THE ESSENCE OF GRACE Part 1

THE ESSENCE OF GRACE

by Rev Victor Adeyemi

MATT 20: 1-16

The study in the quoted scripture above is that of a vineyard owner who hired labourers for his vineyard at four different hours of the Jewish 12-hour week day. He hired at the 1st, 3rd, 6th and 11th hour.

He entered into a LEGAL contract to pay a penny to the labourers he hired at the first hour. The pay was specific and by the standard of the day according to historians, it was a generous offer. The subsequently hired labourers were only promised unspecified compensation, meaning their decisions to work for the vineyard owner was purely on the terms of their FAITH in his generosity.

The difference between the first hour labourers and the subsequent ones lie in their symbolic representation of God’s operation under the LAW and under grace.

Under the law, it was a matter of- OBEY the rules and get the blessings (Deut 28: 1-14).

Under grace, BELIEVE in the obedience of Christ and get the blessing (Gal 3: 13-14).

A few lessons of grace stand out among others in this text:

1. GRACE IS UNMERITED

We all know what we merit, and that is death (Rom 6:23). The mercy of God withholds that from us and grace offers us what we do not merit (Salvation, healing, deliverance etc.

1 Cor. 3: 2-1-22).

We cannot deserve death and eternal life, joy and sorrow, health and sickness, poverty and prosperity at the same time. That which we do not deserve, God offers us abundantly. Grace is underserved favour.

To be continued