MISSIONARY ENTERPRISES IN ASSOCIATION WITH
OMEMEE CHRISTIAN OUTREACH PRESENTS:
INSIGHTS INTO THE GRACE OF GOD
GREEK WORD “GRACE”: CHARIS / χάρις
KEY DEFINITIONS:
– DIVINE FAVOR
– UNMERITED FAVOR
– GOD’S ABILITIES
– GOD’S ENABLEMENT
– GOD’S BENEFITS TOWARDS MANKIND
– GOD DEALING WITH MANKIND AS IF MAN HAD NEVER SINNED
OBSERVATIONS / COMMENTS:
MOST OF THE EPISTLES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT BEGIN AS WELL AS END WITH THIS LITTLE WORD “GRACE”!!
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KEY REFERENCES:
John 1:14,16-17 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
14 And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth. 16 For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift. 17 For while the Law was given through Moses, grace (unearned, undeserved favor and spiritual blessing) and truth came through Jesus Christ.
KEY WORDS: GRACE & TRUTH (V.14,16)
Colossians 1:6 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
6 Which has come to you. Indeed, in the whole world [that Gospel] is bearing fruit and still is growing [by its own inherent power], even as it has done among yourselves ever since the day you first heard and came to know and understand the grace of God in truth. [You came to know the grace or undeserved favor of God in reality, deeply and clearly and thoroughly, becoming accurately and intimately acquainted with it.]
KEY WORDS: the grace of God in truth
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Acts 14:3 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
3 So [Paul and Barnabas] stayed on there for a long time, speaking freely and fearlessly and boldly in the Lord, Who continued to bear testimony to the Word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be performed by their hands.
Acts 20:32 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) 32 And now [brethren], I commit you to God [I deposit you in His charge, entrusting you to His protection and care]. And I commend you to the Word of His grace [to the commands and counsels and promises of His unmerited favor]. It is able to build you up and to give you [your rightful] inheritance among all God’s set-apart ones (those consecrated, purified, and transformed of soul).
KEY WORDS: the Word of His grace
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Ephesians 2:5,7-8 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
5 Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings andtrespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation). 7 He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God;
KEY WORDS: it is by grace that you are saved (V.5,8)
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Romans 5:17 New King James Version (NKJV)
17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) KEY WORDS: abundance of grace
2 Corinthians 4:15 King James Version (KJV)
15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. KEY WORDS: the abundant grace
2 Corinthians 9:14 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
14 And they yearn for you while they pray for you, because of the surpassing measure of God’s grace (His favor and mercy and spiritual blessing which is shown forth) in you. KEY WORDS: the surpassing measure of God’s grace
Ephesians 1:6 New King James Version (NKJV)
6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. KEY WORDS: the glory of His grace
Ephesians 1:7 New King James Version (NKJV)
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace KEY WORDS: the riches of His grace
Ephesians 2:7 New King James Version (NKJV)
7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. KEY WORDS: the exceeding riches of His grace
1 Timothy 1:14 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
14 And the grace (unmerited favor and blessing) of our Lord [actually] flowed out superabundantly and beyond measure for me, accompanied by faith and love that are [to be realized] in Christ Jesus. KEY WORDS: the grace of our Lord flowed out superabundantly and beyond measure
1 Peter 4:10 New King James Version (NKJV)
10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. KEY WORDS: the manifold grace of God
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2 Corinthians 8:9 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
9 For you are becoming progressively acquainted with and recognizing more strongly and clearly the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (His kindness, His gracious generosity, His undeserved favor and spiritual blessing), [in] that though He was [so very] rich, yet for your sakes He became [so very] poor, in order that by His poverty you might become enriched (abundantly supplied).
2 Corinthians 9:8 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
8 And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation].
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Romans 6:14 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
14 For sin shall not [any longer] exert dominion over you, since now you are not under Law [as slaves], but under grace [as subjects of God’s favor and mercy]. KEY WORDS: sin shall not [any longer] exert dominion over you
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1 Corinthians 15:10 New King James Version (NKJV)
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. KEY WORDS: GRACE (3X) KEY WORDS: His grace toward me was not in vain KEY WORDS: I labored more abundantly than they all
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2 Peter 3:18 New King James Version (NKJV)
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. KEY WORDS:grow in the grace KEY WORDS: GROW /(GREEK αὐξάνω = cause to increase, become greater, to enlarge)
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DICTIONARY – LEXICON – CONCORDANCE – WORD STUDIES
Strong’s Concordance (S#837)
auxanó: to make to grow, to grow
Original Word: αὐξάνω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: auxanó
Short Definition: I cause to increase, become greater, grow
Definition: (a) I cause to increase, become greater (b) I increase, grow.
