Love as Grace - Part 1 God's Love takes specialized forms when dealing with sinful man. Forms that would not be necessary if man had not sinned. 1. Mercy - The desire to help man in his suffering 2. Patience - the delay of wrath and punishment that is due to give him more opportunity to repent. Grace is the greatest expression of God's love towards sinners. In the full sense of grace as revealed in the N.T., it is God's willingness and desire to accept us in spite of our sin. The only way we can fully appreciate the grace of God is to remember what sin means to the Holy God. How it goes against everything that He is, how it violates His righteous ness and how He hates it with a holy hatred, and how it is in the very nature of God to destroy sin in His wrath. In spite of all of this, in His love which passes understanding (Eph 3:19), He is still willing to receive rebellious sinners back unto Himself. He is not just willing to receive them, but in His love, He desires to receive them. This is grace. HEBREW WORDS: Main word: Chen - noun = grace Chanan - verb = to be gracious Channun - adj. = gracious. Chen can mean "favor" - "grace" - "acceptance" "Chen" is translated "Favor" 26x (Grace 38x in KJV) Favor in the sight of men: Genesis 33:8 Then Esau said, "What do you mean by all this company which I met?" And he said, "These are to find favor in the sight of my lord." Esther 2:15 ...And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her. Favor in the sight of God: Exodus 33:17 Then the Lord said to Moses, "I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name." Judges 6:17 Then he said to Him, "If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who talk with me. "Chen" alone does not reveal the teaching of grace found in the N.T. Greek Charis - basic idea of a gift that makes one glad. In non-biblical use, this referred to things which produce well-being. It came to have such meanings as grace, favor, beauty, thankfulness, gratitude, delight, and kindness. Grace (Charis) in the N.T. 1. Favor Acts 7:10 [God] delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. 2. Gift 1 Corinthians 16:3 And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters, I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem. 2 Corinthians 8:3-9 For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God. So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. But as you abound in everything -- in faith, in speech, in knowl edge, in all diligence, and in your love for us -- see that you abound in this grace also. I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 3. Thanks (why people "say grace" when thanking God for food) 1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ... 2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 4. Special offices to which some have been called. Galatians 2:9 and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Ephesians 3:7-8 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 5. Help from God 2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, have an abundance for every good work. Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. The main point is that we must be aware of other meanings of the term and not try to read the "Unmerited Favor" concept into each occurrence. Charisma is another form of the same root word for grace. It is translated "gift" 10x and "gifts" 7x in KJV. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 5:15-16 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. More often it is used to refer to the gifts of the Holy Spirit or "spiritual gifts". Charizomai is another form of the same root word for grace. charizomai: [khar-id'-zom-ahee]; from charis: to grant as a favor, give in kindness, pardon or rescue: deliver, forgive, give, grant. In the N.T., it means both "Give" and "Forgive". Charizomai is a Gift Luke 7:21 And that very hour He cured many people of their infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many who were blind He gave sight. Acts 3:14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you. Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Galatians 3:18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abra ham by promise. Philippians 2:9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name. Philemon 22 But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you. To say that God is gracious means that it is His nature to give to His creatures. Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Charizomai is Forgiving Luke 7:42-43 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?" Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, you have rightly judged." 2 Corinthians 2:7 so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. 2 Corinthians 12:13 For what is it in which you were inferior to other churches, except that I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong! Ephesians 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you. Grace Includes a Desire to Forgive Being forgiven by one whom you have offended is the greatest gift that person can give you. When the one offended is the Holy God, and when the offense is sin against His holy law, then His forgiveness is the greatest imaginable gift. This is what the God of grace is willing and desires to give to every sinner. God desires to forgive those who have sinned against Him and this is the heart of grace and is the ultimate expression of God's love. It is God's grace that provides the gift of forgiveness "God is Gracious" includes the idea of "God is Forgiving" God described Himself to Moses: Exodus 34:6 ...The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering... Later, Moses appeals to this revelation: Numbers 14:17-19 And now, I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just as You have spoken, saying, The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression ... Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. Context: The people sin, God tells Moses they deserve to be destroyed. Moses prays for God to spare them and he appeals to what God revealed about Himself in Exodus. 34:6 as the basis for his plea. "Grace" and "forgiveness" are used interchangeably. Because God is gracious, He is a God of forgiveness. What makes forgiveness such a great gift is the twofold nature of God's response to sin. 1. On the one side, our sin evokes the wrath of God and the necessity of vindicating His holy nature and His holy law against the violation and transgression. 2. But at the same time, on the other side, our sin evokes the mercy and compassion of God and the desire to help us. This conflict within the nature of God can not be denied, and there is no way that we can really understand it or appreciate its magnitude. Several passages picture God's love as rising up in the face of His own wrath and over coming it. The image is that of a kind of struggle within God's nature, with love winning out over wrath. God's wrath is not denied. but it is overcome and set aside. Question: Psalms 77:7-9 Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more? Has His mercy ceased forever? Has His promise failed forevermore? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Answer: Psalms 103:8-10 The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. While staring at the ruins of Jerusalem at the beginning of the captivity, Jeremiah says: Lamentations 3:31-33 For the Lord will not cast off forever. Though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies. For He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. Ezra 9:8 And now for a little while grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage. Hosea 11:8-9 How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I set you like Zeboiim? My heart churns within Me; My sympathy is stirred. I will not execute the fierceness of My anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim. For I am God, and not man, the Holy One in your midst; and I will not come with terror. Micah 7:18 Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. How is the Conflict Between God's Holiness and Love Resolved? God's holiness requires, His love desires. Holiness means that there is something God must do; Love means that there is something God wants to do. his distinction is not absolute, since God desires to do what His holy nature requires and His desires are grounded in His very nature. Still there is a sense where holiness can be defined as require and love by desire. Here is the conflict: sometimes God's holiness requires Him to do the very opposite of what His love desires, When God is acting in wrath, He is doing what he does not really want to do from His heart. Lamentations 3:33 For He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. "Willingly" means literally "from the heart". Here is what God's heart desires: 1 Timothy 2:4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But because He is holy, He does afflict, and some will perish, but this is not what God desires with His loving heart. In this sense it is his strange or alien work. Isaiah 28:21 For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act. God is Ready to Forgive Psalms 86:5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. Psalm 99:8 You answered them, O LORD our God; You were to them God Who Forgives, Though You took vengeance on their deeds. Eph 2:1-9 bWayne Wells wayneliz@twave.net http://users.twave.net/ncc