When we talk about grace, we often use the language of unmerited favor. This has caused a lot of consternation in Christendom as good people argue over the nature of God’s grace. What exactly is meant by unmerited? Does that word mean there is nothing we can do—no obligation we must meet—in order to receive grace, lest it become merited and change the nature of what grace is about?
Well, let’s remember that the definitions we use in English are the best words we have to describe a word used in the ancient Greco-Roman world. Just like in our age, context often helps us with precise meaning more than words themselves. We can define “love” with words, but often the context gives us the more precise understanding.
“I love this pizza” means something very different from, “I love my children,” or, “I love my church.” The definition may be similar, but the context explains it much better. The same is true with the word “grace.”
Yes, grace means unmerited favor, but that doesn’t mean there is no exchange of gifts when the biblical concept of grace is used. In the first-century world, charis—grace—was a relational word. It came from the well-known patron–client system, where a wealthy patron would freely give blessings, opportunities, or protection to a client, not because the client could repay him, but because of the relationship. In turn, the client responded with loyalty, public honor, and faithful service to the patron. Everyone in that culture understood that this relationship was built on generosity on one side and allegiance on the other.
To illustrate this, imagine a young man working at a pizza restaurant called “Tony’s Pizza.” He was amazing at his job—spinning the dough, adding sauce and toppings like a food artist. There was even a glass partition between him and the customers so they could watch the show. He created more than a meal; he created an experience.
Every two weeks, Tony paid him his wages. Tony did this for a number of reasons, but primarily because the law required it. The young man worked, and his wages were due. He earned them. He merited them. As Paul wrote,
“Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.” (Romans 4:4 ESV).
But one weekend, while playing basketball with friends, he broke his wrist. For over a month, he couldn’t work. He couldn’t spin pizzas or create his culinary masterpieces. At the end of the month, he went to the mailbox expecting bills with no way to pay them. But to his surprise, Tony had sent him a check for a month’s wages.
That’s unmerited favor. He had done nothing to earn the money. Tony gave it out of generosity because he valued this young man’s loyalty and wanted to show kindness.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” (James 1:17 ESV).
But Tony didn’t send checks to just anyone who was out of work. He had a relationship with this young man—one marked by trust and proven character. The employee had shown pistis—faith—by being loyal and hard-working. It was because of this exchange of gifts—the employee’s loyalty and the unearned wages—that we can see grace in action.
In the same way, God extends grace—unmerited favor—to those who give Him pistis, or faith. In the first-century mind, this was not merely believing certain truths; it was pledging allegiance to one’s patron—in our case, King Jesus—and proving that loyalty through faithful action.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8 ESV).
God does not give this grace indiscriminately, but to those who enter into that exchange of grace with allegiance and loyalty.
Just because grace is given to those who are loyal doesn’t mean we earned it. We could never earn what God has given. But by giving Him our pistis, we become the target of His unmerited favor.
“The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” (Lamentations 3:25 ESV).
Let’s not give in to the “free grace” theology of our day that says we receive God’s grace without any action on our part. That was foreign to the way first-century Christians understood grace and faith, and it is not the kind we read about in Scripture.
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22 ESV).
If we are not careful, we will become slaves to our English definitions, ignoring the richer biblical context.
God’s grace is unmerited. We don’t earn it. We can’t earn it. It is freely given to us—but it is given because we have entered into relationship with Him through our pistis, our faith. It is our allegiance and loyalty, lived out daily in a way that glorifies King Jesus, that makes us the target and beneficiary of His great unmerited favor.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.” (Psalm 103:2–4 ESV).
What a wonderful and generous God we serve.
I am in the book of Exodus in my daily Bible reading.
I’m at the part where God gives His people a long list of laws. These weren’t random rules. They were designed to preserve justice, protect the innocent, and teach Israel how to love in every situation. Every detail mattered — from how to settle disputes, to how to treat strangers, to how to make things right when someone had been wronged.
When we read the New Testament, we notice something very different. We don’t see the same kind of exhaustive list for every possible wrong. We don’t find retribution spelled out for lying, stealing, cheating, or physically harming someone.
And sometimes, if we’re honest, we think it might be easier to live under a system where everything is laid out in black and white. We know exactly what to do, what happens if we fail, and exactly what is expected of us. I think that’s why we sometimes long for laws — because they make the expectations clear. But history shows us we couldn’t keep that kind of law perfectly. We fail under that system.
So, does the grace we live under now mean God doesn’t care as much about our behavior or how we administer justice? Does it mean we’re free to live without a standard because the New Testament doesn’t address sin in the same way the Old Testament did?
Hardly.
In fact, if we belong to Christ, we live under a greater calling. Jesus doesn’t have to outline every possible wrong or prescribe every consequence. He sums up the whole law in one sentence:
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39 ESV)
We are members of a royal priesthood, children of God, fellow heirs with King Jesus. Scripture even says we will judge angels and rule with Him when He returns. That kind of identity changes the way we live.
In the Old Testament, the question might have been, “What does the law require of us?” But in the Kingdom of Heaven, the question is, “How can we reflect the glory and justice of our King?”
When we offend someone, we seek to make it right — not because the law forces us to, but because grace compels us to. God is transforming us into the image of His Son. The law is written on our hearts now (Hebrews 8:10), so we live not for fear of punishment but out of love for the One who saved us.
We don’t need a rule that says, “Don’t harm your neighbor.” We simply don’t, because it’s not what our King desires. We spend time in prayer and in His Word, and we grow in wisdom that teaches us how to love well.
As citizens of the Kingdom, we bear a higher standard than God’s children under the Old Covenant. We seek good, we carry one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), we let our “yes” be yes (Matthew 5:37), we treat others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3), and we seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).
We are image bearers of our Creator — and the way we live should make that clear to everyone who sees us.