HELPS Word-studies
837 auksánō – properly, grow (increase); become greater in size (maturity, etc.). 837 /auksánō (“to grow”) is key to authentic discipleship. Indeed, the Lord requires non-stop progress (development) in the life of faith.
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 837: αὐξάνω
αὐξάνω, and earlier (the only form in Pindar and Sophocles (Veitch, under the word says, ‘Hesiod, Mimnermus, Sophocles, Thucydidesalways have αὔξω or ἀύξομαι, and Pindar except ἀυξανοι from 130 (Bergk)’)) αὔξω (Ephesians 2:21; Colossians 2:19); imperfect ηὔξανον; future αὐξήσω; 1 aorist ἠύξησα; (passive, present ἀυξάνομαι); 1 aorist,
1. transitive, to cause to grow, to augment: 1 Corinthians 3:6; 2 Corinthians 9:10. Passive to grow, increase, become greater: Matthew 13:32; Mark 4:8 L T Tr WH; 2 Corinthians 10:15; Colossians 1:6 (not Rec.); εἰς τήν ἐπίγνωσιν τοῦ Θεοῦ unto the knowledge of God, Colossians 1:10 (G L T Tr WH τῇ ἐπιγνώσει τοῦ Θεοῦ); εἰςσωτηρίαν (not Rec.) to the attaining of salvation, 1 Peter 2:2.
2. according to later usage (from Aristotle, an. post. 1, 13, p. 78{b}, 6, etc., down; but nowhere in the Sept. (cf. Buttmann, 54 (47); 145 (127); Winers Grammar, § 38, 1)) intransitive, to grow, increase: of plants, Matthew 6:28; Mark 4:8 Rec.; Luke 12:27 (not Tdf.; Tr marginal reading brackets αὐξάνω); Luke 13:19; of infants, Luke 1:80; Luke 2:40; of a multitude of people, Acts 7:17. of inward Christian growth: εἰςΧριστόν, in reference to (Winer’s Grammar, 397 (371); yet cf. Ellicott at the passage) Christ, Ephesians 4:15; εἰς ναόν, so as to form a temple, Ephesians 2:21; ἐν χάριτι, 2 Peter 3:18; with an accusative of the substance. τήν αὔξησιν, Colossians 2:19 (cf. Winers Grammar, § 32, 2; Buttmann, § 131, 5, also Lightfoot’s note at the passage); of the external increase of the gospel it is said ὁ λόγος ηὔξανε: Acts 6:7; Acts 12:24; Acts 19:20; of the growing authority of a teacher and the number of his adherents (opposed to ἐλαττοῦσθαι), John 3:30. (Compare: συναυξάνω, ὑπεραυξάνω.)
STRONGS NT 837: αὔξωαὔξω, see αὐξάνω.
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
grow up, increase.
A prolonged form of a primary verb; to grow (“wax”), i.e. Enlarge (literal or figurative, active or passive) — grow (up), (give the) increase.
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Strong’s Concordance (S# 5485)
charis: grace, kindness
Original Word: χάρις, ιτος, ἡ
Transliteration: charis
Short Definition: grace, favor, kindness
Definition: (a) grace, as a gift or blessing brought to man by Jesus Christ, (b) favor, (c) gratitude, thanks, (d) a favor, kindness.
HELPS Word-studies
Cognate: 5485 xáris (another feminine noun from xar-, “favor, disposed to, inclined, favorable towards, leaning towards to share benefit”) – properly, grace. 5485 (xáris) is preeminently used of the Lord’s favor – freely extended to give Himself away to people (because He is “always leaning toward them”).
5485 /xáris (“grace”) answers directly to the Hebrew (OT) term 2580/Kaná (“grace, extension-toward”). Both refer to God freely extendingHimself (His favor, grace), reaching (inclining) to people because He is disposed to bless (be near) them.
[5485 (xáris) is sometimes rendered “thanks” but the core-idea is “favor, grace” (“extension towards”).]
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 5485: χάρις
χάρις, χάριτος, accusative χάριν, and twice in L T Tr WH the rarer form χάριτα (Acts 24:27; Jude 1:4) which is also poetic (cf. Alexander Buttmann (1873) Ausf. Spr. i. § 44 Anm. 1; (WHs Appendix, 157{b}; Buttmann, 13 (12))), accusative plural χάριτας (Acts 24:27 RG), ἡ (χαίρω), from Homer down, Hebrew חֵן, grace; i. e.
1. properly, that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech (Ecclesiastes 10:12; Sir. 21:16 Sir. 37:21; Homer, Odyssey 8, 175; τῶν λόγων, Demosthenes, 51, 9; 1419, 16; χάριτες μωρῶν, verbal pleasantries which the foolish affect in order to ingratiate themselves, Sir. 20:13), λόγοι χάριτος (genitive of quality), Luke 4:22; χάριν διδόναι τοῖς ἀκούουσιν, Ephesians 4:29; ἐν χάριτι, with grace (the substantive, ἅλας being added; see Lightfoot), Colossians 4:6.
