Introduction: The Concept of Grace

Related Articles

FULFILLMENT OF A PROMISE, THEN CONFLICT

April 6, 2023

THE CONCEPT OF ORIGINAL SIN AND THE RESPONSE OF GUILT AND BLAME

April 6, 2023

SYLLABUS for the book of GENESIS

April 5, 2023

Return to Syllabus

COURSE IN ADVANCED BIBLICAL DOCTRINES

Lesson #01

by Joyce Schmedel

• The Concept of Grace
  • • One of the most important doctrines of the Bible to understand correctly is the concept of Biblical grace. Why?
      • If we do not understand grace from God’s perspective, we will slant our concept of Christianity according to man’s perspective. In reality that is what some Christians do.
      • If we do not understand grace from God’s perspective, we will not give God the glory He deserves and desires.
    • The concept of grace is important because it tells us something about the very nature of the God we worship. (Heb 4:16)
      • God reveals His grace through the Old Testament and in the New Testament.
        • Unfortunately many people do not see God’s grace in the Old Testament.
        • Therefore, they limit their understanding of grace only to the New Testament.
      • We are going to examine God’s grace through the entire Bible.
  • The definition of Grace:
    • The common definition of the word grace is = unmerited favor.
    • However, the actual definition of this word is complex.
      • The secular definition is = kindness, good will, or favor; suitable or agreeable; beauty or virtue.
      • The Biblical definitions are:
        • =1= free, unmerited love from God that brings blessings.
        • =2= God’s favorable influence by His Spirit that restrains evil.

Read 2Cor 12:9

• • • • • =3= the application of the righteousness of Christ applied to the sinner to bring reconciliation with God.

Read Rom 5:2, 17

The condition of righteousness with God comes through Jesus Christ.

The righteousness of Christ is applied to the new believer while he is still a sinner.

The gift of righteousness covers many offenses against God and brings to man the condition of justification (remission of sin and freedom from punishment and guilt).

• • • • • =4= spiritual instruction; improvement and edification.

Read Eph 4:29

• • • • • =5= an extension of favor or mercy to bring eternal life and final salvation.

Read 1Pet 1:13

• • Grace in the Old Testament:
    • The concept of grace in the Old Testament occurs not only in the word, grace, but also by means of various other words.
    • There are 2 Hebrew words related to our word grace.
      • =1= Hesed
        • This Hebrew word is translated in various ways throughout the Old Testament.

Sometimes it is translated as mercy.

Sometimes it is translated as kindness.

Sometimes it is translated as lovingkindness.

Sometimes it is translated as goodness.

• • • • • This Hebrew word has two directions. It can be used to refer to God or it can be used to refer to man. God has this quality of love for man. Man can have this quality of love for God or for another human.
      • =2= Hen
        • This Hebrew word does not have two directions. It can only be used to refer to someone in a superior position with someone in an inferior position. Therefore, it is used to refer to God, in His superior position as He relates to man, in his inferior position.
        • This Hebrew word is translated as either grace or favor.
      • For example:
        • We see primarily in the Old Testament the word lovingkindness in the English version of the King James Bible. Unfortunately in Spanish this word is translated mercy. (lovingkindness means = a strong and tender affection that includes both mercy and favor.)

Read Psa 36:7

• • • Read Deu 9:4-6
      • Grace extended to the Israelites was not because they were special. It was because God is special.
      • Grace is initiated by God and motivated by love to favor man.
    • While through the Old Testament grace is not in the center of the message, it is always in the background because it is part of God’s nature.
      • Read Jer 9:24 and Jer 31:3
    • The Old Testament prophets prophesied of grace to come.
      • Read 1Pet 1:10
  • Grace in the New Testament:
    • The concept of grace appears more perfectly developed in the New Testament because it is the center of the message.
    • The Greek word for grace is charis. It is the Greek word that is most frequently used to translate the Old Testament Hebrew word hen.
    • Many of Jesus’ parables teach the doctrine of grace. However Jesus never used the word charis, because he did not want to identify himself as superior.
      • Read Mat 20:1-16 The Parable of the Householder and His Servants
        • We see God’s grace extended equally to all the workers without regard to the length of time they worked for the Lord.
        • In other words, man’s works do not gain him eternal life, but it is God’s grace that extends eternal life to anyone whether he comes to the Lord early in life or late in life.
      • Read Luk 14:16-24 The Parable of the Great Supper
        • God’s grace is extended to the undesirable or the unacceptable.
        • Anyone can take advantage of God’s grace.
      • Read Luk 15:20-24 The Parable of the Prodigal Son
        • Repentance is emphasized as a condition for receiving God’s grace.
        • Grace is initiated by God in response to repentance.
    • Paul’s letters:
      • Paul’s writings begin with the words, grace and peace.
        • Read Rom 1:7 (Gal 1:3 Eph 1:2 Col 1:2)
        • Paul uses these two words together because you cannot experience the peace of God without first experiencing God’s grace.
      • Read Rom 3:24
        • After Paul used three chapters to tell us how evil are man’s ways, he then tells us that there is one hope in Jesus Christ.

