But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
2 Peter 3:18 ESV
“Q. What is grace? A. Grace is God’s favor towards us, unearned and undeserved; by grace God forgives our sins, enlightens our minds, stirs our hearts, and strengthens our wills.â€
1979 Book of Common Prayer, 858.
Grace means the generous heart of God who determines to treat sinful men and women as he lovingly wishes rather than as they actually deserve.
It is God the Father’s sovereign good pleasure, totally unmerited by us, which raises us from the ash-heap to a throne of glory. It is the servant-like manner of God the Son who became a man, lived, taught, died, rose again and reigns for us. It is the humble work of God the Holy Spirit who equips us to love and serve him now with his grace-gifts (charismata), and who is the down-payment for the day when we shall be changed into the likeness of Jesus Christ himself.
The gospel is grace, God’s good pleasure to delight in people who do not deserve it.
Dick Lucas and Christopher Green, The Message of 2 Peter & Jude (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1995), 36.