Grace
God is a God of Grace
2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to make all grace abound to you,
so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance
for every good deed;
NASB
God is a God of grace. God has the goal of making this grace known by all of His creation, humans and angels alike, sinners and believers. This is (at least a part of) the motivation behind God’s long-suffering. It is the reason for common grace.
This attribute of God’s character has been found throughout the Scriptures. Earlier, we mentioned His mercy on Adam and Eve as He drove them from the Garden. David is another example. David’s two great sins are adultery (2 Sam 11) and failing to rely upon God’s command when he numbered his army (1 Chron 21). In the first instance, God helped to pull David to repentance via the pronouncement of Nathan (2 Sam 12). God’s direct punishment was the death of the bastard son. There were, however, multiple other consequences related to David’s sin of multiple wives during the balance of his life. But, God did not take David’s life. The scope of David’s view about God may be found in Psalm 51, the King’s Psalm of repentance.
The second instance is a clear example of David believing in the mercy of God’s grace. Rather than relying upon the strength of God, David’s pride caused the King to number his army. In His anger, God offered David his choice of punishment – three years of famine, three months of defeat at the hands of Israel’s enemies, or three days of punishment at the hand of God (1 Chron 21:11-12). David believed so strongly in God’s grace that he chose the last option.
1 Chronicles 21:13
And
David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Please let me fall
into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are very great; but do not
let me fall into the hand of man."
NKJV
This view of God’s grace is in line with the teachings of the balance of the Old Testament. Time and again Scripture records Israel walking away from God. And, while on a case-by-case, individual basis, judgment is imposed, as a whole God dealt with the nation solely in grace. The purpose of this grace was to always bring the nation and its individual members back to a loving relationship with the Lord.
Nehemiah 9:17
17 They refused to obey, And they were not mindful
of Your wonders That You did among them. But they hardened their necks,
And in their rebellion They appointed a leader To return to their bondage.
But You are God, Ready to pardon, Gracious and merciful, Slow to anger,
Abundant in kindness, And did not forsake them. NKJV
