserved Adam and Eve, placing upon humanity the consequence of sin as a curse.

Grace is the love of God to offer the world a way of escape. When Adam and Eve sinned, the best they could do was to hide from God. Did they know how to save themselves? Was hiding in the trees a way to escape the wrath of God? As a result of sin, Adam and Eve became fearful, trying to hide from God. They could not find an answer to fear. Hiding from God was useless. Adam and Eve could do nothing to save them. The first heartstring of grace was when Adam and Eve realized their Creator was not going to destroy them but to save them. Facing the wrath of God, Adam and Eve found grace in the eyes of their Redeemer.

The story of grace is found in Noah. God determined to kill everyone on the earth because they had become so wicked. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord because he was righteous, but he had no idea what God was going to do. Grace came when God told Noah what He would do and how Noah could save himself and his family. Noah believed to the saving of his soul, and eight souls were saved through the grace of God. Without obedience, Noah would have been lost. God told him to build an ark, and he did. The water that destroyed the world saved eight righteous souls. Grace through faith in obedience saved the family of Noah.

Today, grace is found in the word of God. The Lord will not destroy man off the face of the earth because He has given His Son as the sacrifice for sin. Grace is found in God, providing a way of escape. Nothing in human wisdom could have devised and brought about the plan of salvation. Everyone is like Adam and Eve – helpless and alone without God. By grace, a man is saved through faith. Adam and Eve were saved by grace. Noah and his family were saved by grace. Every faithful child of God partakes of the grace of God as they act upon their faith to be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. What a joy to know how much God loves us that while we deserved His wrath, He gave us His love.