We were talking about grace at Church, and my pastor brought a question: What's the definition of grace?
He told us that grace is the undeserved favor of God.
We were talking about the connection between acts and grace, and we made the point that there is no connection between to two!
We made a statement that grace actually brings:
- the forgiveness of our sins (according to Eph 1,7)
- blessings
- power into our lives
- power which changes us and forms us
- Grace is the only solution and medicine for sin
We were also talk about that condemnation and shame give birth to more sin and these gives the licence to sin over and over again!
Well I think even though we are talking a lot about grace, and even if we say that grace is the foundation of our belief, we don't know much about grace in the church. How do I know that? I know that because whenever I ask a Christians to tell me about grace, and what does it mean to their lives, they feel uncomfortable, and they have no answer... Neither I had! Why is that? I think it's because many people teach many things about grace, and we have no idea what's true, and we cannot decide what to believe!
Last Sunday we had heard about grace, and I bet everybody said: WOW! What a message! Than Monday came and you still felt like WOW! Than Tuesday came... and you felt like: OK... On Wednesday you thought Hmmmm... But on Thursday you were desperate to stay alive 'till Sunday so you can stay alive for a couple days next week again! I believe it shouldn't be that way! I believe that if Christian life is really a victorious life, than we shouldn't feel that way at all! I believe grace is something which is there for us each and every day, but we mostly believe grace is staying alive 'till the next program where we hear from God!
Most of us, including me whenever I heard about grace I thought it's something for the "big guys" like Géza, and Brian and Bobby Houston, and it does nothing to me who felt like a weak Christian!
Once somebody said this: What you believe in is going to destroy you or build you up!
So... Here are some thoughts about grace, and I want you to tell me that it's true or false!
- God shows His grace, but we need to keep the 10 Commandments, and the law!
- God shows His grace, but we need to obey Him each and every day!
- God shows His grace, but we need to repent our sins all the time according to 1 John 1,9
- God shows His grace, but you need to show grace for others as well according to Matt 5
- God shows His grace, but we need to live a life which is a testimony about Him
- God shows His grace, because He loves us.
Well... How many of these are true in your mind??? Be honest... At some point i use to believe like 3 or 4! and point 6 wasn't one I believed in...
But truly only the last point is true: GOD SHOWS HIS GRACE BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU! There us no but, if, when, if in this sentence... He shows you grace because He loves you. DAT! no more... End of sentence! You see many of us believe that there is something behind this, because we think God works the same way as men. We- people would never do something just because we love someone... We have buts, ifs, whens in our minds, but not God!
Well than why do we believe in all these lies?
Of course we have an enemy called Satan, and I believe he tries to build as many lies as he able around grace, because I believe he knows when Christians really and truly understands the statement about Grace, it would bring forth a powerful and mighty crowd which could change this world! But until Satan can deceive us, and we believe him, we give him the right to keep us defeated...
I had a revelation about the Holy Spirit. When I became a Christian I heard about the Holy Spirit, and later I had a belief, and I thought whenever a bad memory comes to my mind is from the Holy Spirit, and it's because He wants me to get saved from that sin. But when I prayed and asked for forgiveness, and I thought I had been forgiven, and when I went away with this confidence, later the same thing showed up, and some Christian told me it's because I still have the root inside of me, and the Holy Spirit wants's to deal with it... But it's a lie!!! Why do I say that? Because the Bible NEVER EVER records about the Holy Spirit such a thing like that! On the contrary! The Bible is clearly talks about the Holy Spirit as the person who is Comforting us, who is cancelling us, who reminds us who we are in Christ, and he would NEVER convict you because of your sin... How do I know that? If the Holy Spirit would be here to convict us, than why should Jesus die on the cross? The Bible clearly tells us that Jesus died on the cross because someone had to be judged, someone had to pay the price for our sins... and that was Jesus! If the Holy Spirit would convict us for our sins, he would do something stupid, because our sins are ALREADY and TOTALLY forgiven because of the cross!
