GRACE
Much has been written about grace and it has been the subject of countless sermons. For the most part, all that has been written and said about the subject is based on a few scriptures interpreted with fine sounding, but truncated theology. The way we see it, there is much error in the understanding of grace because the ideas of what grace is as expressed by religious leaders do not always line up with what the Bible says. As is often the case, religious people have part of it right, but miss the deeper understandings. We will attempt to remedy those shortcomings in this page.
Grace is a very religious sounding term that religious people like to use. It is often called “divine grace” to make it sound even more religious. Most everyone has the idea that grace is good, but few really know what it is other than some kind of favor that God unconditionally bestows on people. So, because the definition is vague, it is easy to use in many kinds of situations.
Because church-going people tend to believe what their leaders teach about everything, their definition of grace is as uninformed and incomplete as the definitions leaders have taught them. Therefore, what people think they know about grace is typically limited to the acronym:
G = God’s
R= Riches
A = At
C = Christ’s
E = Expense
That sounds good, of course, but it does not begin to answer the question: What is grace?
The Hebrew word translated as grace in First Covenant scriptures is “chen.” And the Greek word translated as grace in New Covenant scriptures is “charis.” Admittedly, the definitions of these two words do not do much to edify us about the reality of grace. About all we can get from these definitions for sure is that grace is good, it is from God, accessed through a messiah who speaks for God, and given by God to New Covenant disciples as a free gift. Each of these assessments are true, but they do still do not explain these Biblical truths:
Grace is communicated by words/speech and received by hearing.
Grace, therefore, is God’s word spoken by God to the hearts of those who have spiritual eyes to see and ears to hear and do not have hard hearts.
Words of grace can be spoken by God directly or through the mouths of true prophets which are also called angels, messiahs, high priests, witnesses, and warriors. Jesus was the perfect example of all of these Biblical characters.
Grace (i.e. God’s word) was spoken to people through Jesus because Jesus spoke for God. That is why he said believe my words.
The concept of divine grace in various Christian denominations is a fuzzy, ethereal, theological doctrine that is readily used by religious-sounding people in all kinds of situations. And it works effectively to communicate pseudo spirituality because no one really knows what it is. And the reason they do not know the truth about grace is that they have fallen into the temptation to sin: They acquire their understanding of truth from man — not from God.
It is no secret that God uses symbolism to communicate truth. Much of his symbolism is deep to the point of being obscure. And it is obscure to Old/First Covenant religionists, but is very clear to New Covenant disciples who know how to hear God’s spoken voice. That fact agrees with the imagery of God appearing to Israel in a cloud. Since God’s word is inseparable from his truth, and since he has chosen to hide himself in a cloud, we are forced to seek him in his obscurity. The matter of “grace” and “New Covenant” is one of those places where his truth resides in obscure symbolism.
With that in mind, we dare say that grace is a code word for the New Covenant. But, since the essence of the New Covenant is hearing God’s spoken voice when he writes his laws on hearts, it must be said, therefore, that grace is a word that symbolically represents God’s spoken voice which is his word.
God chose to use the word grace, with all of its associations as something good, from God, accessed through a messiah, and given as a matter of favor to people who have ears to hear. These qualities also describe the New Covenant. Readers who doubt this, should go back to the scriptures with grace in them and mentally substitute “New Covenant” for grace.
Gaining a solid understanding of grace will require considerable work. This link will take you to all singular New Covenant scriptures in which grace appears. This link will take you to several New Covenant scriptures on which the theology of grace is generally based. And this link will take you to other less well known New Covenant scriptures that also include grace, but in slightly different contexts. Some scriptures are repeated in these links, but it is necessary to see the usage of grace in context in order to gain understanding of this difficult, but important concept.
Old/First Covenant usage of grace is generally in the context of favor. In fact, the Hebrew word “chen” is translated as favor twenty-six times and as grace thirty-eight times in the King James Bible. This link will take you to the few Old/First Covenant scriptures (typically in Proverbs) that forecast how New Covenant scriptures use the word grace in a context that is deeper than favor.
The deeper, clearer meaning of grace is found in the following scriptures:
Acts 20:32 “And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
COMMENTARY: This says clearly that God’s word is grace.
Acts 14:3: Therefore they spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord , who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands.
COMMENTARY: Again God’s word is equated with grace.
Luke 4:22: And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”
COMMENTARY: God’s words are gracious.
John 1:16-17 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
COMMENTARY: Jesus came to speak God’s words. This scripture says that grace is realized through God’s words spoken by Jesus.
Acts 15:11“But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”
COMMENTARY: Salvation comes through God’s spoken words. The words of God spoken through Jesus are grace that leads to salvation.
Acts 18:27 And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace,
COMMENTARY: The Apostle Paul is a model of a true prophet like Jesus. That means the words he speaks are God’s words. People who believed what Jesus and Paul said received grace that led to salvation.
Romans 6:14-15 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!
COMMENTARY: This reference to the law is to religious laws made by men. This is contrasted with spiritual laws (i.e. grace) which are received by listening to God’s spoken voice.
Romans 15:15 But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God,
COMMENTARY: The one gift that God gives to New Covenant disciples is a heart that can hear his voice. This gift is also called eternal life.
1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it
COMMENTARY: God’s spoken word (i.e. grace) is the foundation on which a new heart is created.
1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me
COMMENTARY: It is God’s spoken word that transforms an evil, impure heart into a clean, pure heart. God’s grace
2 Corinthians 12:9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me
COMMENTARY: This verse can be rightly paraphrased as follows: God’s word is sufficient for you. God’s power is perfected in human weakness. I will gladly, therefore, rather boast of my weaknesses so that the word of God (as spoken through a messiah) may dwell in me.
Galatians 5:4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace
COMMENTARY: To be severed from a messiah (i.e. Christ) means to be severed from God’s spoken word. That is the condition of Old/First Covenant religionists who establish their righteousness by observing religious laws. This contrasts with New Covenant disciples who are guided by grace (i.e. God’s spiritual laws).
Ephesians 2:5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)
COMMENTARY: We are saved from religion when we hear God’s spoken word. This verse says that we are saved by grace. Therefore, grace is just another term used to describe God’s spoken word.
Ephesians 3:1-2 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles –2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you;
COMMENTARY: Paul was a true prophet and messiah just like Jesus. Just like Jesus, Paul brought salvation to religious Jews by speaking for God to people who could not hear God’s spoken voice. He was, therefore, a steward of God’s spoken voice (i.e. grace).
Ephesians 4:29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
COMMENTARY: Whenever the Bible refers to words spoken by true prophets such as Paul, it is referring to God’s spoken word spoken through that prophet.
Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person
COMMENTARY: This verse connects grace with speech. The speech that is always in view for God’s people is God’s word.
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men
COMMENTARY: Salvation comes through God’s spoken word. This verse equates grace with God’s spoken word.
Hebrews 13:9 Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited
COMMENTARY: Varied and strange teachings come from religious leaders whose teachings are the fruit of trees of knowledge of good and evil. Hearts can only be strengthened by teachings that come from trees of life which is equated with grace.
James 4:6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”
COMMENTARY: Religious people are proud of their religion. They are religious because they cannot hear God’s spoken voice. When they receive grace, they hear God’s spoken voice, and they are humbled. God gives them the ability to hear his spoken voice.
What we conclude from these scriptures is that grace is another name for God’s spoken word.