Gods Grace
Grace (Ephesians 2:5; Charis) - Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon 5485 - Vines Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words - The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume A common attribute of God that is found in the scriptures is grace. In Ephesians 2:8 it says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” According to the Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon, the word “grace” in the Hebrew is Charis which can be defined as “that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness.” Although this gives us a better understanding of grace, it does not even go near the depth to which this word is assigned. ... Grace portrays a sense of freeness and universality in that it is a free gift that is available to all. Also grace is not just a gift that one can receive, but along with it comes a sense of pleasure or joy that God has intended for the recipient upon acceptance. ... In the epistles, grace is understood to be not just a quality of God, but an “actualization at the cross” and a “proclamation in the gospel”. The idea of grace alone saving us from our sins goes hand-in-hand with the concept for believers of “faith alone”. ... The concept of grace also includes the fact that it is sufficient. No one will ever need more or less of the grace that God offers. As a Christian, I have already experienced God’s grace upon acceptance of the salvation He offers, however, lately I have struggled with how significant God’s grace really is. ... After studying God’s grace I have realized more about it then I knew before. Before I thought grace was just a “gift” that God gives in order for us to get to heaven. ... Also, grace is not just something we accept once and that’s it. To use a corny phrase, grace is “the gift that keeps on giving”. By accepting God’s gift of grace we are to be consumed by the Holy Spirit so grace is a continual gift that we receive every moment of every day. Once we accept God’s gift of grace, we have it and cannot lose it. Grace is not something we have to keep track of or continually ask God for. ... Something else I found to be very interesting after studying this word is the fact that grace is sufficient for us.