Definition of Grace

Nowhere in on that page does it say grace is unmerited favor. It does say its favor, but not 'unmerited'. Also says grace is kindness.
 
Ugh too complicated and I dont read greek. It does say contains the idea...like a master to his servants. OF course we are inferior to God, that is why its grace. Not cos we dont deserve..it is cos servants are under their master.
If we truly didnt deserve then we just slaves..and our master would not be God it would be satan cos satan treats ppl like slaves.
 
In that case I think then God shows mercy, not grace.
And Jesus sets the captives free.

Sorry. I just trying to get my thoughts in order and to line up with the Word. I have heard that some preachers go on about greasy grace and also pervert the grace of God into license to sin. just wondering how they would do that...by giving it another meaning?
 
Um abdicate i dont understand why you said we are sheep AND prisoners. We cant be prisoners cos Jesus set us free. The sheep arent imprisoned in their pen or paddock,they are free to go where they like as long as they listen to their Shepherd, who protects them.
 
Also..in the last part of your post you changed and started quoting scriptures on mercy instead. im quite sure mercy is different from grace.
 
An OT reference (Gen. 6:8, among others) implies 'acceptance' as a
meaning of grace.

I think of Esther, going before the king without summons. He extended
his scepter to her, accepting her presence without punishment for her
boldness. (See Esther 4-5)
 
Nowhere in on that page does it say grace is unmerited favor. It does say its favor, but not 'unmerited'. Also says grace is kindness.
5485/xáris ("grace") answers directly to the Hebrew (OT) term 2580/Kaná("grace, extension-toward"). Both refer to God freely extending Himself (His favor, grace), reaching (inclining) to people because He is disposed to bless (be near) them.

It is free.. And when we add rest of the scripture, we can see that this favor is not earned.. That is why grace is unmerited favor..
 
Cos God liked Noah and the King liked esther? He didnt give them grace cos they didnt deserve it. noah was just and perfect in his generation. Esther found favor cos she did the whole beauty routine. Of course both prolly didnt expect this grace/ kindness.
 
Hmm I dont know about that. I think God can see into our hearts and see something that he likes in there that maybe we dont know about ourselves.

I would not say we need to do anything to earn it just be ourselves...like when the Queen knights someone, the subjects didnt go about deliberately wanting to be honored, but they did do their good work just being themselves.
 
A lot of really good replies have been given here for your
consideration, Lanolin. I don't think any one definition
applies to all uses of the word throughout scripture. Context
is everything.
 
I dont usually post here but, just noticed many christians seem to think that grace means unmerited favour and just wondering where they get this from, and if they confusing this with mercy.

I thought grace was Jesus gracing us with his presence, and also a divine change in our heart when we see Jesus.

Because grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. He was the gift from God.

I dont believe grace is a kind of favouritism because Jesus came for everyone, yet also says God gives grace to the humble, but resists the proud. ONly those who were humble accepted Jesus, the proud Pharisees and scribes did not.

Your thoughts and scripture on this? Unmerited favour does not fit in with many of the bible verses I read on grace. I think thats what some churches teach and thats a manmade doctrine. Because if its unmerited favour, then why does say God gives grace to the humble yet resists the proud?
Grace is God choosing to save people who deserve to be eternally punished. Grace is Jesus Christ dieing as a sacrifice for our sins. Grace is being given eternal life and the Spirit of God. Mercy is not getting what you deserve, Grace is getting what you don't deserve.
 
Hmm ok so..theres one thing I'm not sure about.

The deserving bit.
Does God really hate us that much? I mean getting what we deserve, i.e. Hell. getting what we dont deserve, Heaven.

I would rather think Hell is a place for demons and nobody deserves to go there if Jesus cam help it.
and that Heaven is a place we all deserve and reserved for us if we know Jesus.
 
My God is a good God.
He doesnt WANT anybody to perish. he is grieved at the wicked everyday. Although it does say vengeance is his and he will repay..my God is one of compassion. I dont believe mercy is just the absence of punishment.

