The audio for this week’s message can be found here: Grace Without Conditions - The Radical Love That Turns the World Upside Down

This week, we’re talking about a word that many of us have heard so often, it risks losing its impact. It’s a word we might hear in church, at dinner tables, and even during Olympic commentary—so much so that it can go in one ear and out the other.

That word is grace.

We’re continuing our sermon series on Whispers of Grace: Words of Life from the New Testament, based on Dr. Nijay Gupta’s book 15 New Testament Words of Life. Today, we turn our attention to the word “grace” as seen through the lens of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.

But before we dive into Ephesians, let’s pause and reflect on this word—grace.

Everyday Grace and Its Many Meanings

Grace is one of those words that we hear all the time. We “say grace” before meals. We describe athletes as moving with “grace.” It’s used in poetry, prayer, and pop culture. But because it’s so common, it can lose its meaning—or at least its impact.

And yet, for followers of Jesus, grace is everything.

It might be the most beautiful word in all of Scripture. It’s the word upon which everything turns.

What Is Grace, Really?

I grew up in a Christian tradition that loved to define things. When we talked about grace, we called it “unmerited favor.” And that’s a solid, textbook definition: getting something you don’t deserve.

Grace is closely tied to mercy. Mercy is not getting what we do deserve. Grace is getting what we don’t deserve. The two are deeply connected.

But does “unmerited favor” really do justice to a word that inspired a song like Amazing Grace—a song that brings tears to our eyes, grips our hearts, and fills sanctuaries with hope? Probably not.

Bono, the lead singer of U2, once said in a song:

“Grace, she takes the blame. She covers the shame. Removes the stain. It could be her name.”

He also says:

“Grace… it’s the name of a girl. It’s also an idea that changed the world.”

And that’s what grace is: an idea that changed the world. The Gospel turned everything upside down—and at the center of it all is grace.

Grace in Ephesians

This morning, we look at Ephesians 2. Grace is central to this letter—it drips from every verse.

Let’s read from Ephesians 2:1–10:

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins… But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ—even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

Paul doesn’t just mention grace here—he builds everything around it. And he connects it directly to love:

“But because of his great love for us…”

Grace is rooted in God’s love. His overwhelming, unconditional, self-sacrificial love.

This is love that sees us exactly as we are—messy, broken, rebellious—and chooses us anyway. He doesn’t come to the end of His rope with us. He doesn’t grow tired of our failures. He doesn’t withdraw His grace. Ever.

Grace Has No Conditions

The most radical thing about grace is that it’s completely unconditional. God looks at you, as you are, and says, “You’re mine.” No preconditions. No checklist. No performance review.

And we struggle with that. Because we don’t really get grace. We love its benefits—freedom from punishment, the promise of heaven—but the depth of it? The reality that God loves us without condition? That’s hard for us to wrap our minds around.

Why do I say we don’t understand it?

Because when it comes to forgiving others, extending grace to them, we hesitate. We ask if they’ve earned it, if they’ve changed enough, if they deserve our forgiveness.

But grace was never about what we deserve. If it were, it wouldn’t be grace.

The Gift of Faith

Let’s not miss the nuance in Ephesians 2:8–9:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Even faith—the one thing we think we bring to the table—is a gift.

It reminds me of when my son Ethan wanted a Nintendo Wii for his birthday. We told him he could get one if he bought it himself. So we asked our family members to give him money for his birthday. Every dollar he received, we arranged. Even the condition we placed on him—we fulfilled.

That’s grace. God gives us even what He asks of us. That’s how deep His love runs.

Grace Is Costly, Not Cheap

But don’t mistake grace for leniency. It’s not that God simply doesn’t care about sin. Grace is costly. It emanates from the cross. It cost Jesus everything. It’s not grace because God shrugs off sin; it’s grace because Jesus took the weight of it on Himself.

This is not cheap grace. This is crucified grace.

Now What?

Paul writes in Ephesians 2:10:

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

We are saved by grace for good works. Not to earn our salvation, but to live out the grace we’ve been given.

We are now carriers of grace. We are the ones who should be displaying to the world the incomparable kindness of God.

So how are we doing?

Too often, we hold back grace. We ask if people have earned it. We expect repentance, remorse, proof of change—before we offer forgiveness.

But grace never starts with conditions. And neither should we.

The Challenge: Examine Your Heart

So here’s my challenge for you this week:

Take time to look inward. Ask yourself:

  • Do I really believe that God’s love for me is unconditional?
  • Do I truly understand the depths of grace that have been given to me?
  • Am I living in a way that reflects that grace to others?

Because if we really believed this grace—if it took root in our hearts—we would live differently. We would forgive more easily. We would love more fully. We would offer grace without hesitation.

That’s what the world needs to see in us: a people of grace. A people of extravagant, generous, unconditional love.

A Final Prayer

Heavenly Father,
Help us to grasp the wonder of Your grace.
To understand that we are fully loved and fully accepted—not because of what we’ve done, but because of what You’ve done.
Make us people who carry this grace wherever we go,
who forgive, who love, who reflect Your kindness to a watching world.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Let this week be one where you sit with grace. Wrestle with it. Embrace it. And let it transform the way you live.