Grace.
A word we all use. But is it a word we fully understand?What comes to your mind when you hear the word 'grace'?
Most of us understand this word or concept in connection with the grace that God has bestowed upon us in the plan of salvation. This undeserved favor of God. The forgiveness of our sins so that those very sins can be removed..forgiven. Redeemed, bought back, with the very lifeblood of His son, Jesus.
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| Grace...One Word Challenge The favor of God is best understood through His grace. (click to tweet) |
But there is more to this word, even though the grace of the forgiveness we receive from Him should be enough. Philip Yancey expresses the concept of grace beautifully. Grace"...contains the essence of the Gospel as a drop of water can contain the image of the sun." What a picture of the depth of this word. I love this!
As I began to dig deeper, delving into its original language in the Old and New Testaments, I was touched deeply in the awareness that this word that we use, so glibly at times, has such richness in meaning throughout the Bible. Honestly, my head began to ache trying to process it all. So I will share the short version of what I have gleaned.
The Greek word for grace is Charis...meaning grace, favor, thanks. It has its roots in the word charisma, which means gift. Going further back the roots of the word charisma connect to a verb meaning, ' I rejoice or I am glad.' So grace not only indicates favor on the part of the giver but also thanks on the part of the receiver. Grace is a free gift, an undeserved gift of God, but there is also an eagerness denoted in the word. Wow! God is eager to bestow His forgiveness and favor upon us! That blows me away!
Grace...
"...it signifies the unmerited operation of God in the heart of man, affected through the agency of the Holy Spirit. While we sometimes speak of grace as an inherent quality, it is in reality the active communication of divine blessings by the inworking of the Holy Spirit, out of the fulness of Him who is 'full of grace and truth'..." Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology
All that we have, as children of God, is this gift of grace that is dependent on the free gift of God through His son, and flows, from Him, to and through us by the inner workings of the Holy Spirit. We accept this gift from our Heavenly Father as a child accepts the love and provision of her father. Completely dependent on Him for His provision of every gift...the forgiveness we receive as well as the strength to extend His grace to those around us. Yes...even those who have wronged us.
Grace...makes me think of the words from the old hymn...
Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace...
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within
Grace that is greater than all our sin.
Oh how very thankful I am for this wonderful word!
Do you hear Him? In His great love and eagerness, He is calling you!! Either to accept this grace or to allow it to flow through you to bless others! Won't you answer His call
