Grace, as we have been told, means "unmerited favor." The problem is that when we've been told this it was probably by a preacher who just went on to his next point. There was no time to let what "favor" is sink in. Favor is "a disposition/attitude of loving kindness." When you see the term "loving kindness" in the Old Testament you could put the word "grace" there. Grace then can fairly & perhaps more accurately be translated as "unconditional love."
If grace is unconditional love why is trust the condition to receiving grace?
Imagine someone wants to take you on a date & has already paid for everything. When this person shows up at your door to take you out you have the option to go or stay. If you decide to stay it would be unloving for that person to force or even try to force you to go out with them. 1 Corinthians 13:5 says "love does not demand its own way." God is love. God does not demand His own way. If He forced His loving grace upon you it would no longer be love or grace. It is common sense that forcefulness & manipulation are not love. And we can easily understand this from the dating scenario above. Jesus says to humanity in Revelation 3:20, "Look, here I am, standing at your door and knocking. If you hear my offer & open the door, we will dine together."
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