What Is Grace?

Since grace brings salvation, it is crucial to understand what grace means.

What would be the response if we asked a group of Christians if the following definition of grace were correct?... -Grace is God's gracious disposition to forgive repentant sinners.-

It is likely many would agree.

Unfortunately, this is only half-true. The above definition better describes 'mercy.' Scripture sometimes uses Grace as a near synonym for mercy. It would be a serious reductionism, however, to limit it to this. Like the weak foundation of a building, faulty definitions can have devastating consequences on vital doctrines.

Grace means 'unmerited divine favor.' The Greek term in the original is charis, derived from the verb charizomai. This word means 'to show favor to. It assumes the graciousness of the giver and the unworthiness of the recipient. When charis is used of God's activity, it means 'unmerited favor.'

Grace and mercy have two important distinctions. First, mercy is universal while grace is particular. Mercy is based on God's universal command to repent.

Grace, on the other hand, has never been 'offered' to anybody, not even the elect. Grace is not an offer. It is an unmerited bestowal. It is also particular in the sense God bestows favor on some, not on everyone. We see this most clearly in the interplay between grace and election. "...there is a remnant according to the election of grace." Rom.11:5

Thus, we see key distinctions between mercy and grace:
Mercy is universal, offered to all. Grace is particular, bestowed upon some.

IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF GRACE

Grace is timeless

Grace is unmerited

Notice again that 2 Tim.1:9 excludes 'works' from God's 'purpose and grace.' Not only is grace disassociated from merits, it is the diametric opposite as Paul clarifies in Romans 11:6:

And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace.

Likewise, grace is not dependent on obedience to the Law either.

Grace is a divine quality

Father: Rom. 1:7 "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

Son: Gal. 6:18 "Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen."

Holy Spirit: Zech. 12:10 " ¶ And I will pour on the house of David...the Spirit of grace." Heb.10:29 "...insulted the Spirit of grace."

Grace is sovereign

Paul expresses God's sovereignty in grace by associating it with His 'good pleasure which He purposed in Himself.' It seems He consulted with no one in His choice of recipients, nor waited for anyone's permission. See Eph. 1:7 9

Grace is the only basis of our acceptance with God

Grace is holy

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age. Titus 2:11-12

Even during the first century, there existed movements associating grace with libertinism. The Apostles warned us about them in verses like Jude 4. Any insinuation that grace gives Christians freedom to act in carnal ways is heresy. Those who teach such things prove they have no grace whatsoever.

Grace is for the few, not the many.

Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. Rom. 11:5

A 'remnant', by definition, refers to the few among a larger group. The only reason a saved remnant exists at all is because of grace.

Grace is a mystery.

Grace has no basis in human merit. The question as to why some receive it and some do not, remains a mystery. This again appears unfair until we acknowledge God owes nothing to anyone. Ironically, attempts to remove the mystery from grace winds up in heresy.

Preaching the gospel means preaching grace.

Key Question: Is salvation a cooperative work between God and man?

Theologians discuss this point with two words: synergism and monergism.
Synergism comes from two Greek words 'syn' together and 'ergos' work. It means salvation is a cooperative work between God and man. In this view, man is contributes something to his salvation. However, his contribution is insufficient and needs to be supplemented by God.

If synergism is correct, then God is an assistant to man's effort to save himself. God is the passive agent waiting for man to ask for help. God responds to man's initiative.

Monergism comes from two Greek words, 'mono' alone and 'ergos' work. It means salvation is a work of God alone. Man is unable to contribute. Therefore God is the active agent and man responds to God's initiative.

Salvation comes by grace through faith. Eph.2:8 Which is correct, Synergism or Monergism? It depends on whether saving faith is itself a work of God's grace.

A few key texts settle the issue.

And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 1Tim. 1:14

Here, grace brings the virtues of faith and love.

"...those who had believed through grace;

Grace was clearly the cause of their faith. Acts 18:27

For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, Phil. 1:29

The term 'granted' here is CHARIZOMAI in Greek, which means to give freely by grace. It means more than mere permission to believe. Belief was something God worked in them.

And He said, 'Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.' John 6:65

If coming to Christ means believing in Him, then faith comes from God the Father as a gift.

Similar texts: Acts 13:48; Heb.2:2; Jn. 6:44; Tit.1:1

Once a person is saved, how does grace and faith work?

A sinner is dead in his sins, is unable to generate saving faith until God works in him powerfully by the Spirit through the Gospel.

Once he is saved, however, faith actively conveys grace for Christian living. The faith is already there.

Grace, at this point, shows its multi-faceted nature. ("...the manifold grace of God." 1Pet. 4:10) Once a sinner has been saved by grace he learns how to live by grace. The biggest mistake a Christian can make is to assume grace is no longer necessary.

The grace of God puts us to work

Grace is active, not passive

Though we cannot obtain grace by our works, nevertheless grace results in works. When Luke spoke about the Apostles and said, "Great grace was on them all," he meant they were productive by God's power.

Grace, through faith, makes us stand firm in Christ

Grace allows us to approach God boldly

Heb. 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Grace overcomes sin. Nothing else does

Means of grace

Remember how we discussed in Chapter Three how God works through 'means'? Though God's grace is sovereign in the life of the believer, He nevertheless gives us 'means' to apply. These are the Word, prayer and the ministries of the Church. As we apply these means, God continues to supply grace to walk with him. God is not dependent on these means nor should we assume we have earned grace because we apply them. We depend on God alone for grace, yet recognize our responsibility to apply the means to the end He has provided.

"for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." Phil. 2:13

Summary

Saving grace is God's unmerited favor. It is sovereign, dependent solely on God's will. Grace is the opposite of merit. Though God offers mercy to all mankind, conditioned upon repentance, His grace is bestowed on an elect few. Grace is the sole cause of salvation, not based on any human contribution.

Grace in the life of the believer is multi-faceted. It makes it possible to walk with God and gives power to do His work. God alone is the cause of grace though He requires Christians to apply faithfully the means He has put at our disposal to grow.

From this chapter we learned:

Some who read this article also liked our book, Unlocking Grace.

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