The Gospel of Grace

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8)

The word "grace" is used numerous times in the New Testament. Grace is a very important biblical concept. Paul says that we're saved by grace, so we should want to understand what it means. If we have the wrong understanding of grace, we could have the wrong understanding of the gospel, of salvation itself. I've had guys knock on my door, tell me they believe in salvation by grace, and then tell me there are works that I need to do, because their definition of grace is not biblical. Misunderstanding the meaning of grace could be the difference between heaven and hell for some people. It's that important.

The word grace is being translated from the Greek word "charis", which can be translated into several different words. Let's look at an example of each word and then look at Ephesians 2:8 again.

"And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." (Luke 2:52)

"And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” (Luke 4:22)

"Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe" (Hebrews 12:28)

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them." (Luke 6:32)

"He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he?" (Luke 17:9)

"...requesting a concession against Paul, that he might have him brought to Jerusalem (at the same time, setting an ambush to kill him on the way)" (Acts 25:3)

"If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?" (1 Corinthians 10:30)

"When I arrive, whomever you may approve, I will send them with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem" (1 Corinthians 16:3)

"In this confidence I intended at first to come to you, so that you might twice receive a blessing" (2 Corinthians 1:15)

Grace, Gracious, Gratitude, Favor, Credit, Thank, Thankfulness, Concession, Gift, Blessing.

All of those words are being translated from "charis". Charis is where we get words like charisma and charismatic, which suggest giftedness. We also get words like grateful and gratitude, from the Latin word for grace, Gratia. The Spanish word for thanks, "gracias", and the Italian word "grazie" both come from gratia. A person feels grateful, or feels gratitude and thankfulness because they've been blessed. Gratia-full, Gratia-tude. That's why charis is sometimes translated as thank, thankful, thankfulness.

A concession is something preferentially granted, like a favor. A gift is something unearned, like a blessing. All of those words indicate something that is unearned and unmerited, and worth being thankful for.

Grace is unmerited favor, an unearned gift or credit, a blessing from God's generosity. Since grace is a gift, it can't be earned or worked for. If it's earned, it's not grace. A gift, by definition, is something not earned. When Paul says we're saved by grace, he's telling us it's a free gift from God that can't be earned.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Paul is saying as plainly as he can, salvation is not earned by doing stuff. Salvation is a gift from God. It's by grace.

"What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works" (Romans 4:1-6)

Paul makes a distinction between something earned and something credited. A wage and a gift, by definition, cannot be the same thing. This is the heart of the biblical gospel. It is the very gospel itself. God saves sinners by His grace through faith in Jesus, because it's something God was pleased to give them as a gift, not because of something they did to earn it. And every religion on the planet is teaching people how to earn favor, teaching people to do works for their salvation. Even many religions who call themselves Christian fall into this category. A false gospel will not save anyone. You can believe it sincerely, but you will not be saved by it. We're saved by grace.

There is a true gospel, and there are false gospels. This distinction is the line that divides true Christians from false Christians. There will be lots of religious people in hell.

"'Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’" (Matthew 7:21-23)

Jesus said there will be many people who call Him Lord, who will stand before Him on judgement day and tell Him about their good works and deeds, and they are going to argue with Him that these works should have some merit. This attitude proves they do not know Him, and Jesus confirms that they have no relationship with each other by saying to them, "I never knew you." These people are going to hell because their faith was in themselves and their own deeds. They acknowledged Jesus as Lord, they believed things about Jesus, but they were not believing in Him for their salvation.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Do you know that you're saved by grace through faith in Jesus, or are you trying to earn favor through your deeds?

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

Thanks for reading. God bless.