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The Grace of God in the New Testament: 1

Part Two

The Grace of GOD

in the New Testament

To understand the GRACE of God as revealed in the New Testament is to comprehend one of the most wonderful attributes of God; and is the KEY to a deep, personal relationship between God the Father and every Christian, through Jesus Christ.

The GRACE of God expresses the GREATNESS OF HIS LOVE and the richness of His mercy! To live within and under the GRACE of God is to experience and appreciate the fantastic LOVE of God and His merciful kindness.

Contrary to religious speculations, grace is not just a theological tenant or topic of argument; drawing denominational battle lines; in fact, the GRACE OF GOD means LIFE ITSELF! Without grace there would be no salvation, NO CHRISTIANITY... NO ETERNAL LIFE!

Indeed, GRACE IS THE FOUNDATION of true Christianity. The New Testament reveals that God the Father’s GRACE is an ALL ENCOMPASSING quality.

The GRACE of God has tremendous meaning to those who really understand it. Through, Jesus Christ, God’s gift of GRACE is granted so we may spiritually GROW UP unto Him, Jesus Christ---the SON OF GOD---who is the HEAD of God’s Church, in ALL THINGS.

The Scriptural TRUTH is that God the Father, through His GRACE and salvation, will share His eternal life, existence and glory with all human beings who truly love Him with all their hearts, and minds and beings.

The potential of our destiny to become the literal sons of God through the GRACE of God is the most INCREDIBLE and least understood TRUTHS of the Bible. The apostle John wrote, “Behold! What glorious love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the children of God! On account of this very thing, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be; but, we do know that when He shall be revealed, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him exactly as He is” (I John 3:1-3, AT).

This is why Peter was inspired to admonish us to GROW in THE GRACE and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. “But grow in the grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever” (II Pet. 3:18).

GRACE IS BASED ON LOVE

Love is the basis for the relationship and fellowship between God the Father, Jesus Christ and the person who has been called to salvation. GOD IS LOVE. “The one who is not loving, does not know God, because GOD IS LOVE! In this way, the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this act, is THE LOVE! Not that we have loved God, rather, that He loved us and sent His Son as a propitiation for our own sins. Beloved, if God so loved us in this manner, we also are duty-bound to love one another. No one has seen God at any time; If we should be loving one another, God is dwelling in us and His own love is perfected in us” (I John 4:8-12, AT).

Our relationship with God MUST be based on LOVE! “You shall LOVE the Lord your God with ALL your heart, and with ALL your soul, and with ALL your mind, and with ALL your strength: this is the first [that is, the PRIMARY] commandment” (Mk. 12:30). LOVE is the FOUNDATION of grace and without this foundation there is NOTHING!

As such then, GRACE is the primary quality or attribute; the first extension or expression of GOD’S LOVE. Therefore, GRACE, is the primary quality and function of the spiritual relationship and the fellowship between God the Father and the person He calls through Jesus Christ.

THE NEW TESTAMENT

DEFINITION OF GRACE

GRACE, as revealed in the New Testament, has a broad meaning and application. GRACE comes from the Greek word, “CHARIS”, which means: “God’s divine, gracious, favor and blessing; gracious care, help, goodwill, benefit, gift, goodness, benefaction and endowment” (Arnt & Gingrich, Greek Lexicon) Grace, therefore, is a multifaceted word, showing many aspects of God the Father’s gracious LOVE as mercifully manifested through Jesus Christ.

GOD THE FATHER’S GRACE

ONLY COMES THROUGH JESUS CHRIST

The GRACE of God, as revealed through Jesus Christ, was prophesied by the prophets of old. “In this, you are greatly rejoicing yourselves, but if it is necessary, at the present time, you have been distressed, for a little while, by various trials. In order that, the proving of your faith, which is much more precious than gold, which is perishing, even though it is being tested by fire, that your faith may be found unto praise and honor and glory, at the revelation of Jesus Christ!

“Whom having not seen, you are loving; even though at the present time you are not seeing Him, you are believing Him, and you are rejoicing with unspeakable joy, and you have been praising Him. You are receiving the fulfillment of your faith, even the salvation of your souls; concerning which salvation, the prophets who have prophesied of THE GRACE which should come to you, have diligently searched out and intently inquired, searching into what way, and what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them was indicating, and testifying beforehand of the sufferings of Christ, and those glories which would follow.

