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What is Grace? - Grace and our salvation

Introduction:

  • The word "Grace" is very important word in our lives as Christians
  • "Grace" generally refers to a free gift or courteous goodwill
  • The word "Grace" comes from being "graced" with something, or something being bestowed on you or given to you  
    • i.e. The teacher graced me by allowing me to re-take my exam 
  • In Christianity, "Grace" refers to a free divine gift or divine contribution (The divine role in the life of man)
  • "Grace" simply means a divine help that is sent to us 
  • "Grace" is a free gift we received from God, It is like a magnetic field that surrounds us
  • Any gifts or talents we have are considered "grace" that we received from God
    • "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: " Romans 12:6
  • Everything we do in our lives and even our salvation is connected with God's grace.

Examples of "graces" in our life:

  • The first grace we received is the grace of "being" ... existence 
  • Another grace is being created in the image and likeness of God
  • Having a family is a grace from God
  • The food on table and the drink in our cup are considered from God's grace
  • Therefore whenever something good happens in our lives we say by "God's grace"
    • I arrived from my travel
    • I passed the exam
    • I was sick and now I am healed 
  • Even in our greetings we say "peace and grace"
  • We are surrounded by God's grace every second of our lives 
  • We live in the covenant of grace 

Grace and our Salvation

  • In the beginning 
    •  When God created Adam and Eve, He surrounded them by His grace.
      • Describe their initial state, being like children 
    • God's grace covered them 
    • As a result of Adam's sin, Adam and Eve lost God's grace, hence they felt naked 
      • Describe their state after the sin being exposed to corruption and sin
    • This state continued throughout the Old Testament
    • People longed and desired for God's grace and they could not find it 
      • The righteous people wanted to live righteously and overcome sin but they were not capable of doing so without God's grace
    • Then the Lord gave the law through Moses
    • The Law did not help but on the contrary showed that the individuals are even more transgressors "sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful" Romans 7:13
    • Even though the law was good, it revealed how sinful man is. 
    • Therefore, people needed divine intervention - righteousness became impossible to achieve without an aid
  • In the New Testament
    • Now comes the new testament - St John in his gospel says "For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."
    • The beginning of the grace of the new testament is the incarnation 
    • Because we needed a divine intervention - the Lord was incarnate
    • Following the incarnation, the whole economy of salvation is a grace from our Lord Jesus, His Crucifixion, His Resurrections, His Ascension, blessing and renewing our nature
    • Righteousness is now attainable - However, not by ourselves but with God's grace
    • We live in the covenant of grace 

How are we saved? (Grace and works)

  • The points under this title can be found in these two articles:

Biblical examples:

  • The War with Amalek 
  • The Miracle of Feeding the Multitudes
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