Grace as Favor - Unmerited and Overflowing

NOTE: Sometimes I feel the need to post about theology. It has nothing to do with traveling, places, and what the rest of this blog site is about. I do believe theology is an adventure. I want an outlet for my theological ramblings. I hope this is a blessing in your theological adventure.

The theological definition of grace is often summarized as “unmerited favor.” When speaking of grace, where should the emphasis fall—on "unmerited" or on "favor"?

While much attention is paid to the “unmerited” side—our unworthiness and sinfulness—the richness of God’s favor is often underappreciated. Grace is not just a pardon; it is an invitation into privilege. It is not only what we escape, but what we gain.

Scripture says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). We all know gifts are given unmerited. Therefore, perhaps when speaking of grace, we should emphasize the favor aspect. If someone tells me they received a gift, I’m not likely to ask, “What did you do to not earn it?” I’m going to ask, “What’s the gift?” And the greater the gift, the more astonishing it is. A gift of $100 is great. A gift of $1,000,000,000 is beyond remarkable. God’s gifts are beyond our imagination in wealth.

All the favor we receive by grace flows from the finished work of Jesus Christ. It is not granted arbitrarily, nor is it earned through our efforts—it is purchased through His glorious sacrifice. The Apostle Paul declares, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7). Grace is not cheap; it cost the Son of God His life. Jesus bore our sin, absorbed the wrath we deserved, and rose again to secure for us eternal favor. As Paul says elsewhere, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). What Christ accomplished on the cross is the fountain from which every expression of grace and favor flows. It is a gift, but a gift purchased in blood.

Because of this, we are united with Him. Paul writes, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20).

This union means that His death is our death, and His life is now our life. We are no longer bound to live according to the desires of the flesh, for we are new creations in Him. Though we still live in the flesh, we do not live by the flesh—we live by faith in Christ, who lives in us. This reality is the ongoing miracle of grace: not only that Christ died for us, but that He now lives in us.

This union with Christ, achieved solely through His grace, ushers us into remarkable favor. Among the many blessings of grace, three stand out as especially profound: eternal life, coheirship with Christ, and our identity as the bride of Christ.

1. The Favor of Eternal Life

At its core, grace rescues us from the death we earned and bestows on us the life we could never earn. Humanity spares no effort in trying to extend life—through diet, exercise, medicine, and technology—yet even our best efforts cannot defeat death. That makes the gift of eternal life all the more astounding: not just a longer life, but unending, glorious life in the presence of God, given freely by grace.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Scripture makes clear that death is not merely a natural end—it is a deserved outcome of our rebellion. But grace overrides what we deserve and instead offers what only Christ could earn.

Eternal life is not merely unending existence—it is the favor of unbroken fellowship with God, a restored relationship with the Author of life Himself. Jesus declared, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). Eternal life is personal, relational, and profoundly gracious. It is God inviting us into His life, through no merit of our own, but solely through Christ's atoning work.

2. The Favor of Coheirship with Christ

From childhood to old age, people labor to accumulate wealth, property, status, and possessions—yet even the most successful among us can only claim ownership over a small piece of the world, and only for a short time. In contrast, grace makes us coheirs with Christ, granting us a share in His eternal inheritance—the universe itself. This is not earned by our toil, but given by divine favor.

Grace does more than rescue us from what we deserve; it lifts us into what we could never deserve. In Christ, we are not merely forgiven sinners—we are made sons and daughters, and more than that, coheirs with the Son of God. “And if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him” (Romans 8:17). This is staggering favor.

We brought nothing to the table. We created nothing, earned nothing, and in fact, squandered the life God gave us. Yet in Christ, we are given a share in the inheritance of glory. The Apostle Paul reinforces this by declaring that God “raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). The favor is so profound that we are already, in God’s eyes, enthroned with Christ—though we did nothing but rebel against the King.

This favor redefines our identity and destiny. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). Every blessing is ours—not because we earned it, but because grace placed us in Christ.

3. The Favor of Being the Bride of Christ

Human beings are wired for relationship. We spend our lives cultivating friendships, seeking love, building reputations, and curating our image—often through tireless effort on social media, in our careers, or within our communities. We long to be known, valued, and loved. Yet no human relationship, no matter how deep, can compare to the favor of being called the Bride of Christ. In grace, we are not only invited into relationship with God—we are brought into the most intimate and cherished union imaginable.

Perhaps the most intimate and astonishing expression of divine favor is that we are called the Bride of Christ. The imagery of marriage communicates exclusivity, affection, covenantal love, and shared life. “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has prepared herself” (Revelation 19:7).

We were not always the bride—we were once enemies. “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son…” (Romans 5:10). And yet, through grace, we are not merely reconciled; we are cherished. Christ “loved the church and gave Himself up for her… so that He might present the church to Himself in all her glory” (Ephesians 5:25, 27).

This is not reluctant acceptance—it is favor that transforms enemies into beloved, cleansed, adorned, and betrothed. We are chosen, pursued, and promised to Christ forever.

Conclusion

Grace is unmerited favor. But favor is not generic kindness—it is the outpouring of God’s generosity, lifting the undeserving into astonishing privilege. We were dead, yet given life. We were empty, yet made heirs. We were enemies, yet loved as a bride. To appreciate grace is not only to recognize our unworthiness, but to stand in awe at the magnitude of the favor shown to us in Christ.

As Paul wrote: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

The Love of Christ Compels Us

And in light of such favor, how should we live?

Paul answers with his own testimony: “For the love of Christ compels us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died” (2 Corinthians 5:14). The favor we’ve received is not meant to produce apathy or complacency—it compels us. It moves us to worship, to obedience, to love others with the love we ourselves have received. The grace that saves us also empowers us to live in a way that reflects the One who gave it.

As Paul wrote: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

We do not earn His favor by living well—but having received such favor, we now live because of it, in response to it, and for the glory of the One who freely gave it.

That is grace—and that is favor. Quite honestly, I can scarcely comprehend these truths. May we never take lightly what we could never earn, and may we live daily in awe of the One who gave it.