Is every good thing we enjoy a gift of grace that we do not deserve?
Yes. Every good thing people enjoy—every breath of air, every bite of food, and all blessings—flows from God’s grace rather than human merit. Such gifts are undeserved, including salvation and national prosperity, and God pours them out by His unmerited favor.
Les teaches that grace is seen supremely when the triune God stepped out, took on human flesh, walked among sinful men, and permitted them to nail Him to a Roman cross. He could have destroyed the Roman empire with one word, but of His own volition He subjected Himself, suffered, and died to pour out salvation to the whole human race. That is grace. Les then extends this to everyday blessings: especially in our beloved nation, with its Christian heritage and a standard of living like no other people in history, we enjoy great abundance. We do not deserve it; it is grace. Just because we are Americans gives no right to enjoy 90% of the world’s resources with 6% of its people, but God in His grace has poured it out. So everything we enjoy—every breath of air, every bite of food, every good thing—is grace, and we do not deserve it.