Grace - the unmerited favor of God

[bloodygrace]

In Romans 4, belief or faith is contrasted with working to pay off a debt. Grace that is received by faith is wholly unmerited by the sinner and this is where the ‘unmerited grace of God’ is defined by scripture. Grace goes against everything we have ever been taught by the world. In the world if I want something I have to work hard and earn money to pay for it but not so with grace which is often likened to a gift. A gift is free to the recipient but not so with the giver who bears the expense. The free gift of grace was purchased by the Son of God who shed his holy blood on a Roman cross and rose from the grave for our justification. Catholics and Protestants have so many understandings of grace that it would be beneficial to go thru some of the major ideas. Saving grace is the grace that saves an individual or redeems them and is only applied to believers. Prevenient grace is the Arminian understanding of grace that precedes conversion. This grace precedes any human decision. Cooperating grace is another Arminian grace that is given at conversion and involves some kind of cooperation between God and the individual. This grace is resistible. Irresistible grace is the Calvinist understanding of grace that is given to the elect. This grace cannot be resisted and is sometimes called efficacious grace. Common grace is a grace that is common to the whole human race. It benefits everyone without distinction to unbelievers and believers. Cheap grace is seen by many as a profession of faith without any fruit or benefit in the life. When we boil this all down there are really only two types of grace being common and saving. Common grace is given to every person who comes into the world. The purpose of this grace is to lead sinners to Christ and his gospel. Now we know that the vast majority never come to Christ or repentance so grace can be resisted. But for those who are led to conversion they receive saving grace. The only real difference between the two is in quantity. Saving grace is a hundred fold increase over common grace by the power of the Holy Spirit and enables the babe in Christ to grow to maturity.

 

[Dave-W]

What do you know of חֵן [chen] the word most commonly translated "Grace" in the OT?

Remember Paul was a pharisee and very well trained in the Hebrew Scriptures. For his meanings and usages, we must look at his own source material: the OT.

 

[bloodygrace]

I know that we don't get grace by keeping the law in fact the bible says that's the one way we lose grace.

Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. Gal. 5:4

 

[bloodygrace]

There is a difference between being justified by the Law and being obedient to it.

You can be justified through Christ's Grace and in response to that Love, become obedient to His Commands... that's actually the way it's supposed to work.

His command is obedience to love by grace thru faith. The law is excluded.

 

[Geralt]

I would write saving grace is what led them to conversion.

In Romans 4, belief or faith is contrasted with working to pay off a debt... Now we know that the vast majority never come to Christ or repentance so grace can be resisted. But for those who are led to conversion they receive saving grace. The only real difference between the two is in quantity. Saving grace is a hundred fold increase over common grace by the power of the Holy Spirit and enables the babe in Christ to grow to maturity.

 

[bloodygrace]

I would write saving grace is what led them to conversion.

I respect the Calvinist emphasis on grace thru faith but reject their limited atonement which breeds preeminence.

 

[Ubuntu]

@bloodygrace I agree with you that we should talk more about grace. Thumbs up! Just a quick comment, though.

His command is obedience to love by grace thru faith. The law is excluded.

Paul says that the love is the fulfillment of the law.

"Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet," (and if there is any other commandment) are summed up in this, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." Romans 13:8-10

It's not possible to talk about love and law as if they somehow hasn't got anything to do with each other. The moral law is an expression of God's spotless character, which is love. And love never ends (1 Corinthians 13:8).

It is true that the human race is fallen, that our very nature rebels against love. But Christ came to blot out our guilt and to give us a new nature, a "new man" which is patterned after the likeness of Christ. Paul denies that Jesus abolished this moral law of love, the moral law is indeed still binding:

"Since God is one, he will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then nullify the law through faith? Absolutely not! Instead we uphold the law." Romans 3:30-31

However, of course deeds that are an expression of love (the moral law) won't save us. Only faith in Christ will free us from our sins and guilt.

 

[bloodygrace]

@bloodygrace I agree with you that we should talk more about grace. Thumbs up! Just a quick comment, though.



Paul says that the love is the fulfillment of the law.

"Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet," (and if there is any other commandment) are summed up in this, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." Romans 13:8-10

It's not possible to talk about love and law as if they somehow hasn't got anything to do with each other. The moral law is an expression of God's spotless character, which is love. And love never ends (1 Corinthians 13:8).

It is true that the human race is fallen, that our very nature rebels against love. But Christ came to blot out our guilt and to give us a new nature, a "new man" which is patterned after the likeness of Christ. Paul denies that Jesus abolished this moral law of love, the moral law is indeed still binding:

"Since God is one, he will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then nullify the law through faith? Absolutely not! Instead we uphold the law." Romans 3:30-31

However, of course deeds that are an expression of love (the moral law) won't save us. Only faith in Christ will free us from our sins and guilt.

Paul also says the law is spiritual - For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. Rom. 7:14

The law is broken up into the letter(Torah) and the Spirit(Love). Christians are not required to keep the letter of the law but we are required to live in the Spirit.

The SDA truncation of the law into simply the ten commandments is nowhere to be found in scripture. The ten commandments were a summary of the Torah not a separate entity.

 

[bloodygrace]

Why do you suppose God made the 10 separate then when He wrote them on the tablets of stone with His own finger? You realize that it was the ONLY time God communicated with us this way. And yet you find these 10 precepts of God's character to be of no importance?

The ten commandments or the Decalogue were for Israel under the old covenant not Christians under the new covenant. Under the new covenant the law is written in the heart aka love the highest thing in the whole bible.

