EricH Posted June 15, 2009 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 366 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 10,933 Content Per Day: 1.57 Reputation: 212 Days Won: 1 Joined: 04/21/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted June 15, 2009 What is grace exactly? Scripture tells us it is a gift, freely given by God, and made stronger by faith. But what does living in/under grace mean exactly? I am a bit in the dark on the subject. Grace = above Law By Law we are dead through Adam, and by His Grace we are saved through Jesus Christ. Grace does not necessarily mean above law. It refers to God's loving kindness which is given not because we deserve it, but because it is part of God's nature. This, like any of his attributes, is conditioned by His other attributes. In other words, God does not extend Grace at the expense of his holiness, or execute judgement at the expense of His love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlindSeeker Posted June 15, 2009 Group: Royal Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 69 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 4,041 Content Per Day: 0.52 Reputation: 426 Days Won: 5 Joined: 03/22/2003 Status: Offline Share Posted June 15, 2009 One of my favorites . . . Ps 119:29 Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me Thy law graciously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkins Posted June 16, 2009 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 1 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 289 Content Per Day: 0.05 Reputation: 45 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/25/2008 Status: Offline Share Posted June 16, 2009 What is grace exactly? Scripture tells us it is a gift, freely given by God, and made stronger by faith. But what does living in/under grace mean exactly? I am a bit in the dark on the subject. Grace = above Law By Law we are dead through Adam, and by His Grace we are saved through Jesus Christ. Grace does not necessarily mean above law. It refers to God's loving kindness which is given not because we deserve it, but because it is part of God's nature. This, like any of his attributes, is conditioned by His other attributes. In other words, God does not extend Grace at the expense of his holiness, or execute judgement at the expense of His love. When it is said the we are saved by His Grace, it means "above Law", or else Jesus Christ doesn't need to be sacrificed to make the Law complete. Grace without considering Law simply means He gives you eternal life without the need of Jesus Christ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADeeperWalk Posted June 16, 2009 Group: Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 0 Topics Per Day: 0 Content Count: 14 Content Per Day: 0.00 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/14/2009 Status: Offline Birthday: 09/11/1971 Share Posted June 16, 2009 What is grace exactly? Scripture tells us it is a gift, freely given by God, and made stronger by faith. But what does living in/under grace mean exactly? I am a bit in the dark on the subject. "For by grace ye are saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9" Grace is the Father's part of salvation. It is his favor upon us when we put our faith in his son for our salvation. It is giving us something that we do not deserve. A gift best describes it. Grace can also be seen in the forgiveness of our ongoing tendency to sin. When we sin after we put our faith in Jesus as our Savior, and we repent, the Father forgives us. Grace is also seen in the gift of the Holy Spirit. God grants us the use of his power to do his work. It is His empowering that enables us to do the things he calls us to do for him. Also: AW Tozer had some good things to say about grace: here in "The Knowledge of the Holy" http://www.mtzionnashville.org/2009/minist...geOfTheHoly.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricH Posted June 16, 2009 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 366 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 10,933 Content Per Day: 1.57 Reputation: 212 Days Won: 1 Joined: 04/21/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted June 16, 2009 What is grace exactly? Scripture tells us it is a gift, freely given by God, and made stronger by faith. But what does living in/under grace mean exactly? I am a bit in the dark on the subject. Grace = above Law By Law we are dead through Adam, and by His Grace we are saved through Jesus Christ. Grace does not necessarily mean above law. It refers to God's loving kindness which is given not because we deserve it, but because it is part of God's nature. This, like any of his attributes, is conditioned by His other attributes. In other words, God does not extend Grace at the expense of his holiness, or execute judgement at the expense of His love. When it is said the we are saved by His Grace, it means "above Law", or else Jesus Christ doesn't need to be sacrificed to make the Law complete. Grace without considering Law simply means He gives you eternal life without the need of Jesus Christ. I don't qute see it that way. When in Ephesians 2:8 says: For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift-- (Ephesians 2:8 CSB) The word grace does not mean above the law. It simply means by an act of God's unmerited favor. The idea of works not saving us is added in the next verse: not from works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:9 CSB) So the idea of salvation coming apart from the law is in the passage, but not in the word grace itself But the idea of it being "above the law" is not contained in the word "grace" itself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkins Posted June 17, 2009 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 1 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 289 Content Per Day: 0.05 Reputation: 45 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/25/2008 Status: Offline Share Posted June 17, 2009 I don't qute see it that way. When in Ephesians 2:8 says: For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift-- (Ephesians 2:8 CSB) The word grace does not mean above the law. It simply means by an act of God's unmerited favor. The idea of works not saving us is added in the next verse: not from works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:9 CSB) So the idea of salvation coming apart from the law is in the passage, but not in the word grace itself But the idea of it being "above the law" is not contained in the word "grace" itself In regarding to salvation, Grace is a relatvie to Law. Like I said, Grace without Law could only mean that God can grant you salvatoin without the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. So the question is, are you saved by His Grace without Jesus Christ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricH Posted June 17, 2009 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 366 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 10,933 Content Per Day: 1.57 Reputation: 212 Days Won: 1 Joined: 04/21/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted June 17, 2009 I am not questioning if salvation is from the law. I am saying that the Word grace itself does not necessarily carry that meaning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADeeperWalk Posted June 17, 2009 Group: Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 0 Topics Per Day: 0 Content Count: 14 Content Per Day: 0.00 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/14/2009 Status: Offline Birthday: 09/11/1971 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Ok these verses seem to have all the principles gathered in one place. We need to be in a place of right standing before God the Father. We need to be in a place where he can even look on us for he cannot look on sin. This is known as our justification. In the past we could only be justified by the law. Keep the law and you provide the justification needed for right standing with God. However we could not keep the law so we could never be justified. This is where God the Father stepped in. He set in place another way by which we could be justified where he makes provision for the fulfillment of the law for us so that we can be justified before him by his righteousness instead of ours. This is known as GRACE. The legalities and mechanics that allow its operation all comes under the redemption package. All we have to do is accept this by faith and then operate under its principles as an act of faith so that God the Father can justify us himself, for us using the mechanism of Grace. Rom 3:20 because by the works of the Law none of all flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law is the knowledge of sin. Rom 3:21 But now a righteousness of God has been revealed apart from Law, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets; Rom 3:22 even the righteousness of God through the faith of Jesus Christ, toward all and upon all those who believe. For there is no difference, Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, Rom 3:24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; Rom 3:25 whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness through the passing by of the sins that had taken place before, in the forbearance of God; Rom 3:26 for the display of His righteousness at this time, for Him to be just and, forgiving the one being of the faith of Jesus. Rom 3:27 Then where is the boasting? It is excluded. Through what law? Of works? No, but through the law of faith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkins Posted June 18, 2009 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 1 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 289 Content Per Day: 0.05 Reputation: 45 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/25/2008 Status: Offline Share Posted June 18, 2009 I am not questioning if salvation is from the law. I am saying that the Word grace itself does not necessarily carry that meaning. Sure. But more often when Grace is discussed, people usually refer it to salvation. That's why I said as what I said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thankful 1 Posted November 22, 2010 Group: Members Followers: 1 Topic Count: 0 Topics Per Day: 0 Content Count: 49 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 3 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/19/2010 Status: Offline Birthday: 08/19/1934 Share Posted November 22, 2010 Grace is spiritual strength to over come Satan/sin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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