God's Grace vs. Lord's Grace

 

God's Grace vs. Lord's Grace

Rom 3:24 But being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

2 Cor 12:9 He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.”

2 Cor 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

 

Analysis Item	God's Grace	Lord's Grace
Basic Meaning	The Triune God Himself dispensed into us for our experience and enjoyment; God's being unto us as our enjoyment	Christ's concrete gracious acts as Lord, particularly emphasizing His sovereignty and work; the Lord's perfect power manifested in our weakness
Essential Characteristics	• Dispensation of God's essence, God Himself becoming our enjoyment • The personification of grace is God Himself • Not merely God's work for us, but God Himself	• Gracious supply under Christ's sovereignty • The active Christ, working Christ, reigning Christ • The conquering Christ, saving Christ
Source and Foundation	From the nature and being of the Triune God, coming through Jesus Christ	From Jesus Christ's sovereignty and work, based on God's grace
Primary Effects	• Enables people to receive God's life and nature • Becomes the inner driving force of believers' lives • Allows people to enjoy all that God is • Reigning in grace to obtain eternal life	• Supplies concrete help and power • Shows perfection in weakness • Provides timely help and salvation • Abounds exceedingly to give faith and love
Scope of Action	Covers all aspects of believers' spiritual life, from salvation to sanctification to glorification	Focuses on specific needs, weaknesses, and moments of difficulty for help and strengthening
Mode of Expression	• Inner life supply and character transformation • Abounding grace as life foundation • Rich supply of God's manifold grace	• Outward power manifestation and practical help • Covering power that shows perfection in weakness • Concrete acts of timely help
Emphasis	God's being and essential dispensation, more personal in nature	Christ's doing and sovereign manifestation, more functional in nature
Level of Experience	• More about inner life experience • Continuous enjoyment and satisfaction • Partaking of God's nature	• More about outward power experience • Victory and breakthrough in difficulties • Power and authority in service
Temporal Nature	Continuous life supply, unchanging foundation	Specific moments of help and salvation, supply according to need
Relational Aspect	Father-child life relationship, emphasizing life connection	Master-servant authority relationship, emphasizing submission and dependence
Old Testament Types	• Showbread in the Tabernacle (God as life supply) • Land flowing with milk and honey (God as enjoyment)	• High priest's blessing (sovereign blessing) • Pillar of cloud and fire (Lord's protection and guidance)
New Testament Examples	• Paul: "Not I, but the grace of God with me" (1 Cor 15:10) • Believers receiving God's riches in Christ (Eph 1:3) • Saints receiving grace, church being built up (Acts 4:33)	• Paul's thorn: "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Cor 12:9) • Getting help before the throne of grace (Heb 4:16) • Comfort and hope in tribulation (2 Thes 2:16)
Life Application	• Taking God as enjoyment and satisfaction • Partaking of God's nature • Living out God's life • Speaking grace-giving words in daily life	• Seeking the Lord's strengthening in weakness • Looking to the Lord's help in difficulties • Depending on the Lord's power in service • Being humble to enjoy greater grace
Church Life Application	• All saints enjoying God's riches together • Being stewards of God's grace, dispensing Christ's riches • Building the church on the foundation of grace	• Experiencing the Lord's grace in various services and coordination • Supporting each other in weakness, experiencing the Lord's perfection • Receiving the Lord's comfort and strengthening in tribulation
Personal Growth Application	• Inner life maturity and richness • Receiving abounding grace to reign in life • Receiving eternal comfort and good hope through grace	• Victory and testimony in various environments • Experiencing the Lord's sufficient grace to overcome weakness • Being perfected, established, strengthened by grace after suffering
Mutual Relationship	Source Relationship: Lord's grace originates from God's grace Expression Relationship:  God's grace manifests through Lord's grace Experience Relationship: Mutually complementary, inseparable Goal Relationship: Both aim at believers receiving God's life and living out God's nature
Key Scriptures	• Eph 2:7 - Eternal manifestation of God's exceeding rich grace • 1 Cor 15:10 - God's grace transforming power • John 1:16-17 - Full supply of God's grace • Rom 5:2,17,21 - Foundation and reigning of God's grace • Eph 3:2,8 - Stewardship of God's grace • 2 Cor 9:8 - Abounding supply of God's manifold grace • 1 Pet 1:2, 5:10 - God's multiplying and all grace	• 2 Cor 12:9 - Lord's grace of perfect power • Heb 4:16 - Lord's grace for timely help • 1 Tim 1:14 - Lord's exceeding abundant grace • 2 Thes 2:16 - Lord's grace of eternal comfort • James 4:6, 1 Pet 5:5 - Lord's grace and humility • Eph 4:28-29 - Giving grace through words • Acts 11:23 - Visible manifestation of grace
Core Distinction	More ontological - God's being becoming our enjoyment	More functional - Lord's doing becoming our help
Ultimate Goal	Enable believers to fully receive and enjoy the Triune God, partake of God's nature, live out God's life, ultimately reaching the reality of New Jerusalem	Enable believers to overcome various environments in this age, live out Christ's testimony, accomplish God's entrusted mission and calling

 

Summary Understanding:

God's Grace and Lord's Grace are essentially one, but present different aspects in our experience:

• God's Grace is the foundation and source, emphasizing essential dispensation and life supply
• Lord's Grace is the manifestation and action, emphasizing power manifestation and practical help
• Both complement each other, jointly accomplishing God's complete salvation work in believers
• Both are indispensable: Without God's grace, Lord's grace loses its foundation; without Lord's grace, God's grace lacks concrete manifestation

Balance in Practical Experience:

We need to recognize and experience both aspects simultaneously, enjoying God as our life and satisfaction in the depths, while experiencing the Lord's help and power in concrete needs and weaknesses, making our spiritual life both deep and practical.

 

*Please refer to April 2025 International Elders and Responsible Brothers Training General Topic: Oneness and the Vital Aspects of Acts Chapter 6 Grace in Acts