Definitions: GRACE

[Adstar]

Hello Friends

I would like to hear from you all about what you think Grace is. i know it sounds simple but i am beginning to think that many people have different ideas about what the word "Grace" means?

Anyway i'm asking you now to define the word Grace? i believe it is best for clear communication to have a clear understanding about what others mean when they use the word Grace in a discussion.

i await your thoughts

All Praise The Ancient Of Days

[larryt]

The simplest definition that makes sense to me is

all the blessings which we don't deserve

as opposed to mercy which is

not getting the justice which we do deserve

The first mention of GRACE is in

Ge 6:8

[johnP]

Hello Adstar.

Saving grace is the free unmerited gift of God towards sinners deserving condemnation.

It is not as such opposed to mercy but includes mercy and all the spiritual gifts in Christ.

johnp

[tsth]

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,

Romans 1:5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Ephesians 3:7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

Jude 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

The death of Jesus Christ and His shed blood, affords us the power to live in accordance to God's ways. Pleasing to Him in His Righteousness and Power, overcoming the strongholds of sin, and effectively displaying the Power of God working in us and through us. To be able to serve God acceptably with reverance and awe.

Ephesians 3:7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

If we begin to think of the actual work that Jesus accomplished on that cross for us, we would better understand the power we have over "sin", for His power was so magnificent, it even accomplished life over death, therefore it is sufficient for us to have the power to live godly lives, pleasing to our Father, if we so choose, to follow Jesus and take hold of it. Grace is an Awesome misunderstood gift. It is Alive and active within us, if we believe.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[Adstar]

Hello all thanks for your replies so far

Larryt

The simplest definition that makes sense to me is

 

all the blessings which we don't deserve

as opposed to mercy which is

 

not getting the justice which we do deserve

So grace to you includes anything given by God to a man that he does not deserve. But you exclude mercy from this?

JohnP

Hello Adstar.

Saving grace is the free unmerited gift of God towards sinners deserving condemnation.

It is not as such opposed to mercy but includes mercy and all the spiritual gifts in Christ.

So you include mercy and Spiritual gifts in the definition of what grace is.

tsth

You seem to be saying that Grace is the power to live a sinless life and to serve God?

I think i was right there are many variant definitions of Grace floating around in peoples minds. I wonder how many more this thread will unearth?

All Praise The Ancient Of Days

[tsth]

Dear Adstar,

I did post The Word, that I believed described grace. I don't know that I would say it was my thoughts, but only a portion of that thread were my thoughts.

Just wanted to clarify.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[wondering04]

What a great question. The past three weeks our Friday Bible study has been on grace, and I wanted to share with you what we learned.

Our pastor brought out the Strongs Concordance and we looked at the various usages of grace in the Bible.

In the Old Testament, the word used to describe grace is numer 2580 - which is the hebrew word hen - and its definition is close to what you describe as unmerited favor. "favor, grace;charm; grace is the moral quality of kindness, displaying a favorable disposition; "to find grace in someone's eyes" means to be in a state of favor."

The definitions used come from the 21st edition of The Strongest Strong's,

In the New Testiment , except for Hebrew 13:25 which is 2143 in strongs,

every use in the New Testament for grace is the definition 5485 charis "grace, the state of kindness and favor toward someone, often with a focus on a benefit given to the object; by extension; gift, benefit, credit; words of kindness and benefit, thanks, blessing

In Nave's Topical Bible Reference system, in the same concordance it defines grace as "A term employed by the Biblical writers with a wide variety of meaning; charm, sweetness, lovliness, the attitude of God toward men, the method of salvation, the opposite of legalism, the impartation of spiritual power or gifts, the liberty which God gives to men.

The last part of this connected with impartation of spiritual power or gifts is what my pastor focused on. He said that grace was more than unmerited favor, since Christ it came with the power for change. That if you just plug in unmerited favor in many of the New Testament passages, they don't make sense, but if you include the sense of the God-given power to produce the changes mentioned it expands the meaning.

It comes down to the fact that God supplies the power within us to begin to change us to be more like Christ. It is not a change we can effect on our own without the power that God so graciously provides.

I am still new to Christ, so I apologize if I have not shared this as clearly as I should.

Heather

[larryt]

Hello all thanks for your replies so far

Larryt

The simplest definition that makes sense to me is

 

all the blessings which we don't deserve

as opposed to mercy which is

 

not getting the justice which we do deserve

So grace to you includes anything given by God to a man that he does not deserve. But you exclude mercy from this?

JohnP

Hello Adstar.

Saving grace is the free unmerited gift of God towards sinners deserving condemnation.

It is not as such opposed to mercy but includes mercy and all the spiritual gifts in Christ.

So you include mercy and Spiritual gifts in the definition of what grace is.

tsth

You seem to be saying that Grace is the power to live a sinless life and to serve God?

I think i was right there are many variant definitions of Grace floating around in peoples minds. I wonder how many more this thread will unearth?

All Praise The Ancient Of Days

I don't think that I would exclude mercy from grace. I was using "opposed" to contrast the definition. It is interestiong how often the are used together in the NT though.

Ge 19:19  Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:

1Ti 1:2  Unto Timothy, [my] own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, [and] peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

2Ti 1:2  To Timothy, [my] dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, [and] peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Tit 1:4  To Titus, [mine] own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, [and] peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

2Jo 1:3  Grace be with you, mercy, [and] peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

LT

[johnP]

It comes down to the fact that God supplies the power within us to begin to change us to be more like Christ. It is not a change we can effect on our own without the power that God so graciously provides.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. 1 Cor 15:10. (Paul says that.)

Nice to meet you Heather.

johnp

[wondering04]

Thanks for the greeting John, and I also think we cannot so easily separate mercy from grace either. Without God's mercy, we would never have received His grace.

Heather