*WHAT IS GRACE?*

–Word *”GRACE” in Hebrew is ”CHEN”*, it is used 39 times in the Old Testament, translated at times as ”favor”; here are some references:
Gen6:8; 19:19; 32:5; 33:8,10
Ezra9:8
Ps45:2; 84:11
Prov1:9; 3:22,34; 4:9; 22:11
Jer.31:2
Zec4:7;12:10

–Word *”GRACE” in Greek is ”CHARIS”*, it is used 156 times in the New Testament; it means ”FAVOR” or ”GIFT”; as times (”echo charis”) it can mean ”TO THANK”
Here are most of the New Testament verses that contain the word ‘grace’:
Luke: 1:30; 2:40, 52; 4:22; 6:32,33,34; 17:9
John: 1:14,16,17
Acts: 2:47, 4:33, 7:10, 46; 11:23; 13:43; 14:3,26; 15:11,40, 18:27; 20:24,32; 24:27; 25:3,9
Rom: 1:5; 3:24; 4:4,16; 5:2,15,17,20,21; 6:1,14,15,17; 11:5,6; 12:3,6; 15:15
1Cor: 1:4; 10:30; 15:10,57; 16:3
2Cor: 1:12,15; 2:14,15; 4:15; 6:1; 8:1,4,6,7,9,16,19; 9:8,14,15; 12:9; 13:14
Gal: 1:6,15; 2:9,21; 5:4
Eph: 1:6,7; 2:5,7,8; 3:2,7,8; 4:7,29
Php: 1:7
Col: 1:6; 3:16; 4:6
2Thes: 1:12; 2:16
1Tim: 1:12,14
2Tim: 1:3,9; 2:1
Titus: 2:11; 3:7
Phm: 1:7; 2:9; 4:16; 10:29; 12:15,28; 13:9
Jas.4:6
1Pet: 1:2,10,13; 2:19,20; 3:7; 4:10; 5:5,10,12
2Pet: 1:2; 3:18
2Jn1:3
Jude1:4
…there are also some other 20 verses that contain the salutation ”grace and peace be with you”, as in Rom1:7

*Word ”CHARISMA” means ”GIFT”* (”charis” means ‘grace’ and ”ma” means ‘result of’), some Bible translations translate it ”free gift” to accentuate the fact that it is free just as grace is; there are other words in Greek for the word ”gift”: ”dorea”, ”doma” but Eph2:8 and most other verses above use ‘charisma’.

From the above verses we can conclude:
*1. Salvation is received by grace or unmerited favor*, simply through faith in Jesus’ death on the cross on our behalf, as payment for our sins Eph2:8, 2Tim1:9;

*2. Call to ministry is by grace* 1Cor15:10

*3. Grace teaches us* to live a life that pleases God, not the law: Tit2:11-12, Acts15:11, Rom6:14

*4. Grace and Works are 2 opposite systems* when it comes to receiving salvation: Rom11:6; salvation is received as a gift through faith in Jesus (Rom6:23); the Christian’s works will be evaluated by Jesus to determine his rewards in heaven, not salvation, since salvation is a gift, 1Cor3:10-15

*5. Grace is not Withheld Because of Demerit*; Grace is a gift not reward or wage

*6. Grace Cannot produce a Debt*; God does not expect you to pay for grace; some people believe that salvation is received freely but it is maintained by works or merit, which is wrong; salvation is free before and after having received it: you don’t have to pay for it before or after; if you give me a car for free then later you ask me to pay for it, then it is no longer ”free” but purchased, merited

*7. Men are Said to be Saved that “Good Works” may Result*, Eph2:10, not because of good works; good works follow salvation, not precede it

*8. The teachings of grace give equal warning* against the sin of turning either in the way of Gentiles (who turn grace into an excuse for living in sin, Jude1:4) or in the way of the legalistic Jews (who denied grace and tried to earn salvation through the works of the law, Gal1:6, 2:21)

*Final thoughts:*
I. GOD saves sinners by grace (see our study, ”What is Salvation”)
II. GOD keeps through grace those who are saved (see our study ”Salvation is secure”)
III. GOD teaches in grace those who are saved and kept how they should live, to His eternal glory (Tit2:11)

For more on the subject of grace, you can click on link below to download a pdf book (size 1mb), ”Grace”, written almost 100 years ago by L.S. Chaffer:
http://lewissperrychafer.org/Grace.pdf

Pastor Daniel