GRACE AS FREE UNMERITED LOVE AND FAVOR OF GOD

Free things or items are obtained at no cost. One does not use any means or money to purchase a free item. All one needs to do is just to accept or receive that which has been made available for free. In this regard, free unmerited love and favor of God is meant for all sinners to come to Christ.
One may be wondering how precious things such as love and favor of God could be given out for free. This is not far-fetched as it written in John 3:16 (KJV) – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”.
The foregoing scripture portrays the free aspect of the love and favor of God for all. This in specific terms is captured by the two words whosoever and believeth. Whosoever in this context speaks to the fact that status in terms of economic or social or religious or education, location, ethnic background etc. are not the yardstick to access the love and favor of God. To believe in something does not require money. It only requires ones heart.
The unmerited aspect of the definition of grace is well spelt out in Romans 5:8 (KJV) – “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. In simple or plain words, sinners are not supposed to merit the love and favor of God. This is because their sins have alienated them from God.
The two scriptures (John 3:16 and Romans 5:8) put together defines grace as free unmerited love and favor of God. This definition is applicable to only sinners. In other words grace to a sinner is free unmerited love and favor of God but to a believer, grace is free merited love and favor of God.
There are several reasons why grace to a believer is a free merited love and favor of God and these reasons are well spelt out in the scriptures. One of these reasons is that believers have been adopted to be the sons/daughters of God (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:5 and Ephesians 1:5). God as a father to believers owes it as a responsibility to love and favor his children. In the light of this reason, children of God merit His love and favor.
In as much as a believer merits the love and favor of God, it behooves believers to act responsibly for the love and favor of God and not to abuse it. One vital thing believers cannot ignore is the fact that wrong definition of grace leads to abuse of grace. The implication of wrong definition of grace is that it accommodates sin (irresponsible behavior). A typical example is when a believer sees grace as unmerited love and favor of God and for that matter irresponsible behaviors are allowed under grace. The mainstay of these irresponsible behaviors is that, because one does not work (unmerited) for it and also the more the irresponsible behavior the more grace abound (Romans 5:20).
The unmerited aspect of the definition of grace only pertains to the sinners in that it gives them access into the kingdom of God. There after assuming a son or daughter role (entry into kingdom) one is expected to respect the free love and favor of God and behave responsibly.
In summing up, I want to get anyone who reads this article and is caught in the misconception that under grace sin is allowed to repent and behave responsibly. God bless.