Another of our writers, Stephen Pugh, has kindly shared his research on grace. Be blessed as you contemplate God’s goodness!
Grace
There are two Greek words associated with this word, charis and euprepeia.
The first word ‘charis’ is used in a number of ways. It can mean a thing that gives pleasure, delight, or causes favourable regard; it is applied to beauty, or gracefulness of person, or speech. It can also mean the friendliness that leads to acts of kindness, graciousness, loving-kindness, and goodwill generally. However the word ‘charis’ – Grace is especially used in reference to the Divine favour or ‘The Grace of God. The stress is on its freeness and universality. It can also describe the pleasure or joy of the one to whom kindness is shown. The word always stands in contrast to debt, to works and to law. This word also means on the part of the receiver, a feeling of gratitude, in this respect it sometimes means ‘to be thankful’ This word can also mean the effect of ‘grace’ i.e. the spiritual state of those who have experienced Gods kindness. It can refer to the standing of those who are under Grace and the practical outworking of those who live according to the Grace they have received. The word is also used to describe the kindness of God in providing all that is necessary to carry out the ministry they have received. The word is also used as a greeting among christians as Jews use the word peace.
The second Greek word is ‘euprepeia’ and it means beauty, comeliness, goodly appearance, is said of the outward appearance of the flower of the grass.
The Grace of God is always set in contrast to Law and Works. The Grace of God is the special kindness of God in which he gives us his blessing freely, undeserved and unrecompensed. We all recognise the difference between a gift and wages. Here is the difference between Law and Grace. Salvation is not earned, It is not deserved, It does not come to men as a sort of deal in which if they do their part of the bargain God will hold up his part. Under Law God had an arrangement just like that. In which he blessed Israel if they kept the Law but cursed them if they failed to keep it. Those who kept the law were promised resurrection to eternal life in the Kingdom promised.
Christ said… Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. Luke 21v36:
Under law God promised blessing to those who do the right thing. However under Grace God promises blessing here right now on the basis of His kindness and not mans effort. Under Grace the sinner realising that he is unworthy and hell deserving, looks to cross and believes that Christ died for him and on that basis salvation is secured. His salvation is not based on effort or a change of behaviour or even an honest intension to do better. His salvation is a gift and God expects no repayment – just gratitude. Then the believer goes on to live under the Grace of God and all of Gods blessings come to him based on Gods Grace. Those who slip from the security of the moorings of grace are dashed to pieces on the rocks of law.
Rom 4v4: Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5: But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