 

[Sabbathkeeper&Wife]

Sabbath keeping came the first week, before the fall, before Isreal, or Jews or whatever you wish to include. Do we then make the law void through faith, God forbid. What is sin? The transgression of the law. You folks seem to think Revelations is future, OK then, so what about Rev 12:17? When will keeping God's commandments come into play? Or when do you think it will? Jesus applied the law to many people he saved/ healed after he forgave them. Like the woman caught in adultery, He said: Neither do I condemn you (the grace we all need, applied), go and sin no more! ( law applied.) If there is no law, there is no sin. We know sin exists, we do it everyday, therefore we need grace- badly, but for what? Because we still break the law. The law was kept until Rome polluted the church with her traditions, and many of these pagan beliefs still run rampant in the church. How ought we obey God, rather than men? His law. All the gold is mine- saith the Lord, and all souls. He owns US and our souls. His Son kept the law, His Apostles ,and even Paul. If we truly follow Christ, we should TRY to follow in His footsteps, rather than TRYING to get people to break His laws. Peace be with you.

 

[bloodygrace]

Sabbath keeping came the first week, before the fall, before Isreal, or Jews or whatever you wish to include. Do we then make the law void through faith, God forbid. What is sin? The transgression of the law. You folks seem to think Revelations is future, OK then, so what about Rev 12:17? When will keeping God's commandments come into play? Or when do you think it will? Jesus applied the law to many people he saved/ healed after he forgave them. Like the woman caught in adultery, He said: Neither do I condemn you (the grace we all need, applied), go and sin no more! ( law applied.) If there is no law, there is no sin. We know sin exists, we do it everyday, therefore we need grace- badly, but for what? Because we still break the law. The law was kept until Rome polluted the church with her traditions, and many of these pagan beliefs still run rampant in the church. How ought we obey God, rather than men? His law. All the gold is mine- saith the Lord, and all souls. He owns US and our souls. His Son kept the law, His Apostles ,and even Paul. If we truly follow Christ, we should TRY to follow in His footsteps, rather than TRYING to get people to break His laws. Peace be with you.

We have to obey the law of love that is written in the heart not the law written in stone that was fulfilled at the cross. Love is the true moral law of the bible and what do you know - For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Gal. 5:14

Love is the fulfillment of the law. Legalists are law breakers.

 

[Sabbathkeeper&Wife]

Everyone breaks the law. It's called sin. Counting yourself above it is called vanity.

 

[bloodygrace]

Yes, law keepers violate the law of faith on a never-ending basis.

 

[Dave-W]

Under the new covenant the law is written in the heart

Quite right. Funny thing - God's Law is the same. Whether it is written in the OT or on the believer's heart - they are the same thing.

Mal 3.6a “For I, the Lord, do not change; ... "

 

[Dave-W]

The ten commandments were a summary of the Torah not a separate entity.

Actually, the Ten Commandments are the only commands to properly be in the Mosaic covenant. A covenant is a binding agreement. Israel agreed to obey them. (but did NOT agree to listen to His voice)

The rest of the 613 Torah commands came as an addendum to the Decalogue. (and not a fundamental part of the Covenant) So they are not so much a "summary" as a foundation.

 

[bloodygrace]

Quite right. Funny thing - God's Law is the same. Whether it is written in the OT or on the believer's heart - they are the same thing.

Mal 3.6a “For I, the Lord, do not change; ... "

Just to illustrate how ridiculous this is I am going to tell my wife how much I 'law' her tonight instead of 'love' her. It won't be first time I've gotten slapped in the face.

 

[Dave-W]

Just to illustrate how ridiculous this is I am going to tell my wife how much I 'law' her tonight instead of 'love' her. It won't be first time I've gotten slapped in the face.

This statement shows clearly your mistake of saying the Law is devoid of Love and grace.

 

[bloodygrace]

This statement shows clearly your mistake of saying the Law is devoid of Love and grace.

No it illustrates my point quite well. Love and law are not the same no matter how you spin it.

 

[bloodygrace]

Bump for grace! Grace is the opposite of being under the law. The less I do the more grace I receive - praise Jesus!

 

[masmpg]

Just to illustrate how ridiculous this is I am going to tell my wife how much I 'law' her tonight instead of 'love' her. It won't be first time I've gotten slapped in the face.

I like what you are saying about being justified freely. Many want to end our relationship on that note, being justified. But being justified freely is only the beginning of our "walk" of sanctification. Paul was writing to pagans and idol worshipers so to take the extreme principles that Paul taught about justification and basing the whole Christian experience on justification leaves out the whole principle that he wrote about in Colossians:2:6: "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:" Paul also mentions this walk of sanctification in Romans:8:1: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." This walk is something Christians have to do. To say that everything was done at the cross, even our obedience to the law, is missing the whole point of what comes after free justification. I am not saying that sanctification has anything to do with boasting of our righteousness, it does not, but our works are the fruit of faith not the means to earn it.

You made a statement above that you "law" your wife...I will say this. In John:14:15: Jesus said "If ye love me, keep my commandments." If you say the commandments are not the law, but love is, then what Jesus said here is "if you love me, love me"??? If we love God with all our heart it would be impossible to break one of the first four commandments, and if we love out neighbors as ourselves it would be impossible to break one of the last six. The TEN commandments do not, and never have saved anybody.The TEN commandments were given for one purpose, to point out sin. God did not have to give man His holy just and good TEN commandments. In fact why did He wait so long before He did write them on stone with His finger?

We are not saved by our works but we certainly will be judged by them. We can read it in Revelation:20:12&13: "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works." And in Matthew:16:27: "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works." The standard that we will be judged by is the TEN commandments.