2. good-will, loving-kindness, favor: in a broad sense, χάρις παράτίνι, Luke 2:52; ἔχειν χάριν πρός τινα, to have favor with one, Acts 2:47; χάρις ἐναντίον τινας, Acts 7:10; (χάριν κατάτίνος αἴτεσθαι ὅπως (which see II. 2), Acts 25:3 (but others refer this to 3 b. below)); χάρις (of God) ἐστιν ἐπί τινα, attends and assists one, Luke 2:40; Acts 4:33; χάριν (χάριτα) χάριταςκατατίθεσθαι τίνι (see κατατίθημι), Acts 24:27; Acts 25:9; favor (i. e. act of favoring (cf. Winer’s Grammar, § 66 at the end)), 2 Corinthians 8:4. χάρις is used of the kindness of a master toward his inferiors or servants, and so especially of God toward men: εὑρίσκεινχάριν παρά τῷ Θεῷ, Luke 1:30; ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, Acts 7:46; τοῦτο χάρις ἐστιν, this wins for us (God’s) favor (R. V. is acceptable), 1 Peter 2:19; with παρά Θεῷ added, 1 Peter 2:20; παραδεδομένοι τῇ χάριτι τοῦ Θεοῦ, to be committed or commended to the protecting and helping favor of God, Acts 14:26; Acts 15:40. The apostles and N. T. writers at the beginning and end of their Epistles crave for their readers the favor (`grace’) of God or of Christ, to which all blessings, especially spiritual, are due: Romans 1:7; Romans 16:20, 24 (R G); 1 Corinthians 1:3; 1 Corinthians 16:23; 2 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:13 (14); Galatians 1:3; Galatians 6:18; Ephesians 1:2; Ephesians 6:24; Philippians 1:2; Philippians 4:23; Colossians 1:2; Colossians 4:18; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:28; 2 Thessalonians 1:2; 2 Thessalonians 3:18; 1 Timothy 1:2; 1 Timothy 6:21(22); 2 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 4:22: Titus 1:4; Titus 3:15; Philemon 1:3, 25; Hebrews 13:25; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 3:18 (cf. 3 a.); 2 John 1:3; Revelation 1:4; Revelation 22:21; cf. Otto, Ueber d. apostol. Segensgruss χάρις ὑμῖν etc., in the Jahrbb. f. deutsche Theol. for 1867, p. 678ff. Moreover, the word χάρις contains the idea of kindness which bestows upon one what he has not deserved: Romans 11:6; hence, κατά χάριν and κατά ὀφείλημα are contrasted in Romans 4:4, 16; χάριτι and ἐξ ἔργων in Romans 11:6; κατ’ ἀκλογην χάριτος, Romans 11:5; but the N. T. writers use χάρις pre-eminently of that kindness by which God bestow: favors even upon the ill-deserving, and grants to sinners the pardon of their offences, and bids them accept of eternal salvation through Christ: Romans 3:24; Romans 5:17, 20f; (); 1 Corinthians 15:10; Galatians 1:15; Galatians 2:21; Ephesians 1:6,(); f; Philippians 1:7; Colossians 1:6; 2 Thessalonians 2:16; 1 Timothy 1:14; 2 Timothy 1:9; Hebrews 2:9 (here Treg. marginal reading χωρίς); Hebrews 10:29; Hebrews 12:15; Hebrews 13:9; 1 Peter 1:10; Jude 1:4; εὑρίσκειν χάριν, Hebrews 4:16; ἡ χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ σωτήριος, Titus 2:11; ὁ λόγος τῆςχάριτος, the message of his grace, Acts 14:3; Acts 20:32; τόεὐαγγέλιον τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ, Acts 20:24; it is styled ‘the grace of Christ,’ in that through pity for sinful men Christ left his state of blessedness with God in heaven, and voluntarily underwent the hardships and miseries of human life, and by his sufferings and death procured salvation for mankind: (Acts 15:11); 2 Corinthians 8:9; Romans 5:15; Galatians 1:6; (Titus 3:7); John 1:14, 17. χάρις is used of “the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues”: 2 Corinthians 4:15; 2 Corinthians 6:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:12; οἱ πεπιστευκότες διά τῆς χάριτος, Acts 18:27; ὑπόχάριν εἶναι,’ to be subject to the power of grace, opposed to ὑπόνόμον εἶναι, Romans 6:14f; τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσατε, Galatians 5:4; προσμένειν τῇ χαρη, Acts 13:43 (G L T Tr WH); ἐπιμένειν, ibid. Rec.; ἐν τῇ χάριτι (R G WH text omit the article), prompted by grace, Colossians 3:16; the grace of God promoting the progress and blessings of the Christian religion, Acts 11:23; (prompting its possessors to benefactions, 2 Corinthians 9:14); sustaining and aiding the efforts of the men who labor for the cause of Christ, 1 Corinthians 15:10; 2 Corinthians 1:12; the favor of Christ, assisting and strengthening his followers and ministers to bear their troubles, 2 Corinthians 12:9.