“To whom it was revealed, that not for themselves, but to us, they were ministering these things, which now have been announced to you by those who have preached the Gospel to you by the Holy Spirit, sent from heaven, into which things the angels are desiring to look. For this reason, have your minds prepared for action, being self-controlled, be completely hoping in THE GRACE, which is being brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (I Pet. 1:6-13, AT).

The first coming of Jesus Christ was an expression of love by God the Father revealing His grace and salvation through the birth, life, crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. that is why John wrote that “By this act IS THE LOVE.”

“For God so LOVED the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him [the Greek: pisteuon eis, the one who is believing into Him. This belief is a profound interacting, dynamic faith and belief. This kind of belief is more than a mental concept, it is a spiritual interaction between the believer and Jesus Christ] should not perish, but may have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16).

Jesus Christ is the full expression of God’s GRACE and truth. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt [tabernacled] among us, (and we beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of GRACE and TRUTH...and of His fulness we all received, and grace upon grace... THE GRACE AND THE TRUTH came into being THROUGH JESUS CHRIST” (Jn.1:14,16-17 AT).

A host of spiritual blessings flow to each Christian as a result of God’s LOVE AND GRACE! It is like being under a protecting cover or a sheltering umbrella. The blessings of God’s grace include: God the Father’s personal calling, love, repentance, forgiveness, justification, sanctification; the receiving of God’s Holy Spirit, mercy, compassion, blessings, hope, faith, joy, salvation, redemption, keeping the commandments and laws of God in the spirit of the law, and finally God’s gift of eternal life as a very spirit son or daughter of God the Father born into the Family of god at the resurrection!

WE ARE CALLED THROUGH GRACE

God’s calling is the beginning of His grace in our lives. God the Father personally initiates our calling, spiritually drawing us to Him with His Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ.

“No one is able [Greek, dunamai to have the power or ability within oneself] to come to me (Jesus Christ) unless the Father who has sent me DRAW him [to reach down and draw out, to select]...” (Jn. 6:44).

Paul understood this and explains it very clearly: “But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning CHOSEN you to salvation through the sanctification of the Spirit and the belief of the truth: whereunto He CALLED you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ...now our Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, and God, even our Father, which has loved us, and has given us everlasting consolation and good hope through GRACE, comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work” (IIThes. 1:13-17).

In Galatians 1:6, 15 he shows that he was called by GRACE. “...[God the Father] called me through the His GRACE.”

Here, the apostle Paul is showing that God’s calling is accomplished through the operation of God the Father’s GRACE. It is one of the functions of His mercy and gracious intervention in our lives.

WE BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST

THROUGH GRACE

Throughout the New Testament, belief in the Lord Jesus Christ is shown as absolutely necessary for salvation. John was inspired to write, “..these things have been written, so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, The Son of God, and that believing you may have life through His name” (Jn. 20:3 1, AT).

From where does this belief in Jesus Christ come? Do we have it or possess it ourselves? How is it that we come to believe? Do we work it up? No we do not!

In fact, we cannot work up this belief on our own. We believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior through God’s GRACE! “[Apollos]...when he was come [to those in Achaia], helped them much which had believed THROUGH GRACE” (Acts 18:27).

So we see, that it is through God’s GRACE, His blessing and goodness, which makes this belief possible.

REPENTANCE AND GRACE

God’s grace is magnanimously bestowed upon us by leading us to repentance. “Are you despising the riches of His kindness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the GRACIOUSNESS OF GOD LEADS YOU TO REPENTANCE?” (Rom. 2:4, AT).

So, it is through God’s grace that we are lead to see the vile wickedness of our own human nature. We are able, with God’s Spirit, to comprehend the enormity and consequences of our sins!

Through the grace of God, He leads us to understand to the depths of our being what sin really is! The apostle John wrote a clear definition of sin: “Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” A more literal translation is as follows: “Every one who is practicing sin, is also practicing lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness” (I John 3:4).

When we, through God’s GRACE, realize that our sins caused the death of Jesus Christ; He grants us repentance. “When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then has God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life” (Acts 11:18).

This kind of godly repentance is a result of God the Father’s personal intervention into our lives. While it might not be as direct as it was in Job’s life, where God personally talked to Job, nevertheless we can learn from his example and repentance.

