Grace is one of the most amazing things when it comes to the Gospel message, but sadly most dont even know what it is if you ask someone what Grace is they really give you a word salad trying to explain it or just simply give the church definition, Unmerited Favor.
While it is a free gift given to all men the definition and meaning of the word according to scripture and Lexcons tell us a different story. Lets start by establishing that Grace and Truth came by Yeshua.
John 1:16–17
“And of his fulness have all we received, and GRACE for GRACE. For the law was given by Moses, but GRACE and TRUTH came by Jesus Christ.”
Next lets look at Peter speaking of the prophets prophesying of the Grace that was to come to us. Amazingly it also says the Spirit of Christ was in the prophets as well.
1 Peter 1:10–11
“Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the GRACE that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.”
1 Peter1:13
“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the GRACE that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;”
Zechariah 12:10
“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the SPIRIT OF GRACE and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son…
So from that old testament prophecy we can establish something import. That Grace is a Spirit. Lets look at a second witness to this.
Hebrews 10:28–29
“He that despised Moses’ law died without MERCY under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the SPIRIT OF GRACE?”
So from that verse we not only get a second witness to Grace being a Spirit, but we also learn that you can do despite this Spirit, you cant do something despite unmerited favor.
Hebrews 4:15–16
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of GRACE, that we may obtain mercy, and find GRACE to help in time of need.”
I don’t think the throne of Grace is a throne of unmerited favor but something much deeper…
Hebrews 12:14:15
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: looking diligently lest any man FAIL of the GRACE OF GOD; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled”
As we see in Hebrews 12 we can actually fail the Grace of God. So lets define what the word Grace actually means in the Greek.
Grace is Gods Spirit
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Grace = Conviction
Grace – Charis
G5485
Pronunciation : khar’-ece
Definition : From G5463;
of 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 (-jous) joy liberality pleasure thank
Her name is the singular form of the group called the Charites (Greek: Χάριτες)—or Gratiae ( Graces ) in Roman mythology—who are goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility.
The three Charites or “Graces” were beautiful, kind, and youthful goddesses who embodied all things involving beauty, joy, and abundance. In the standard account, known from Hesiod’s Theogony, there were three Charites named Aglaea (“Radiance”), Euphrosyne (“Joy”), and Thalia (“Abundance”), daughters of Zeus.
The use of this word was very intentional for the meaning, because the influence over mens hearts the Charites or Grace would have.
The definition in the Lexicon says its divine influence upon the heart for a reason, its divine because its Gods spirit that convicts you when you are doing something wrong. So why do people call it unmerited favor? There are Three Reasons: One is the old testament or Hebrew word for Grace actually means merited favor. Two is the confound the verse which states its a gift of God to that meaning. Third there is a prophecy that is very important in the book of Jude that explains a lot.
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.”
When you couple Jeremiah 8:8 about there will be lying pens of the scribes, and Jude saying that men will turn the Grace of our God into Lasciviousness or even unmerited favor things start to make a little more sense.
Titus 2:11
For the GRACE of GOD that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
TEACHING US that, DENYING UNGODLINESSS and WORDLY LUSTS, we should live SOBERLY, RIGHTEOUSLY, and GODLY, in this present world;
So from Titus we see that the Grace of God has appeared to all men, and that is a huge part of the Gospel, Next it starts our by saying Teaching Us, what would unmerited favor teach you? To live lawlessly, But the Spirit of conviction would make perfect sense to say it teaches you to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and Godly in this present world.
So what does it mean to live righteously according to scripture? Well lets go to a few places to establish this matter.
1 John 3:7
Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth RIGHTEOUSNESS is RIGHTEOUS, even as he is RIGHTEOUS.
So from this verse we see that doing Righteousness will make us Righteous according to this verse, once again we are trying to establish how the Spirit of Grace teaches us to live Righteously. Now what is Righteousness according to scripture?
Psalm 119:172
“My tongue shall speak of thy word: For all thy COMMANDMENTS are RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
Deuteronomy 6:25
“And it shall be OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, if we observe to do all these COMMANDMENTS before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.”
With the context of Deuteronomy 6 being the Ten Commandments and establishing the idiom in Psalm 119 and many other verses we can safely establish Gods Righteousness is his Ten Commandments.
Romans 10:1-3
10 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
3 For they being ignorant of GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS, and going about to establish their OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS, have not submitted themselves unto the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD.
So as Paul says Israel is ignorant of God’s Righteousness, as we have already defined with scripture it is his Commandments, He goes on to say they have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God. To submit means to obey, and its not just obeying our own interpretation of what Righteousness is.
Ephesians 4:29-30
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of EDIFYING, that it may MINISTER GRACE unto the hearers. And grieve not the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
So the context of the corrupt communication in Ephesians 4:29 is two verses prior and lets its know that lying is the corrupt communication, it says to speak to the use of edifying, that is may Minister Grace to the hearers. Your words cant minister unmerited favor but can speak conviction into their heart.
Colossians 4:5-6
“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your SPEECH BE ALWAYS with GRACE, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”
So how do you have your speech with unmerited favor? If Grace means conviction of the heart then this would make much more sense by speaking conviction into them, seasoned with salt.
MORE COMING SOON