Definition of God's GraceQUESTION: What is a definition of God's grace?ANSWER: To learn the definition of God's grace, it is wise to understand the Greek and Hebrew words behind this term. A prominent Old Testament word describing God's grace is chesed. This word speaks of deliverance from enemies, affliction, or adversity. It also denotes enablement, daily guidance, forgiveness, and preservation. The New Testament word is Charis. It focuses on the provision of salvation. Definition of God's Grace – How do theologians define it? "What is grace? In the New Testament grace means God’s love in action towards men who merited the opposite of love. Grace means God moving heaven and earth to save sinners who could not lift a finger to save themselves. Grace means God sending His only Son to descend into hell on the cross so that we guilty ones might be reconciled to God and received into heaven. ‘(God) hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him’" (2 Corinthians 5:21).1 "Grace may be defined as the unmerited or undeserving favor of God to those who are under condemnation." – Enns2 Definition of God's Grace – What does the Bible say? "This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:22-24). "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace" (Ephesians 1:7). "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:8-10). "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). "For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!" (Romans 5:17). Footnotes: 1 Packer, J.I. Knowing God, 226. 2 Enns, Paul. Moody Handbook of Theology, 196
WHAT DO YOU THINK? - We have all sinned and deserve God's judgment. God, the Father, sent His only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him. Jesus, the creator and eternal Son of God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that He died for our sins, taking the punishment that we deserve, was buried, and rose from the dead according to the Bible. If you truly believe and trust this in your heart, receiving Jesus alone as your Savior, declaring, "Jesus is Lord," you will be saved from judgment and spend eternity with God in heaven.
What is your response? Yes, today I am deciding to follow Jesus Yes, I am already a follower of Jesus I still have questions
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WHAT DOES GOD REQUIRE?
For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in Him (Jesus). But anyone who does not believe in Him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. John 3:16-18 (NLT) You are loved by God and God's love never fails (1 John 4:7-12). Take the first step toward God to find God's everlasting and eternal love! When you believe in the living God’s Son, Jesus the Messiah, God freely saves you by His grace and adopts you into His family (John 1:12-13; Ephesians 2:8-9). Even more, God graciously gives you His Holy Spirit to live inside your hearts as proof of salvation and empower you to live like His Son, Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:22; 1 John 4:13-16)). Everyone who confesses that Jesus is the Son of God has God living in them, and they live in God (1 John 4:15). God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. In Jesus, everyone finds the fullness of God, eternal life, and God’s endless love (Romans 5:1-5; Colossians 2:9-10). If you need a salvation, come to God’s only begotten Son, Jesus! Simply say this prayer from your heart: “Lord Jesus, I believe that You died for my sins, that You was buried (really dead), and that You rose again from complete death with all power and authority. I repent of my sins and turn to You as my Lord and Savior.” The Holy Scriptures teach: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in Him (Jesus) will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on Him. For “Everyone who calls on the Name of the LORD will be saved.” Romans 10:9-13 (NLT)
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Divine grace
theological term present in many religions. It has been defined as the divine
influence which operates in humans to regenerate and sanctify, to
inspire virtuous impulses, and to impart strength to endure trial and
resist temptation;[1] and as an individual virtue or excellence of divine origin.[2]
Divine grace is a
Contents
Christianity
Grace in Christianity is the free and unmerited favour of God as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowing of blessings.[3] Common Christian teaching is that grace is unmerited mercy (favor) that God gave to humanity by sending his Son, Jesus Christ, to die on a cross, thus securing man's eternal salvation from sin. Bill Gothard, an American conservative Christian, has suggested "God's grace gives us the desire and the power to do his will."[4]Within Christianity, there are differing concepts of how grace is attained. In particular, Catholics and Reformed Protestants understand the attainment of grace in substantially different ways. It has been described as "the watershed that divides Catholicism from Protestantism, Calvinism from Arminianism, modern liberalism from conservatism".[5] Catholic doctrine teaches that God has imparted Divine Grace upon humanity and uses the vehicle of sacraments, which are carried out in faith,[6] as a primary and effective means to facilitate the reception of his grace.[7] For Catholics, sacraments (carried out in faith) are the incarnational or tangible vehicle through which God's grace becomes personally and existentially received.[8] Reformed Protestants, generally, do not share this sacramental view on the transmittal of grace,[9] but instead favor a less institutionalized mechanism. For example, in the Catholic Church, the primary initiation into a state of grace is granted by God through baptism (in faith)[10] instead of by a simple prayer of faith (sinner's prayer); although, Catholics would not deny the possible efficacy of even a simple prayer for God's grace to flow (Baptism by desire[11][12]).
In another example, for Catholics, the sacrament of reconciliation (in faith) is the primary means of transmitting grace after a mortal sin has been committed.[13] Many graces are historically associated to the prayer of the holy Rosary; also, the tradition held by Dominicans reports of the fifteen rosary promises made by the Blessed Virgin Mary to Saint Dominic and Alan de Rupe in favour of Christians who faithfully pray the Rosary.
Scriptural usage
In the New Testament, the word translated as grace is the Greek word charis (/ˈkeɪrɪs/; Ancient Greek: χάρις), for which Strong's Concordance gives this definition: "Graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude)".[14][15] A Greek word that is related to charis is charisma (gracious gift). Both these words originated from another Greek word chairo (to rejoice, be glad, delighted).[16]In the Old Testament, the Hebrew term used is chen[17][18] (חֵן), which is defined in Strong's as "favor, grace or charm; grace is the moral quality of kindness, displaying a favorable disposition".[19] In the King James translation, chen is translated as "grace" 38 times, "favour" 26 times, twice as "gracious",[20] once as "pleasant",[21] and once as "precious".[22]
Hinduism
Hindu devotional or bhakti literature available throughout India and Nepal is replete with references to grace (kripa) as the ultimate key required for spiritual self-realization.[23][additional citation needed] Some, such as the ancient sage Vasistha, in his classical work Yoga Vasistha, considered it to be the only way to transcend the bondage of lifetimes of karma.[24] One Hindu philosopher, Madhvacharya, held that grace was not a gift from God, but rather must be earned.[25]Islam
Dr. Umar Al-Ashqar, dean of the Faculty of Islamic Law at Zarqa Private University in Zarqa, Jordan, wrote that "Paradise is something of immense value; a person cannot earn it by virtue of his deeds alone, but by the Grace and Mercy of Allah."[26] This stance is supported by hadith: according to Abu Huraira, prophet Muhammad once said that "None amongst you can get into Paradise by virtue of his deeds alone ... not even I, but that Allah should wrap me in his grace and mercy."[27]See also
References
- "Chapter 15: None Would Attain Salvation Because of his Deeds but it is Through Lord's Mercy, Number 6764", Sahih Muslim, Book 39, University of Southern California center for Jewish-Muslim engagement, retrieved 2011-01-01
Sources
- Strong, James (2001), The Strongest Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Zondervan, ISBN 978-0-310-23343-5
- Stongnumbers.com, Online Parallel Bible Project (Biblos.com)
- Biblestudytools.com, Salem Web Network
Celebrated worthily in faith, the sacraments confer the grace that they signify.
Justification is conferred in Baptism, the sacrament of faith.
... those who ... seek God sincerely and strive to fulfill his will, are saved even if they have not been baptized.
Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of his Church: above all for those who, since Baptism, have fallen into grave sin, and have thus lost their baptismal grace and wounded ecclesial communion. It is to them that the sacrament of Penance offers a new possibility to convert and to recover the grace of justification. The Fathers of the Church present this sacrament as "the second plank [of salvation] after the shipwreck which is the loss of grace."
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