“Then Job answered the Lord, and said, I know that You can do every thing, and that no thought can be withheld from You...I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear: but now my eye sees You ‘[to understand God’s greatness, goodness, mercy and grace as compared to his own sinful wretchedness]. Wherefore, I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 41:2,5-6).

This kind of deep, sincere repentance is part of God’s grace, and He alone can grant it to us.

GRACE AND THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS

When we, upon repentance, in faith, accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as full payment for our sins, those sins are put upon Him, because He alone paid the price for our sins through His crucifixion, death and resurrection. When through the grace of God we are led to this repentance, we must then be buried into the death of Jesus Christ through water baptism.

Paul wrote of this death, “Or are you ignorant that as many of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus, were baptized into His death? Therefore, we were co-buried with Him by the baptism into the death, so that, just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, in exactly the same way also, we should walk in newness of life. For if we have become co-joined together in the likeness of His death, so also shall we be in the likeness of His resurrection.

“Knowing this that our old man was co-crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be destroyed, that we should no longer to be enslaved to sin. Because the one who has died to sin has been justified from sin. Now if we died together with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him” (Rom. 6:1-8, AT).

At that point, every sin we have ever committed is totally and completely forgiven through God’s wonderful “GRACE”!

“In whom we have the redemption through His blood the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of HIS GRACE” (Eph. 1:7).

The apostle Paul wrote, “Because all have sinned and they are falling short of the glory of God; we are being justified gratuitously by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; Who God has displayed publicly as a propitiation through the faith in His blood, for a public declaration of His righteousness, in the respect of the passing over of the sins which had taken place before” (Rom. 3:23-25, AT).

However, because we are still in the flesh and have the weakness of the flesh, temptations and the pulls of human nature are still active, so that we still find ourselves sinning, although we don’t want to sin. But because we are still standing in this grace and have imputed to us the gift of the righteousness, God leads us to repent of our sins so that we may have forgiveness.

The apostle John wrote that we continue walking in God’s way, the GRACE of God is mercifully and unselfishly extended when we repent and confess our sins. “However, if we should be walking in the Light, as He is in the Light, we are having fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ His own Son is cleansing us from every sin. If we should be saying that we do not have sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the Truth is not in us.

“If we should be confessing our own sins, He is faithful and righteous, in order that He may forgive us our sins and that He may purify us from every unrighteousness..., and yet, if anyone should sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. Even He is the propitiation for our sins; and not only for our sins, but, also for the sins of the whole world” (I John 1:5-2:2, AT).

This merciful pardon and forgiveness of our sins, through the blood of Jesus Christ, reveals the goodness and graciousness of God the Father toward us. This is why we are not to continue to live in sin.

The apostle Paul wrote, “What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin, so that grace may abound? MAY IT NEVER BE! We who died to sin [through the GRACE and MERCY of God], how shall we live any longer therein?” (Rom. 6:1-2, AT).

JUSTIFICATION THROUGH GRACE

Justification is the act of God the Father by which we as sinners are justified of the penalty of sin. This process is called “the law of faith” (Rom. 3:27). Jesus Christ’s life and His sacrifice are imputed to those who are called by God! Upon true, heartfelt repentance, baptism by full immersion in water, the laying on of hands for the receiving of the Holy Spirit, He forgives our sins through the blood of Jesus Christ. We are then accepted individually as if each one of us were Jesus Christ Himself! This justification means that we have been put into right standing spiritually with God the Father in heaven above. God the Father Himself imputes, meaning He is granting to us the very righteousness of Jesus Christ. This is the gift of righteousness which we receive through the abundance of the Father’s grace (Rom. 4:24; 5:17).

This is how a repentant sinner is justified from sins and put into RIGHT STANDING WITH GOD THE FATHER!

Of all the aspects of the, manifold GRACE of God, JUSTIFICATION with the subsequent gift of spiritual righteousness is most important, as long as we are living in the flesh. “For we ourselves, also, were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving different lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to HIS MERCY He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit-, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; that BEING JUSTIFIED BY HIS GRACE, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:3-7).

