| (Copyright 2022) by David Antion (Pasadena, California) |
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| Is there any word more misunderstood and abused and perverted than this word “grace?” Yet it is one of the most important words in the Bible. For this reason, I want to feature this topic in our Search the Scriptures emails. The English word “grace” is always a translation of the Greek word “charis”. However, the Greek word is used over 170 times but not all of those times translated as “grace.” It is translated in several other ways that we shall see. The primary meaning seems to denote a pleasant outer appearance or “gracefulness” or “loveliness.” When people heard Jesus talking, they were amazed at the “gracious (charis) words” that came out of his lips (Luke 4:22). Some translations render that as “the “charm of his words.” But all of us are exhorted to make our speech to be “always full of grace seasoned with salt…”(Colossians 4:6). In other words, our speech should be beautiful and down-to-earth common. As Jesus matured he increased in “wisdom and stature and in favor (charis) with God and men” (Luke 2:52). People seemed to like Him and favor Him. There was nothing about Jesus’ mannerisms, character, facial expressions, or words that was offensive or repulsive to the ordinary person. It was His message against the hypocrisy of the religious leaders and the heavy burdens they put on the people that caused them to hate Him. That and they felt people turning to Him rather than to them. The Greek word charis is translated as “thanks” in Romans 6:17. It’s translated as “thank” in Luke 17:9. Charis can mean an attitude of graciousness and favor but can also refer to the act or thing by which graciousness is expressed. Paul wrote, “When I arrive, whomever you approve, I shall send them with letters to carry your gift (charis) to Jerusalem” (1 Cor. 16:3). This charis was for the poor saints in Jerusalem from the Gentile churches who are showing their grace and favor with this gift (charis). Paul stated, “…by the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Cor. 15:10) and that grace was not in vain because he worked harder than all of them “but not I but the grace of God that was with me” (v. 10). When Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, he told them that he hoped that the “name of our Lord Jesus” would be glorified in them and they in Him “according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 NIV). In a parallel passage, Paul wrote, “We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV). You can see why Paul said, “not I but the grace of God that was with me.” God’s graciousness is revealed in the story of Hosea the prophet when he was to act out the situation between God and Israel. In chapter 1 he was to take a wife of whoredom and have children by her and name them “no mercy” and “not my people.” But later God’s gracious and forgiving attitude is shown when God says they will be shown mercy and will be His people. In chapter 3, Hosea (means “salvation”) was to love a woman who was loved by her husband yet one who committed adultery. This was to show how God loved Israel even though she committed adultery while married to Him. Jesus embodied the grace of God (John 1:14, 17). ————————————————————————— Reprinted with permission from: Guardian Ministries http://daveantion.com/ ————————————————————————— |
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