The central idea of Christianity is “grace.” Christians hold that God is gracious, that grace is a fundamental aspect of God’s nature, and that grace is the means by which we are saved. This is why the gospel—God’s unmerited gift of unmerited redemption through Jesus Christ—and grace are practically interchangeable. However, what precisely is grace? What does this word signify, and where did it come from? We’ll look at how the Bible defines “grace” in this post. We’ll find that its significance is more complex and wide-ranging than is frequently thought.
Old Testament
חϵן chen is the Hebrew word that is commonly translated as “grace.” Chen means “mercy,” but it also implies “favor,” “affection,” and “beauty,” just how the term “gracious” in English is derived from grace. Chen appears in the Old Testament about seventy times, forty-three of those times with the phrase “to find grace in the eyes of.” This phrase is typically used to describe those who ask for or get favor from another person, like Ruth from Boaz (Ruth 2:2), Joseph from Potiphar (Genesis 39:3–4), or Jacob from Esau (Genesis 32:5). This phrase is also used by the authors of the Bible to suggest that some individuals are given special favor by God.
These individuals include Gideon (Judges 6:17), Noah (Genesis 6:8), and Moses (Exodus 33:12–19). God was very near to them, and He gave them a significant mission. “To turn to someone with love and help them” is the meaning of the related Hebrew verb, ϗננ chanan. Prayers for such an attitude toward them are common among the psalmists (Psalm 4:1; 6:2; 25:16, etc.).
The Old Testament contains additional terms for grace in the sense of “undeserved love” in addition to chen, such as mercy (רָחַמ racham) and steadfast love/covenant fidelity (חֶסֶד chesed). These phrases are frequently used to praise and characterize God, drawing on God’s self-revelation in Exodus 34:6. The law—a code of conduct that God kindly bestowed upon His people—receives a great deal of attention in the Old Testament. Psalm 119’s author therefore cannot cease thanking God for this blessing. However, the idea that obeying the law alone is insufficient to win God’s favor already exists in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 7:7–10; 9:4-6; 2 Samuel 7:14–16).
The more often Israel disobeys God’s commandment, the more obvious this becomes. Thus, prophets like Hosea declare that Israel has no advantage over other countries as a result of their disloyalty and breach of the covenant. The only reason God desires to start again with these people is because of His grace and mercy. Therefore, grace should not be undervalued. Only after conversion and repentance is it accepted (Amos 5:11–15; Jonah 3:9).
New Testament
The Old Testament is insufficient to understand the full significance of grace. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only book that fully reveals the contents of God’s grace. The majority of translations of “grace” originate from the Greek word χαρις charis. The word “charis” appears in the New Testament around 170 times. It was a widespread word in Greek, even beyond the Bible. At its most basic level, it was used to describe someone’s endearing features or personality, as in “charm” or “charisma” (Luke 4:22). As a quality of character, charis can also mean “kindness” or, in the case of certain people, “favor.” Luke 2:52, for instance, conveys the latter sense when it says, “Jesus came more and more into the favor of God and men.”
Charis, then, was the disposition and disposition of a generous person toward a person in need. Charis can also mean “gratitude” in English, which is what we would translate it to mean when a benefactor elicits such a needy person’s feelings (Luke 17:9). Charis can even refer to the words or deeds used to convey thankfulness after a small change in meaning (Romans 16:7; 1 Corinthians 16:3). It might be challenging to discern between all of these meanings because they frequently converge. Being a Gentile writer, Luke in particular uses the word “charis” (grace) in a variety of ways.
Nonetheless, Paul—who use the word charis more than twice as frequently as all other New Testament writers combined—has a particularly significant impact on our conception of “grace.” This particular Christian interpretation resulted from confusing the terms “gift” and “attitude” in regard to charis. God’s graciousness is never passive; rather, it always works to the benefit of people it touches.
As a result, grace is a divine power that always has a specific outcome. Some examples of this include temptation (2 Corinthians 12:9), a congregation (2 Corinthians 1:15), a ministry (Ephesians 4:7), the apostleship (Romans 1:5, 1 Corinthians 15:10), and eternal life (1 Peter 3:7). This is why grace and the Holy Spirit, or God’s power, are almost interchangeable (Acts 6:5; 6:8; Hebrews 10:29). Thus, Paul can refer to what are effectively the same things as “gifts of grace” (Ephesians 4:7–13) and “gifts of the Spirit” (I Corinthians 12:4–11) in different contexts.
Paul made the term “charis” central to his theology, even if it does not always imply “undeserved favor”: “But if [God’s election] is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace” (Romans 11:6). God is the source of grace, not its beneficiaries. It contrasts sharply with the works of the law because it is a pure gift from God (Romans 3:24). While guilty people get grace and are pardoned on the basis of Christ’s righteousness, God does not choose His people on the basis of their merit. Repentance and grace go hand in hand. Grace is received by faith.
The central theme of the New Testament is grace—unconditional forgiveness and acceptance by God. Although the terms “charis” are not used in Matthew and Mark, the idea of grace is evident in both texts: Jesus welcomes sinners and misfits and heals the ill and defenseless. John similarly highlights the gift-like aspect of grace (John 1:17), but he typically refers to God’s gracious character toward humans as αγαπη agape, or love.
Summary
To conclude, the original meaning of ‘grace’ was that a person receives affection or a favor. In the context of the relationship between God and people, it refers to God’s special and loving attention to a person who is called to carry out His plan. This is undeserved and unexpected favor. In Jesus Christ the meaning of God’s favor is fully revealed. Jesus was full of God’s grace (John 1:14) and completely fulfilled His calling. Through Jesus, believers also receive God’s grace and Spirit, and through them God’s grace also comes to the fallen world. God’s gracious forgiveness delivers us from ourselves, from the oppressive law, and from our desire to perform. God’s gracious power, which is the same as that which raised Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:19-20) sets us free, makes us saints and grants us eternal life.
