Grace is the unearned, unmerited, and undeserved kindness of God toward sinners. It originates in His own nature and will, not in our performance. As Ephesians 2 reminds us, we are “saved by grace through faith… not by works.” We do not initiate or earn grace—it is freely given by God because of Christ. This principle lies at the heart of the Gospel and protects it from becoming a message of religious achievement.

The Thirty-Nine Articles reflect this clearly in Article XI: “We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own works or deservings.” Grace is not payment for religious effort; it is a gift to the unworthy. This understanding guards against legalism and pride and leads to deep gratitude and dependence on God’s mercy in Christ.

Fr. Martin Davie, a leading contemporary conservative Anglican theologian, has said: “Grace means that God acts to save us not because of who we are, but in spite of who we are.” It is this radical idea—that God saves sinners while they are still undeserving—that makes grace so powerful. Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali similarly wrote: “Grace is what makes Christianity unique: salvation is offered freely, not earned through religious striving.”

To attempt to earn grace is to misunderstand its nature. Romans 11:6 says plainly that if it is by grace, “then it is no longer by works.” Effort cannot secure it; repentance and faith simply receive it. The Book of Common Prayer echoes this in the General Confession: “We have no power of ourselves to help ourselves.” We come to God not with merit, but with empty hands, trusting in His mercy alone.

As Bishop Ryle wrote, “Let us never forget that it is not our hold of Christ that saves us—it is Christ. Not our joy in Christ, but Christ. Not even our faith, but Christ Himself.” Grace is not a reward; it is the lifeblood of Christian salvation. We cannot earn it, but we are called to live in response to it—with repentance, gratitude, holiness, and enduring faith.