That hope is the free gift of grace through Christ that leads to redemption.

• • • • • Read Rom 5:14-21 This passage gives us the following concepts related to God’s grace. It tells us that grace comes in a gift package from God (Eph 4:7):

=1= God’s grace is a free gift applied to the believer in Jesus Christ while he is still a sinner. (Rom 5:15)

=2= Part of God’s free gift of grace includes justification (remission of sin and freedom from punishment and guilt). (Rom 5:16,18)

=3= Another part of God’s free gift of grace includes the righteousness of Christ which is applied to the new believer immediately at his new birth. (Rom 5:17-18)

=4= Grace abounds despite the presence of sin. (Rom 5:20)

=5= Grace brings the believer in Jesus Christ to eternal life with God. (Rom 5:21) (Tit 3:7)

=6= Grace includes salvation (Tit 2:11). The believer is saved by grace through faith. (Eph 2:5, 8)

=7= Grace includes redemption and the forgiveness of sins. (Eph 1:7)

=8= Grace is the message the New Testament believe should preach. (1Pet 4:10)

• • • • Every step in the process of the Christian life is by God’s grace. Read Rom 8:28-30.
        • God’s call to the believer is by grace. (2Tim 1:9)

Read Gal 1:15

• • • • • Repentance

Read Rom 2:4

• • • • • Faith for salvation, where God even gives us the faith to believe.

Read Eph 2:8-9

Read Rom 12:3

• • • • • The grace of God appears to all humans at one point in time or another.

Read Tit 2:11

• • • Grace in contrast:
      • The New Testament sharpens the concept of grace by putting it into contrast with the Law of Moses.
      • In other words, the two terms of law and grace are opposites. Either you live by one or you live by the other. There is no mixture of the two.
        • It is this aspect of grace that is often misunderstood.
        • Sometimes pastors see grace as too free in that it does not constrain the believer’s actions adequately. They, therefore, add some laws to restrict believers to a predetermined life style.

Paul wrote the book of Galatians to counter this tendency because it is possible to frustrate the grace of God and to fall from grace.

Read Gal 1:6

Read Gal 2:21

Read Gal 5:4

• • • • The contrast between law and grace:
        • Read Gal 3:16-22
        • Read Gal 5:1-6

Law	Grace
The law came by Moses	Grace came by Jesus Christ (Joh 1:17)
The law did not contain the promise of life (Gal 3:21)	The promise of life came through Christ by grace before the Law of Moses was given. (Gal 3:16-17)
The law was temporary until Christ came. (Gal 3:19)	When Christ came the Law was no longer needed, because grace was in abundance.
The law is bondage.	Grace in Christ is liberty. (Gal 5:1, 13)
Justification by the Law denies God’s grace	It is impossible to mix grace and law (Gal 5:4)
The Holy Spirit does not work through the law.	The believer in Jesus Christ is led by the grace of Holy Spirit. (Gal 5:18)
The law does not produce spiritual fruit but it produces dead works.	Grace by the Holy Spirit produces spiritual fruit. (Gal 5:22-23)
The law kills the Spirit.	The Holy Spirit works through grace.

• Conclusion:
  • Grace is initiated by God’s love toward the sinner to provide everything the sinner needs through Jesus Christ to bring him to eternal life.
  • It is possible to frustrate the grace of God, to fall away from God’s grace, and to make it of no effect in your life. This is done by mixing law and grace or by walking in the flesh instead of the Spirit.
  • However, it is also possible to make grace grow in your life.
    • Read 2Pet 1:2 and 2Pet 3:18
      • In the same way that faith grows by hearing the Word of God, grace grows by discovering the knowledge of God found in His Word.
      • The more you understand God, the more you understand God’s grace.
  • Read 2Cor 13:14
  • Read Rev 22:21