Bible Study What is Grace?

[Spockrates]

I'm just wondering what grace means in this passage:

8 For it is by grace you have been saved,through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

(Ephesians 2)​

 

[farouk]

Grace is unmerited favour. We don't earn salvation by our merits; our genuine repentance is seen by the change in our lives.

 

[Spockrates]

Grace is unmerited favour. We don't earn salvation by our merits; our genuine repentance is seen by the change in our lives.

Thanks, Farouk. I've heard some people define grace differently. Please tell me why you believe grace is unmerited favor.

 

[Chopper]

I'm just wondering what grace means in this passage:

8 For it is by grace you have been saved,through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

(Ephesians 2)​

Hi there Mr. Spockrates, Glad you could beam down for your thread. Ahhh Grace! What a wonderful word. The background of Grace is, IMO, totally a gift of God. As you know, a gift is free! We have done nothing to deserve a gift. Salvation is a position from evil to holy. As you also know, that you and I were lost in sin because we inherited it from Adam. There is no process known to man, how we can obtain Salvation on our own. Since Salvation is so holy and allows us to gain the ability to become His image, it must come from God Himself. So, God presents all people a free gift! All we do is receive it. Ahhhh, Grace, the greatest gift known to sinful man, it makes him a Saint, a Priest, a holy one, a child of God!

Praise the wisdom of the Architect of our Salvation!! Praise our wonderful Heavenly Father, and His Son, and the Holy Spirit Who gives us understanding.

I praise God for you Spockrates for starting this thread. You are a very intelligent believer IMO, from viewing your past posts. I and others need your wisdom, thank you.

 

[farouk]

Thanks, Farouk. I've heard some people define grace differently. Please tell me why you believe grace is unmerited favor.

Every born again, Bible believing Christian that I would know of would accept that grace is unmerited favor. I don't want to argue with you, Sir.

The work of Christ at the Cross is sufficent for any sinner (Hebrews 9 & 10); the believer who trusts in the work of the Lord Jesus at the Cross does not need to add anything to make it effective to him or her. Works follow salvation as evidence of the genuineness of faith; they do not archieve it or earn it. This is why God's love gift in sending His Son to die instead of sinners at the Cross is entirely by His unmerited favor.

 

[Spockrates]

Hi there Mr. Spockrates, Glad you could beam down for your thread. Ahhh Grace! What a wonderful word. The background of Grace is, IMO, totally a gift of God. As you know, a gift is free! We have done nothing to deserve a gift. Salvation is a position from evil to holy. As you also know, that you and I were lost in sin because we inherited it from Adam. There is no process known to man, how we can obtain Salvation on our own. Since Salvation is so holy and allows us to gain the ability to become His image, it must come from God Himself. So, God presents all people a free gift! All we do is receive it. Ahhhh, Grace, the greatest gift known to sinful man, it makes him a Saint, a Priest, a holy one, a child of God!

Praise the wisdom of the Architect of our Salvation!! Praise our wonderful Heavenly Father, and His Son, and the Holy Spirit Who gives us understanding.

I praise God for you Spockrates for starting this thread. You are a very intelligent believer IMO, from viewing your past posts. I and others need your wisdom, thank you.

Hi, Chopper. Thank you for the gift of your compliment, which like grace is also undeserved!



You see, I might give the impression of being wise by asking questions that make people think. But it's really not wisdom at all, when you think about it. For I ask about what I myself don't know, and not knowing is not wisdom. It is ignorance!

That being said, please explain what kind of gift grace is. That is, I know grace is a gift, but when I take off its ribbon and wrapping paper, what do I see?

 

[Spockrates]

Every born again, Bible believing Christian that I would know of would accept that grace is unmerited favor. I don't want to argue with you, Sir.

I'm not looking for a debate either, Farouk--just answers.



Yes, I've heard many define grace that way. I know what those who use this definition believe. I'm just curious why they hold this belief. Then I'll know why I should believe, too.

The work of Christ at the Cross is sufficent for any sinner (Hebrews 9 & 10); the believer who trusts in the work of the Lord Jesus at the Cross does not need to add anything to make it effective to him or her. Works follow salvation as evidence of the genuineness of faith; they do not archieve it or earn it. This is why God's love gift in sending His Son to die instead of sinners at the Cross is entirely by His unmerited favor.

Thank you. I did a search of Hebrews 9 and 10 and found the word grace mentioned once:

26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

(Hebrews 10)​

I'm having difficulty seeing any definition of the word grace, here. Are you able to recall another passage that more clearly defines the word?

 

[Spockrates]

You see, I'm asking because I'm confused. I was sure grace was God's undeserved love, too. That is, I was, until some told me grace is God's undeserved power.

What do you two think?

 

[farouk]

I'm not looking for a debate either, Farouk--just answers.



Yes, I've heard many define grace that way. I know what those who use this definition believe. I'm just curious why they hold this belief. Then I'll know why I should believe, too.



Thank you. I did a search of Hebrews 9 and 10 and found the word grace mentioned once:

26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

(Hebrews 10)​

I'm having difficulty seeing any definition of the word grace, here. Are you able to recall another passage that more clearly defines the word?

It is overwhelmingly clear from Hebrews 9 and 10 that the work of Christ at the Cross is sufficent and finished. We cannot add to it by our supposed merits; it is all of grace that we receive the Lord Jesus by faith.

So I will reiterate my wish not to argue with you, Sir, and I would prefer to bow out of this thread. Thank-you.

 

[Chopper]

Hi, Chopper. Thank you for the gift of your compliment, which like grace is also undeserved!



You see, I might give the impression of being wise by asking questions that make people think. But it's really not wisdom at all, when you think about it. For I ask about what I myself don't know, and not knowing is not wisdom. It is ignorance!