Sorry that just makes God sound cruel. And stingy. As if grace was not abundant, which it is. Also, we dont 'get' grace. It is given To us or bestowed upon us. Not something to be grasped.
 
I think...it is not earned cos we didnt need to follow any laws of moses to obtain it, it was given to us freely.

That part I get. But I dont see why...people insist this is the only defintion when the power of Christ is obviously from above and not from ourselves.

it is not God turning a blind eye and letting us into heaven. Its more than that. i suppose thats why I have difficulty with preachers who keep saying its unearned unmerited favour favour favour.
 
The price Jesus paid was so high that it was NOT easy for him to do what he needed to do. Costly grace, as opposed to 'cheap grace' I suppose. The cheap grace says...we just dont need to follow any rules at all and dont even need to repent. Just go to church and agree with what preachers say and dont worry bout it. Everything going to be oright cos we under grace! Party time..and we can be sinners saved by grace and keep sinning!! God dont care, Jesus got your back. Sit back and relax and watch the powerpoint and sing these songs.

i learned in my walk not so. I was in danger of hellfire if kept going down THAT road.
 
From the "Complete Word Study"

Grace:

cháris; gen. cháritos, fem. noun from chaírō (G5463), to rejoice. Grace, particularly that which causes joy, pleasure, gratification, favor, acceptance, for a kindness granted or desired, a benefit, thanks, gratitude. A favor done without expectation of return; the absolutely free expression of the loving kindness of God to men finding its only motive in the bounty and benevolence of the Giver; unearned and unmerited favor. Cháris stands in direct antithesis to érga (G2041), works, the two being mutually exclusive. God's grace affects man's sinfulness and not only forgives the repentant sinner, but brings joy and thankfulness to him. It changes the individual to a new creature without destroying his individuality (2Co_5:17; Eph_2:8-9).

What the complete "opposite" meaning of "grace" is: This is what grace is not.

Ant.: krísis (G2920) and kríma (G2917), judgment, condemnation; katákrisis (G2633), condemnation, sentencing adversely; katákrima (G2631), an adverse sentence, condemnation; timōría (G5097), punishment; kólasis (G2851), punishment, disciplinary in nature.
 
My God is a good God.
He doesnt WANT anybody to perish. he is grieved at the wicked everyday. Although it does say vengeance is his and he will repay..my God is one of compassion. I dont believe mercy is just the absence of punishment.

Sorry that just makes God sound cruel. And stingy. As if grace was not abundant, which it is. Also, we dont 'get' grace. It is given To us or bestowed upon us. Not something to be grasped.

In the Bible it says that God is grieved when people choose to disobey Him, going their own way...like when He sent the flood, it grieved Him to destroy all that He had made. But because God is a righteous judge, and cannot lie, and does not change (He is the same yesterday, today and forever) He has to stick by His Word, when those who do not accept Him, pass from this world.

Say that the person who is closest to you was murdered. And at the trial, they told the judge that they are a really good person and donot deserve to be punished. Would you think that the judge was a good one if they let the person go?
 
Hmm ok so..theres one thing I'm not sure about.

The deserving bit.
Does God really hate us that much? I mean getting what we deserve, i.e. Hell. getting what we dont deserve, Heaven.

I would rather think Hell is a place for demons and nobody deserves to go there if Jesus cam help it.
and that Heaven is a place we all deserve and reserved for us if we know Jesus.

You have the right idea, about heaven and hell. But i can tell you that without Jesus we all deserve to go to hell, and had Jesus not forgiven us after they drove the nails into His hands and feet, we would not be going to heaven. Because the priests told pilate, let His Blood be on us and our children. Hell was never meant for us, it was meant for the demons and the devil. However when we choose not to accept God, we are thus not accepting what Jesus did for us on the cross. Jesus died so that we wouldn't have to be punished for our sins. (This is how much God loves us, He sent His Son to be our pure sacrifice). God gave us the ability to choose. And He really desires that we ALL choose Him. However many do not, and thus if they pass prior to changing their mind, will end up being punished for eternity. But many places in the Bible, it says that it really grieves God, and breaks His heart when He has to turn away from someone that He created.
 
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