God’s favour, or grace, is God giving us the ability to do something which is humanly impossible for us to do. It is only by God’s undeserved favour that we can experience eternal life, and it is only by God’s grace that we have the ability to live for the Lord.
Luke 1:26-30 (NLT) “In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favoured woman! The Lord is with you!” 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favour with God!”
The word for favour is more frequently translated as grace. Jesus’ birth meant the extension of grace and favour to the whole world. God shows favour by connecting with His people and being a shield that leads them and protects them.
Psalm 5:12 (ESV) “For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favour as with a shield.”
Only those who are in Jesus Christ can experience the favour of God. It is by Jesus’ righteousness that we receive forgiveness of sin and become children of God. Once we are God’s children, we can pursue God’s favour. God’s favour is the power that changes things for us. We are saved by His favour. To be saved means to be delivered, protected, preserved, healed, and made whole. God’s favour covers every area of our lives! By His favour, He has taken care of everything we will ever need.
Ephesians 2:7 (NLT) “So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.”
God’s favour is ours. We must receive God’s favour by faith. That’s what Abraham did. The circumstances looked hopeless when God promised him, he would be the father of many nations. His age. Sarah’s lifelong barrenness. How could it be? They received God’s promise by faith and God’s favour.
Romans 4:18-21 (AMPC) “[For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So [numberless] shall your descendants be. 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah’s [deadened] womb. 20 No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God.
Romans 4:24 (AMPC) “But [they were written] for our sakes too. [Righteousness, standing acceptable to God] will be granted and credited to us also who believe in (trust in, adhere to, and rely on) God, Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead”
Romans 5:2 (AMPC) Through Him also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God’s favour) in which we [firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God.
I conclude with 2 Peter 1:2 (NLT) “May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.”