What is the Grace of God?

I've been studying the definition of grace this past week.  What does it mean to be "saved by grace"?  Since my blog is on the topic of "Lawless Grace", I thought maybe it was time to look at the possibility that "the grace of God" being taught in our churches is not "the grace of God" in the Bible.
 
The word "Grace" in Strong's Concordance means "to favor, to bend or stoop down in kindness to an inferior."  The word "inferior" implies "a nobody" - someone who isn't special in any way. Isn't that a wonderful picture of God?  Almighty God showed "favor or grace" to us by "stooping down in kindness" through the person of Jesus Christ to someone like me, an inferior or a nobody!  I didn't have to be a hollywood movie star to receive the grace of God.  I didn't have to be a famous president of a large country or company to receive the grace of God.  I didn't have to be anybody special for God "to favor me" and show me His grace!  These kind of "credentials" is what "works" means in Eph. 2:8 & 9.  The Pharisees in the New Testament had this mindset that they were "somebody special" because they were so strict in following God's Law - therefore, deserving of God's grace and favor.

When I find a new insight, I always like to go to the Bible and check out how it "fits", because if it doesn't make sense or doesn't "fit" with what the other verses say - then I've got it wrong.  So let's take a look.  In Genesis 12:1 & 2, we find Abram was just an ordinary human being, a "nobody", but all of a sudden God "stoops down in kindness to an inferior" and calls him to be a "somebody" for Him.  That's God's grace!  God's calling came first (grace/salvation), then Abram's obedience came second (he left his country as God commanded him.).

In Exodus 3:3 & 4, we find Moses out taking care of his father-in-law's sheep.  At this point in time, Moses was just a "nobody" - going about his normal business of the day.  Suddenly, God calls to him from a burning bush.  Almighty God is again "stooping down in kindness to an inferior" and calls him to be a "somebody" for Him.  That is God's grace!  Again, we see that God's calling came first (grace/salvation), then Moses' obedience came second (he became the one to deliver God's people from slavery to Egypt.).

The last one I want to look at is in Genesis 6:8:  "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord."  A couple verses later it says, God told Noah to build an ark because a flood was coming to destroy the earth of it's lawlessness (disobeying God's laws).  Again, we see God calling just an average man to be obedient to Him.  That is God's grace!  The calling of God came first, and then man's obedience followed.

The grace of God was shown to me when Almighty God, the Creator of the universe, came down to earth and took on a human body and a human name, Jesus Christ.  This awesome God "stooped down in kindness to an inferior" like me!  He then suffered and died a horrible death as a sacrifice for my sin (my disobedience to His commandments) and rose again.  He then called me by name to repent of my disobedience against Him and to come and follow Him through obedience for the rest of my life.  This obedience includes His 10 Commandments (including keeping His Sabbath Day holy), following Him in water baptism, and then in whatever other way His Spirit may lead me.  Just remember this, though:  God's amazing grace and calling comes first.  My obedience to His calling always comes second.

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound - that saved a wretch (inferior) like me;
I once was lost but now I'm found; was blind but now I see."

"For many are called, but few are chosen." (Matthew 22:14)