That being said, please explain what kind of gift grace is. That is, I know grace is a gift, but when I take off its ribbon and wrapping paper, what do I see?

First of all, I'm not surprised that you asked the second question because "You ain't no dummy", The average person would not go deeper into that word as you are doing. See? Only an intelligent person would go where you are going. OK, the word Grace. As I lift up the box cover I see a heart in there. I see generosity. Grace is a vehicle for this generous heart that beats only to give to others lavishly, free of charge. The word describes the outcome, unmerited. Behind the word there is a deep emotion of giving to please. To please the recipient and to please this special heart. Recently we have heard of a person who has a meal and tips the waitress with hundreds of dollars. There is a motive of generosity and an outcome of pleasure for the recipient and the tipper.

 

[Spockrates]

It is overwhelmingly clear from Hebrews 9 and 10 that the work of Christ at the Cross is sufficent and finished. We cannot add to it by our supposed merits; it is all of grace that we receive the Lord Jesus by faith.

So I will reiterate my wish not to argue with you, Sir, and I would prefer to bow out of this thread. Thank-you.

I don't understand how the work of Christ's crucifixion being sufficient leads to the conclusion that grace is not God's undeserved power. But I do appreciate your taking the time to try to help me figure this out. Thank you.

 

[Spockrates]

First of all, I'm not surprised that you asked the second question because "You ain't no dummy", The average person would not go deeper into that word as you are doing. See? Only an intelligent person would go where you are going.

Yes, I might have the intelligence to know what questions to ask. But I'd rather have the wisdom to know the answers. God has seen fit to bless me with the former, not the latter. I guess that's why I ask, and why I'm so grateful when others answer. When it comes to wisdom, I'm a beggar seeking a handout!

OK, the word Grace. As I lift up the box cover I see a heart in there. I see generosity. Grace is a vehicle for this generous heart that beats only to give to others lavishly, free of charge. The word describes the outcome, unmerited. Behind the word there is a deep emotion of giving to please. To please the recipient and to please this special heart. Recently we have heard of a person who has a meal and tips the waitress with hundreds of dollars. There is a motive of generosity and an outcome of pleasure for the recipient and the tipper.

So grace is giving?

 

[Chopper]

You see, I'm asking because I'm confused. I was sure grace was God's undeserved love, too. That is, I was, until some told me grace is God's undeserved power.

What do you two think?

Hmmmm,power? OK, That's interesting! I supposed you could interject power into the equation. It certainly would come from nothing man can manufacture. I'm curious as to what your thinking is. You have an answer to your question and I'm ready for your statement....go ahead, I've got my seat belt fastened.

 

[Chopper]

I don't understand how the work of Christ's crucifixion being sufficient leads to the conclusion that grace is not God's undeserved power. But I do appreciate your taking the time to try to help me figure this out. Thank you.

OK, undeserved power, I like that! Tell me a lot more about your belief, I'm very interested.

 

[Spockrates]

OK, undeserved power, I like that! Tell me a lot more about your belief, I'm very interested.

Well, it is a belief. But I would not go so far as to say it is my belief--at least, not until I accept it as true and adopt it as my own.

Let's see how it fit's into your definition: I think you are saying grace is generously giving. So I wonder, "Giving what? Eternal life? Wisdom? Power to become like Christ? All of the above?"

I think we might both agree grace is at least generously giving eternal life. Don't you? For Jesus says:

"For God so loved the world that hegave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

(John 3:16)​

 

[Chopper]

Well, it is a belief. But I would not go so far as to say it is my belief--at least, not until I accept it as true and adopt it as my own.

Let's see how it fit's into your definition: I think you are saying grace is generously giving. So I wonder, "Giving what? Eternal life? Wisdom? Power to become like Christ? All of the above?"

I think we might both agree grace is at least generously giving eternal life. Don't you? For Jesus says:

"For God so loved the world that hegave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

(John 3:16)​

Yes, it is generous giving. Certainly the end would be eternal life as well as a host of other things in the Spiritual realm.

 

[Spockrates]

Yes, it is generous giving. Certainly the end would be eternal life as well as a host of other things in the Spiritual realm.

And what a heavenly host of undeserved gifts that will be! But I wonder if grace is the generous giving of everything God gives. Or if grace the generous giving of only some things God gives.

What do you think? Should we consider some of those God-given things to see if they each classify as gifts of grace?

 

[Chopper]

And what a heavenly host of undeserved gifts that will be! But I wonder if grace is the generous giving of everything God gives. Or if grace the generous giving of only some things God gives.

What do you think? Should we consider some of those God-given things to see if they each classify as gifts of grace?

Hmm, lets throw that around it should be fun. Right now I must leave for a while to brush out my three Bechon pups.

 

[Spockrates]

No problem. I have three dogs myself. Here is something you might think about while you brush. In John 3, Jesus goes on to say:

19 "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed."​

I'm guessing light is the wisdom to know and accept the truth. Would you say the giving of this light is also an example of God's grace?

 

[Chopper]

No problem. I have three dogs myself. Here is something you might think about while you brush. In John 3, Jesus goes on to say:

19 "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed."​

I'm guessing light is the wisdom to know and accept the truth. Would you say the giving of this light is also an example of God's grace?

Lets think about that. The first part of the chapter says "For God so loved the world" Now that would be grace because they are lost in Adam. Now, the Gospel has gone out, grace, the believers won't perish, grace. Now we have unbelievers who are condemned already, actually because of adamic sin. Now as far as the light, it verifies the judgment because of the effect of light on the works of unbelievers.....So could we call the giving of the light grace? I don't think so. What are your thoughts?