Falling short of grace...

[Kristina]

What does falling short of grace mean to you?

[Michael37]

22 minutes ago, Kristina said:

What does falling short of grace mean to you?

Something to avoid, and warn others to avoid.

[D. Adrien]

In my view a person cannot fall short of grace. Grace is something that is given by God to a believer, not something a believer can own and do with as one pleases. Where sin abounds, God grants more grace as long as one is willing to repent, per King David as an example.

One does not fall short of grace but falls short of being willing to repent.

[Michael37]

Just now, D. Adrien said:

In my view a person cannot fall short of grace. Grace is something that is given by God to a believer, not something a believer can own and do with as one pleases. Where sin abounds, God grants more grace as long as one is willing to repent, per King David as an example.

One does not fall short of grace but falls short of being willing to repent.

Scripture teaches that there is a danger of some, like Esau, falling short, or failing of the grace of God, with bitterness and ungodliness manifesting as evidence of it. 

Heb 12:14-17  Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man will see the Lord,  (15)  looking carefully lest there be any man who falls short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and many be defiled by it;  (16)  lest there be any sexually immoral person, or profane person, like Esau, who sold his birthright for one meal.  (17)  For you know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for a change of mind though he sought it diligently with tears.
 

[D. Adrien]

11 minutes ago, Michael37 said:

Scripture teaches that there is a danger of some, like Esau, falling short, or failing of the grace of God, with bitterness and ungodliness manifesting as evidence of it. 

Heb 12:14-17  Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man will see the Lord,  (15)  looking carefully lest there be any man who falls short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and many be defiled by it;  (16)  lest there be any sexually immoral person, or profane person, like Esau, who sold his birthright for one meal.  (17)  For you know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for a change of mind though he sought it diligently with tears.
 

Esau was unwilling to repent, yet he desired the birthright which had already been handed to his brother due to Esau's action which had consequences.

A root of bitterness is acquired through unrepentant sin. Forgiveness protects against a root of bitterness.

 

Edit: All examples of falling short involve unrepentant sin.

Edited March 30, 2024 by D. Adrien

[Michael37]

5 minutes ago, D. Adrien said:

Edit: All examples of falling short involve unrepentant sin.

Apostasy at work.

[Retrobyter]

3 hours ago, Kristina said:

What does falling short of grace mean to you?

Shabbat shalom (A Sabbath of peace) to you, Kristina!

Welcome to Worthy! Thank you for that question; it's a very important one.

"Falling short of grace" simply means coming close to the Grace of God given in one's life, but never achieving that outcome because one does not "follow through." God's Grace is MORE THAN SUFFICIENT for the needs of any individual. But, one must ASK God to apply that Grace to his or her own life. "God be merciful to me a sinner." (Luke 18:13).

First, we need to understand what "grace" is and what is "GOD'S Grace." "Grace" in the New Testament is the word used to translate the Greek word "charis" from which we get our word "charity." Strong's Concordance defines it as ...

5485 charis χάρις, ιτος, ἡ (khar'-ece). From chairoo; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude):
-- acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace(- ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank(-s, -worthy).

It can be summed up in the translation words "kindness" and "thankfulness." Also, it's usage is ...

(a) grace, as a gift or blessing brought to man by Jesus Christ,
(b) favor,
(c) gratitude, thanks,
(d) a favor, kindness.

Some have said that God's grace is "unmerited favor." In other words, it is God's favor shown to us that we did not earn. God gave us His OWN SON to die on our behalf - as our "Sin" - that we could be named "His own Righteousness," which was demonstrated in His Son. This is called "the Great Exchange" (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is how God made it possible for Him to "reconcile" us by taking our place in judgment and sentencing, and this is how He "justifies" us. 

Others use the word as an acronym to provide a simplified explanation:

God's
Redeption
At
Christ's
Expense.

So, "falling short" of that, is not "following through" and receiving His Grace because we don't make His Son's death our "sacrifice for our sins."

Isaiah 53:6-11 (KJV)

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; HE hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant (Yeeshuwa` or Jesus) justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

Hope that clears it up for you. Does it?

[Neighbor]

4 hours ago, Kristina said:

What does falling short of grace mean to you?

Hi, It means nothing for me personally. For I am not mixing Law with grace.

Paul warned ( All but especially those that were engaging in practicing  and/or teaching Judaizing, or Judaizm, thus falling short of (receiving) grace by rejecting it's fullness with admixture of Law of Moses.

One who does Law must do the whole law without failing, while one who receives Grace must not try to add to it with Law for that dilutes, or really even denies, the fullness of grace; grace being God's mercy in the form of the willing sacrifice made by Jesus at the cross at Calvary to pay the price of sin redeeming all that  are foreknown  predestined and given to Jesus  by His father.

[Tristen]

7 hours ago, Kristina said:

What does falling short of grace mean to you?

To me, "falling short of grace" means trying to earn God's favor by our own efforts (legalism). That is. presuming to try and please God by outward adherence to a list of written rules (such as the Law), or even unwritten expectations - by which the observer is presumed to be a more committed, or more obedient, or more mature, or more spiritual, or more righteous, or a more faithful Christian than the non-observer - and therefore (by their errant estimation) more deserving of God's favor because of their own external "righteousness".

 

[TheBlade]

On 3/29/2024 at 10:51 PM, Kristina said:

What does falling short of grace mean to you?

I have God's unmerited favor but maybe its talking about how we show grace to others. Do we ever let bitterness spring up? That would effect how we show grace to others :) Just one view