This is the free gift of grace through Jesus Christ. “But shall not as the offense was, even so shall the free gift be? Because if by the transgression of the one man many died, much more profoundly did the grace of God, and the gift of grace, which is by the one man Jesus Christ, abound unto many” Rom. 5:15, AT).

He alone was perfectly righteous in the spirit of the law, in perfect love and perfect devotion to God the Father. He alone qualified. Here is a profound spiritual truth: NOTHING CAN EVER SUBSTITUTE FOR THE LIFE, SACRIFICE, DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST--NOTHING! That is why justification comes through grace by Jesus Christ.

JUSTIFICATION BRINGS RECONCILIATION

The justification of past sins, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, reconciles us to God the Father. Not only does He forgive our sins, but God the Father actually imputes the RIGHTEOUSNESS of Jesus Christ to us.

“And all things are of God [the Father], who has reconciled us to HIMSELF by Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of THE RECONCILIATION. How that God [the Father] was in Christ [John. 14:10] RECONCILING the world to HIMSELF, not reckoning their trespasses to them, and having committed to us the message of reconciliation...we beseech you on behalf of Christ, BE RECONCILED TO GOD! For Him [Jesus Christ] who knew NO SIN, He [God the Father] has made Him [Jesus Christ] to be sin for us, so that WE MIGHT BECOME THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD in Him [Jesus Christ]” (II Cor. 5:18-22 AT).

God the Father alone can extend this gracious reconciliation to us. It is a gift of grace! Such a special relationship of having the righteousness of Jesus Christ freely imputed to us cannot be earned through any kind of works whatsoever. Jesus Christ has earned it for us! It is God the Father’s free gift through His GRACE!

“But God is demonstrating His very own LOVE to us, because that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Therefore, much more! Having been justified now by His own blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

“For if, while we were still enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His own Son, still greater yet, after being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Now not only this, but we are also boasting in God through Our Lord Jesus Christ by Whom we have now received the reconciliation” (Rom. 5:8-11, AT).

Through the operation of God the Father’s love and grace He redeems us from the death of sin and through His grace and Holy spirit expands into eternal life, through Jesus Christ!

ADAM’S SIN BROUGHT DEATH

GOD’S GRACE BRINGS ETERNAL LIFE

Paul contrasts the sin of Adam with the justification of God through His GRACE. The sin of Adam brought death to all men; the GRACE of God will bring ETERNAL LIFE through Jesus Christ. “But shall not as the offense was, even so shall the free gift be? Because if by the transgression of the one man many died, much more profoundly did the grace of God, and the gift of grace, which is by the one man Jesus Christ, abound unto many. And the free gift [of grace] is not like that which came through the one who had sinned. Because on the one hand, judgment was by one unto condemnation. But on the other hand, the free gift [of grace] is to the justification of many offences.

“For if by the offence of one man [Adam’s sin] death reigned by the one, how much more profoundly shall it be to those whoare receiving the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, that they shall reign in life by the one Jesus Christ:). So therefore, just as by the one transgression, there resulted judgment unto condemnation to all men, exactly in the same way also, by the one act of righteousness [the life, crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ] shall result in the justification unto life of all men.

“Because even as by the disobedience of the one man, many were made sinners, in exactly the same way also, by the obedience of the One many shall be made righteous. Moreover the law entered so that the transgression might abound; but where sin abounded, the grace did superabound, so that even as sin reigned unto death, in exactly the same way also, the grace might reign through righteousness unto life eternal through Jesus Christ” (Rom.5:15-21, AT).

In God the Father’s plan and in His time, as portrayed by the holy days, He will extend an opportunity to every person to receive the gift of forgiveness and grace unto eternal life.

CHRISTIANS STAND IN GRACE

Christians actually stand in a “continuous” state, or condition, of GRACE before God. “Therefore, after having been justified by faith [that is, put into right standing with God through the forgiveness of sins by the blood of Jesus Christ], we have peace with God through Our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom also we now have the access by faith into this grace in which we now stand, and we are boasting in the hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but now we also boast in tribulations, all the while we are realizing that tribulation brings forth endurance, and the endurance brings forth character; and the character brings forth hope. Now the hope of God never makes us ashamed, because the love of God has been poured out into our own hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given to us” (Rom. 5:1-5, AT).

Being in this continuous state of grace, the free gift of God, is how we are able to stand before God in Christ Jesus Our Lord.

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