Grace - 12/29

The word “grace” is used in a variety of ways throughout Scripture, but it most widely refers to an undeserved favor that is granted by a superior to an inferior.

As it relates to God’s grace, it refers to the undeserved favor of God in providing salvation for those deserving condemnation.

OT

Noun - chen (69 times) - grace or favor (no difference between the two. Someone that has superiority is generous towards someone when there is no obligation to.

Verb - chanan (56 times) - favorable or merciful in the KJV; refers to when God or someone else helps someone in the time of need.

NT

charis - (around 150 times)

Most of these show up in Paul’s letters. It’s interesting that it rarely occurs in the gospels, although we know that Jesus came full of grace and truth.

Paul

Every letter he writes in the New Testament begins and ends with something about grace. For Paul, the Christian life is summed up in the grace of God. Salvation from the beginning to the end is all of grace

There can be no mixture of grace and works, or else it wouldn’t be grace

Romans 11:6–7 NIV

6 And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. 7 What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened,

Romans 6:

Grace is synonymous with the gospel of Christ and to depart from it is to turn to a false gospel

Galatians 1:6 NIV

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—

Paul speaks of the grace of God as a power, almost as a person. The grace of God was something that was with hum, produced labor, humility godliness, and sustained him in times of difficulty

1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV

10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

2 Corinthians 1:12 NIV

12 Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace.

2 Corinthians 12:7–10 NIV

7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Forgiving and Transforming Grace (Finally Free)

For the Skeptics....you’ve received and given grace in your life

You’ve received and given grace in your life

Your Teachers

When a teacher gives you an opportunity for extra credit to help boost your grade....that’s grace

Your Parents

When a parent decides to go easy on you when you messed up

Others

When a cop pulls you over for speeding and just gives you a warning

Friends and Family

When someone lent you money when you were short

When you’re running late or forget about something you had on your schedule, and your friend doesn’t make it a big deal

Spouse

When you got more angry than you meant to at the kids but your spouse encouraged you instead of gets mad at you

Others

When a cop pulls you over for speeding and just gives you a warning

Imagine if we were so stubborn about not receiving this type of grace in our life.

Imagine the scenario when a cop pulls you over for speeding, tells you he’s just giving you a ticket and you say “no I don’t deserve that cop just give me the ticket”. No, we don’t feel that; we feel relieved.

Imagine being a kid knowing you messed up and waiting for your parent to come in and yell at you. And instead of coming in and yelling, they have a peaceful conversation with you. You’re not going to get mad and say “you’re supposed to be mad at me, don’t go easy on me!”

For some reason, we’re stubborn about receiving God’s grace. We say we’re too sinful. We’re too broken. We’ve messed up too many times; there’s no way God would forgive me. Yet He’s there every time extending grace…AND…it’s grace that exceeds any other grace you receive in your life. When you decide to receive God’s grace, it’s freeing. It’s hopeful. It’s joyful. It’s peaceful.

There’s so many people in my life that go through tough times; whether it’s being short on income, dealing with sickness, battling an addiction, struggling in their marriage....and if there’s one thing I wish they would do it would be to receive God’s grace. To stop fighting on your own. We’re messed up and we don’t deserve God’s love. But He gives it anyways. Why on earth would we push that away? What could possibly be the downside of that. Even if we don’t necessarily believe that God’s grace would actually transform us, the worse that could happen if you decide to give Him a chance is that your life doesn’t change. But let’s be real, some of us in this room have been stuck a long time and life either hasn’t changed or it’s actually changed for the worse.

We all need God’s grace

If your marriage is barely hanging on, you need God’s grace

If you’re constantly bitter towards your spouse, you need God’s grace

If you have a temper and find yourself getting angry easily, you need God’s grace

If you are losing in an never-ending battle of addiction, you need God’s grace

If you are grieving over a loss of someone you love, you need God’s grace

If you’re battling any type of illness, you need God’s grace

We all need God’s grace because God’s grace will...

Give you peace,

Give you hope

Give you joy,

Give you love

If you think you that there’s no way that that God would give you grace, check out the genealogy in the beginning Matthew.