Skip to main content

Introduction - Grace and works

Introduction:

  • The word "Grace" is very important word in our spiritual life and our lifes in generallives 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 recievedreceived is the grace of being"being" ... existenaceexistence 
  • 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 
  • WhenEven in our greetings we talk aboutsay "Grace"peace weand refergrace"
    • to
  • We theare Gracesurrounded ofby God,God's grace every second of our Lordlives Jesus 
  • 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 only 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 says el namos be mosa o3ta
    • crucifixion - resurrection - giving us a new life
    • The beginning of the grace of the new testament is the incarnation 
    • Grace is like a magnetic field that surrounds us
    • In
    • our

 greetings

How are we saysaved? peace(Grace and grace

  • What is grace?works)

    • "Grace"The points under this title can be found in these two articles:
      • https://www.suscopts.org/messages/lectures/soterlecture4.pdf
      • https://www.suscopts.org/messages/lectures/soterlecture11.pdf
      • Some people thought that God does everything so we do not need to work 
      • Some people thought that man must do all the work without depending on God in anything 
      • The Orthodox way is a freecollaboration giftbetween weGod receivedand fromman. God,God Whogives camegrace and man responds to usthis grace and ourwork
        • human
      • St weakAugustine naturesaid and“God made it His own freeingcreated us fromwithout corruptionus: andbut deathHe thatdid werenot aswill ato resultsave ofus sinwithout
      • 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 sickand now I am healed us”
      • We live in the covenant of grace 
      • Grace is the divine role in the life of man 

      Where do we get grace?

      • "For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." John 1:17
      • We recieve grace on a personal level and on a church level 
      • Everything that happens in the Church (storage of grace) 
      • The church has the authority to despense to us God's grace - baptism 
      • The grace of baptism - takes us to the grace of myron (temple of the holy spirit 
      • Repentance and confession - getting rid of sins 
      • No salvation outside of the church 
      • Church sacraments - graces 
      • No one can come to the sacraments without repentancee -and without faith 
      • On a personal level - God gives according to the need - my grace is suffesient to you 
      • I didn't do anything to recieve any of these graces by my role is to use them and to bring fruit 
      • Each person's response to the sacrament is different

      Faith - prayer - humility (almotawade3oon yagedon ne3ma - nazar ila eteda3 amato - momtale2a ne3ma 


      Grace and our salvation 

      • In anything there is a divine work and there is a human work 
        • In salvation 
          • The Divine work is God's desire for us to be saved 
          • The human work is us accepting His economy 
      • Without the Blood of Christ  - no effort will be counted 
      • To be worthy of this blood we need, we need faith, acceptance, doing the commandments, bapotism, mayroun , communion, etc 
      • "being justified [g]freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus romans 3:24
      • incarnation is a free gift - grace

      What is grace?

      • "Grace" simply means a divine help that is sent to us 
      • Grace is sent to those who are weak and strengthens them, and those who are strong to increase their strength 
      • The word "Grace" comes from being "graced" with something, or something being bestowed on you or given to you 
      • 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
      • The food on table and the drink in our cup is considered from God's grace
      •  Grace leads to repentance - encourages us to attain virtues 



      • Some people thought that God does everything so we do not need to work 
      • Some people thought that man must do all the work without depending on God in anything 
      • The Orthodox way is a collaboration between God and man. God gives grace and man responds to this grace and work
      • St Augustine said “God created us without us: but he did not will to save us without us”

      Biblical examples:

      • Amalik War 
      • The miracle of feeding the multitudes
    • Back to top