3. what is due to grace;
a. the spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace, what the theologians call the ‘status gratiae’: ἑστηκεναι ἐντῇ χάριτι, Romans 5:2; εἰς τήν χάριν, 1 Peter 5:12; αὐξάνεινἐν χάριτι, 2 Peter 3:18; ἐνδυναμουσθαι ἐν τῇ χάριτι τῇ ἐνΧριστῷ, 2 Timothy 2:1.
b. a token or proof of grace, 2 Corinthians 1:15 (A. V. benefit (WHtext Tr marginal reading χαράν, which see under b.)); a gift of grace; benefaction, bounty: used of alms, 1 Corinthians 16:3; 2 Corinthians 8:6f, 19 (Sir. 3:29 (31); ; 4 Macc. 5:8; Xenophon, Ages. 4, 3f; Hier. 8, 4); πᾶσα χάρις, all earthly blessings, wealth, etc., which are due to divine goodness, 2 Corinthians 9:8; ὁ Θεός πάσης χάριτος, the author and giver of benefits of every kind, 1 Peter 5:10. the aid or succor of divine grace: διδόναι χάριν ταπεινοῖς, 1 Peter 5:5; James 4:6; the salvation offered to Christians is called χάρις, a gift of divine grace, 1 Peter 1:10, 13; of the various blessings of Christ experienced by souls: λαβεῖν χάριν ἀντί χάριτος (see ἀντί, 2 e., p. 49{b} bottom), John 1:16; χαρι ζωῆς, the gift of grace seen in the reception of life (cf. ζωή, 2 b.), 1 Peter 3:7; capacity and ability due to the grace of God (German Gnadenausrüstung), Ephesians 4:7; πλήρης χάριτος. Acts 6:8 G L T Tr WH; πικιλη χάρις, the aggregate of the extremely diverse powers and gifts granted to Christians, 1 Peter 4:10; used of the power to undertake and administer the apostolic office: λαβεῖν χάριν καί ἀποστολήν, i. e. χάριντῆς ἀποστολῆς, Romans 1:5; τῆς χάριτος τῆς δοθείσηςμοι (i. e., Paul), Romans 12:3, 6; Romans 15:15; 1 Corinthians 3:10; Galatians 2:9; Ephesians 3:2, 7; δοθείσῃ ὑμῖν, of the gifts of knowledge and utterance conferred upon Christians, 1 Corinthians 1:4; ἐδόθη μοι ἡ χάρις αὕτη, followed by an infinitive, Ephesians 3:8; of the desire to give alms roused by the grace of God, 2 Corinthians 8:1.
4. thanks (for benefits, services, favors); properly: χάριτι, with thanksgiving, 1 Corinthians 10:30; χάριν ἔχειν τίνι (Latingratiam habere alicui), to be thankful to one, Luke 17:9; 1 Timothy 1:12; 2 Timothy 1:3; Hebrews 12:28 (2 Macc. 3:33, and countless times in secular authors; cf. Passow, under the word, p. 2416{a} under the end; (Liddell and Scott, under the word, II. 2); Ast, Lex. Plato, ii, p. 539f; Bleek, Brief a. d. Hebrews 2:2, p. 975); followed by ἐπί with a dative of the thing, Philemon 1:7 T editions 2 and 7, Rec.st bez (cf. p. 233a middle); χάρις τῷ Θεῷ namely, ἔστω, Romans 7:25 L T Tr WHtext; followed by ὅτι, Romans 6:17 (χάρις τοῖς θεοῖς, ὅτι etc. Xenophon, Cyril 7, 5, 72; 8, 7, 3; an. 3, 3, 14; oec. 8, 16); with a participle added to the dative (by apposition), 1 Corinthians 15:57; 2 Corinthians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 8:16; followed by ἐπί; with a dative of the thing (cf. ἐπί, B. 2 a. δ.), 2 Corinthians 9:15. equivalent to recompense, reward, Luke 6:32-34 (for which Matthew 5:46usesμισθός).
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
grace, favor
From chairo; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude) — acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace(- ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank(-s, -worthy).
OMEMEE (EXTRA NOTES) THE GRACE OF GOD
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EVERYONE, SINNER AND SAINT ALIKE HAVE FULL ACCESS TO THE GRACE OF GOD BY FAITH
1 Timothy 2:4 New King James Version (NKJV)
who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Ephesians 2:8 New King James Version (NKJV)
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
SAVING/SOZO GRACE RECEIVED BY SAVING/SOZO FAITH
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