I did a little research in the Bible, and I found out that there are 135 verse which talks about grace, and grace itself as a word is written 144 times... it tells me that for God it's pretty important!
I found 2 words what the Bible use for GRACE.
The first word is the Hebrew ---- CHÉN - KHANE
This word was usually used for to describe grace itself, but it had other meanings as well:
graciousness, that is, subjectively (kindness, favor) or objectively (beauty): - favour, grace (-ious), pleasant, precious, [well-] favoured.
(Remember the definition what Géza told us last week!)
The other word for Grace is CHRIS which is a Greek word.
CHARIS - 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).
From CHARIS came these words as well: character , charisma and an other word:
CHARITOÓ = to grace, that is, indue with special honor: - make accepted, be highly favoured.
I believe that many times we don't understand the Bible, and its golden nuggets because we don't know the original meaning of the word, and sometimes our language can't explain the beauty and deep meaning of the original texture!
So I according this knowledge I made a new definition:
Grace was given with voluntarily, willingly with special honor, which made us accepted and brings us into a position where we are highly favored without any manner or act!
If this definition is true, than I want to make a statement: Jesus itself IS grace!
How can I say that?
Well let's look at the Bible:
1. Grace was given with voluntarily and willingly with special honor
Special honor simply means John 3,16- can you imagine anyone giving up his only son for anybody? That's why the Bible says that Jesus was given with special honor, because He is the Son of the Living God!
Isa 53,12 talks about the coming Messiah who is willingly and voluntary gives up his life for others.Later on the evangelisms are talking about this prophecy, and it's fulfillment. Somewhere Jesus said to his disciples: "No one takes my life, I give it up freely, willingly and voluntarily for many!" If you look at the moment where Jesus died on the cross you can ready this: John 19,30: "Then Jesus bent down his head, and breathed out his soul..." When the solders went to Pilatus to ask permission to break the criminals knee-bones they told him that Jesus died on the cross, and Pilatus was surprised! Why? Because crucifixion was a method of death where the criminals suffered the most. Sometimes they were hanging on the cross for days before they died! So it was something different when Jesus died on the cross less than 5 hours! It was unbelievable! and it was because no-one took his life, but HE gave it up willingly, freely, and voluntarily for us!
So according this part Jesus IS grace itself.
Let's look a little deeper.
2. Grace made us accepted
Rom 5,1; 2 Cor 5,17-21
God always loved the people on earth, but we couldn't live in a fellowship with Him, because of the 10 Commandments. There is nothing wrong with the 10 Commandments, because is just, good and right... The problem is that we cannot live a life which is set to the law! Why? Because we all make mistakes, we all are sinners and we are unable to keep the law. Law never brings peace, and hope. Why? Because what law can do in our lives is to convict us because of our sins, but it has no solution against sin! When Jesus died on the cross as the perfect lamb of God He fulfilled the law, and now He had the right to bring a new one, and this is acceptance in HIM! Somewhere it is written: He became sin so we can be God's righteousness through Him!
Hallelujah!!!
3. Grace brings us into a position where we are highly favored without any manner or act!
Well can you imagine any higher position as to be the Sons and Daughters of God? That's how the Bible calls us: We are the children of God, and that's what we truly are! Did you do anything to have the right to be His children? Could you ever do anything to make yourself accepted in front of Him? Have you ever tried to work yourself into the Kingdom? Well in Jesus it's all FINISHED! and the only thing you need to do is to accept...
Look at the three points... Grace is Jesus... Jesus is GRACE... That's why many people cannot understand grace... because it's free, it brings special honor, and acceptance without any manner or act... Jesus did everything what was needed, and what we honestly never could do...
So what's yours from all of these today? It depends on you... Everything is finished, everything is done... your inheritance is available... do you accept it? Do you use it? or you are like the foolish boy of the rich man: you have everything, but you are dying in hunger on the street homeless, sick and down... or are you the son who was wise, and used his inheritance to bring wealth and glory to his father?
