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A Lesson on Grace

We were on holiday when we got an unexpected call. A friend had come by and found water pouring out of a kitchen pipe. By the time we got home, our basement was completely flooded. The water had run for two whole days! At first, we were frustrated and overwhelmed. Everything had to be torn out—floors, walls, insulation—everything we had installed with the best intentions and on the advice of a handyman.

But as we started pulling down the insulation, we discovered something hidden: mold and decay had been silently forming behind the walls due to our earlier mistake. Suddenly, what we thought was a disaster began to look like a divine intervention. That flood exposed what could have cost us much more down the line. Not only did we save our home, but the insurance payout enabled us to renovate, giving us a new kitchen and beautiful wooden floors.

It was in that moment God spoke to us:
“This judgment was My GRACE in action.”

Sometimes, God’s grace looks like something breaking so He can expose and heal what is hidden. That experience taught us that GRACE is not just what God does; it is WHO HE IS.

This is what I want to share with you today:
The very essence and character of God is GRACE. Even in His judgment, His correction, His discipline – GRACE is His heart.

When Moses asked to see God’s glory in Exodus 34:6-7, God hid him in the cleft of the rock (Jesus, the Rock of Ages!) and then declared His name as His glory passed by. What did Moses encounter? Not terrifying wrath, but the GOODNESS of God. The glory of God IS His goodness.

God revealed Himself as:
“The LORD, the LORD, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.”

His grace runs through everything He does.

But here’s something that has been pressing on my heart:
Lately, as I listen to messages and conversations about the grace of God—both from pulpits and among believers—something feels slightly off. It’s like listening to a beautiful melody, but there’s one note that’s not quite in harmony. Something in the teaching of grace feels skewed.

There’s a tendency to separate grace from God’s justice, His discipline, His truth, or even His righteous anger. Almost as if grace stands apart from these other attributes—as if grace only equals kindness or leniency.

But what if the melody sounds off because we are missing the richness of how God expresses grace in ALL His dealings with us?

Here are 6 truths I believe God is highlighting to His people:

We need to grasp the SEVERITY OF SIN.
Sin separates us from God. Sin is so severe that it required Jesus—God’s own Son—to die in our place. Jesus cries out, “Please do not die in your sins!” (John 8:24). God does not take sin lightly. Ezekiel 18 shows us both the seriousness of sin and the deep longing in God’s heart for repentance. He says, “I take no pleasure in the death of anyone… Repent and live!” True grace confronts sin head-on, not to condemn but to heal and restore.

We need to understand the LONGSUFFERING OF GOD.
God is incredibly patient. He told Abraham in Genesis 15:16 that judgment on the Canaanites would come only when their sin had reached its full measure. That took 400 years! Likewise, God sent prophets to Israel for centuries, pleading with them to turn back. 2 Peter 3:9 reminds us, “The Lord is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God’s patience is grace at work.

We need to recognize God’s GRACE in DISCIPLINE.
Hebrews 12 tells us that the Lord disciplines those He loves. He is like a good father who corrects His children, not out of anger but out of love, so they may share in His holiness. The result? “The peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

Think of a bone that has been set incorrectly. Sometimes it has to be broken again to heal properly. In the moment, discipline is painful, but in the end, it restores. As Job 5:17-18 says, “Blessed is the one whom God corrects… For He wounds, but He also binds up; He injures, but His hands also heal.”

There is also the ancient story of the shepherd and the wandering sheep. When a sheep consistently strayed from the flock and placed itself in danger, the shepherd would, as a last resort, gently break one of its legs. Then, he would carry the sheep on his shoulders until it healed. During this time of closeness, the sheep would bond with the shepherd and learn to stay near, safe from predators and danger. The breaking was never out of cruelty—it was out of deep love and a desire to protect.

So it is with God’s discipline. He corrects us, sometimes in painful ways, but His purpose is always to bring us closer to Him, to guard us from destruction, and to lead us into wholeness and life.

We need to understand GOD’S ANGER, VINDICATION, AND VENGEANCE as expressions of grace.
When injustice, oppression, and wickedness have gone on long enough, God rises to act. His anger is not reckless or cruel—it is His grace defending the oppressed and delivering the righteous. Psalm 18 shows God thundering from heaven to rescue His beloved. His vengeance is always about setting things right.

We need to accept that sometimes GRACE means LETTING GO.
In the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15), the father lets his son go his own way. Sometimes, grace allows people to experience the consequences of sin, so they might “come to their senses” and return home. God’s grace never forces—it waits, with arms wide open, for us to return.

We need to understand that SPEAKING AND LIVING THE TRUTH is God’s GRACE in action.
God’s Word is truth, and His truth brings freedom (John 8:32). The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth, not to burden us, but to free us. Yet, we are seeing a time when many reject truth and call it harsh. Friends, when we reject truth, we reject grace.
The church is called to be a pillar of truth. When we proclaim God’s justice, discipline, and righteousness, we are extending His grace to a world in need. Grace without truth is powerless, but grace paired with truth transforms.

Let us remember that everything God does flows from His heart of grace, whether it comforts us or challenges us.

Psalm 145:8-21 says:
“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love… He upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down… The Lord is near to all who call on Him in truth…”

Summary

God’s grace is not a shallow kindness that overlooks sin or avoids correction. His grace is deep, active, and multifaceted—it disciplines, it warns, it delivers, and it restores. Grace is the very heartbeat behind God’s justice, truth, mercy, and even His anger.

Romans 2:4 reminds us:

“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (NKJV)

The Greek word for “goodness” here is chrēstotēs, meaning “moral kindness” or “uprightness.” The kindness of God is not mere softness—it is full of truth, calling us to repentance. But how can we repent if we don’t know the truth?

This is why grace and truth must always go hand in hand. God’s kindness is both truth and mercy. His mercy covers, but His truth reveals. His grace both convicts and heals. His kindness leads us to repentance because it shows us the truth of our condition and offers us the way back to life.

Let us be a people who receive the full counsel of His grace—not just the comforting aspects but also the correcting, guiding, and sanctifying grace that shapes us into the likeness of Christ.

Reflection Question: Is there an area in your life where what seems like judgment, disruption, or loss might actually be God’s grace exposing something He desires to heal and redeem?

Be blessed!