Look at Isaiah 59, verses 1 and 2. We want to read that because it speaks to both of these things we’re thinking about: “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear.” Well, that speaks to what we’re talking about—God’s willingness and desire to save us, to hear us, to have this relationship with us. “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.”

Well, there’s the problem. You see, in spite of that problem, God wants us back anyway. So His grace—that favor or kindness without regard to our response that He gives without favor or without merit—has made provision for us to be reconciled to him, 2 Corinthians 5, verses 18 and 19 [“Now all things are of God, Who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the Word of reconciliation.”]. This word “reconcile” denotes a change or an exchange, hence the change from enmity to friendship. Because of His grace—because of that unmerited favor—then there is the possibility, the potential for us to be reconciled, to go from where we have been, in sin that has separated us and has caused Him to turn His face from us, and to be exchanged and now be in this friendship relationship, this fellowship.

Vines Expository Dictionary speaks about reconciliation in this regard: “With regard to the relationship between God and men, the use of this and connected words shows that primarily reconciliation is what God accomplishes, exercising His grace toward sinful man on the ground of the death of Christ in a propitiatory sacrifice under the judgment due to sin.”

Well, God’s part in our salvation is grace, and that includes all that He did to provide that salvation. God’s grace is not a feeling alone. We went through that long list talking about how God feels about us and about His desire for this relationship. But His grace went beyond the feeling. He put that feeling—that desire—into action.

We can see GOD’S GRACE IN ACTION:

First, His promise to save us, Romans 4, verse 16[“Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.”] and Galatians 3:18 [“For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.”].

The preparation to send Jesus into the world at just the right time, Galatians 4, verse 4 [“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.”]; and Mark 1, verse 15 [“And saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.’”].

The Jewish nation, the Law of Moses, all of those things that led up to the coming of Jesus [Galatians 3:24 [“Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”]; Romans 3:20 [“Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”]; and Hebrews 9:22 [“And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.”].

The sending of Jesus into the world, John 3:16 [“God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”]; Romans 8:32 [“He Who did not spare His Own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”]; and 1 John 4:9 [“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His Only Begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”].

The atonement of Christ [Romans 5:15-17; Matthew 26:39; Romans 3:24], and we’re going to talk about this in just a moment.

The church, Acts 2:41-42, 47 [“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers…praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”].

The sending of the Holy Spirit, John 14:26 [“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”]; and Acts, chapters 2 and 10. [See Acts 2:4: “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” See also Acts 10:44: “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.”].

And, finally, the giving of His Word—the Scriptures—the Bible, Romans 15:4 [“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”], and James 1:25 [“But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”].