A Grace-filled Life

A Christian Life Is…

A Grace-filled Life
Grace...
● Discussion question: What comes to your
mind when you see or hear the words the
grace of God?

Above: “The grace of God” in

Greek.

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The word “grace”
● The only Greek word translated “grace” in
the NT is (charis).
» Six times it means favor – Luke 1:30
“And the angel said unto her, ‘Fear not,
Mary: for you have found favor with
God.’”
» Five times it means thanks – 2
Corinthians 9:15
“Thanks be to God for His unspeakable
gift.”
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The word “grace”
● The only Greek word translated “grace” in
the NT is (charis).
» Three times it means credit – Luke 6:32
“But if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you? For even
sinners love those who love them.”

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The word “grace”
● The only Greek word translated “grace” in
the NT is (charis).
» Two times it means commendable (2) –
1 Peter 2:20
» “For what credit is it if, when you are
beaten for your faults, you take it
patiently? But when you do good and
suffer for it, if you take it patiently, this
is commendable before God.”

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The word “grace”
● The only Greek word translated “grace” in
the NT is (charis).
» Two times it means gift – Romans 4:4
» “Now to one who works, his wages are
not reckoned as a gift but as his due.”
» It is also translated into 14 other words
once (each), including benefit, blessing,
and gracious gift.

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The word “grace”
● The only Greek word translated “grace” in
the NT is (charis).

● It’s helpful to notice how the word is

translated in addition to “grace,” because
this helps us understand the word.

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Definition
● Discussion Question: How would you define
“grace”?
» Undeserved acceptance and love received from
another, especially the characteristic attitude of
God in providing salvation for sinners. For
Christians, the word “grace” is virtually
synonymous with the gospel of God’s gift of
unmerited salvation in Jesus Christ.
Holman Bible Dictionary
»A couple of key points in this definition…

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Definition
● How would you define “grace”?
» Undeserved acceptance and love received from
another, especially the characteristic attitude of
God in providing salvation for sinners. For
Christians, the word “grace” is virtually
synonymous with the gospel of God’s gift of
unmerited salvation in Jesus Christ.
Holman Bible Dictionary

If it were deserved, it wouldn’t be a

gift, it would be payment of a debt.

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Definition
● How would you define “grace”?
» Undeserved acceptance and love received from
another, especially the characteristic attitude of
God in providing salvation for sinners. For
Christians, the word “grace” is virtually
synonymous with the gospel of God’s gift of
unmerited salvation in Jesus Christ.
Holman Bible Dictionary

It is God’s nature that He wants to

save us – 2 Peter 3:9.

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2 Peter 3:9
● “The Lord is not slack concerning His
promise, as some count slackness; but
is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing
that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance.”

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Definition
● How would you define “grace”?
» Undeserved acceptance and love…God’s gift of
unmerited salvation in Jesus Christ.
» Divine grace is simply God giving us what we
don’t deserve – and taking great joy in doing so.
» Related to grace – but different concepts:

justice, mercy, propitiation, atonement,

sanctification, and justification

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Making sense of it all
● In order to understand passages like
Ephesians 2:4-10…

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Ephesians 2:4-10
“But because of His great love for us, God, Who is
rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when
we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you
have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ
and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in
Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He
might show the incomparable riches of His grace,
expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For
it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -
and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -
not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are
God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do
good works, which God prepared in advance for us
to do.”
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Making sense of it all
● In order to understand passages like
Ephesians 2:4-10, we first need to discuss
God’s mercy and justice.
» Recall the suggestion that grace is God giving us
what we don’t deserve.
» By contrast, mercy is God not giving us what we
do deserve.
» God’s justice demands the just penalty be paid for
our sin: “For the wages of sin is death; but
the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
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Making sense of it all
● In order to understand passages like
Ephesians 2:4-10, we first need to discuss
God’s mercy and justice.
» Recall the suggestion that grace is God giving us
what we don’t deserve.
» By contrast, mercy is God not giving us what we
do deserve.
» God’s justice demands the just penalty be paid for
our sin – Romans 6:23.
»Yet God’s nature demands that He not extend
grace without
satisfying His justice! 17
Making sense of it all
● In order to understand passages like
Eph 2:4-10, we first need to discuss God’s
mercy and justice.
● Discussion Question: Why not take the

concept one step further – why can’t God

just offer blanket amnesty?
» If God offers us blanket amnesty instead of justice, it
would undermine the entire social and moral order.
» How much restraint can we expect people to observe if
they are exempt from satisfying God’s requirements in
any way?

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Making sense of it all
● In order to understand passages like
Eph 2:4-10, we first need to discuss God’s
mercy and justice.
● Why not take the concept one step farther –

why can’t God just offer amnesty?

» Just as God has bound Himself to consistency in the
laws of nature, He must also be consistent with the
application of moral law.

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Making sense of it all
● In order to understand passages like
Ephesians 2:4-10, we first need to discuss
God’s mercy and justice.
● Why not take the concept one step farther –

why can’t God just offer amnesty?

● So… God extends both grace and mercy in

ways that are consistent with His justice, as

Paul writes in Romans 3:19-31.

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Romans 3:19-31 - Making sense of it all
● 19. Now we know that what things
soever the law says, it speaks to them
that are under the law; that every mouth
may be stopped, and all the world may
be brought under the judgment of God:
● 20. because by the works of the law

shall no flesh be justified in His sight; for

through the law comes the knowledge of
sin.

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Romans 3:19-31 - Making sense of it all
● 21. But now apart from the law a
righteousness of God has been
manifested, being witnessed by the law
and the prophets;
● 22. even the righteousness of God

through faith in Jesus Christ unto all

them that believe; for there is no
distinction;

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Romans 3:19-31 - Making sense of it all
● 23. for all have sinned, and fall short of
the glory of God;
● 24. being justified freely by His grace

through the redemption that is in Christ

Jesus:
● 25. Whom God set forth to be a

propitiation, through faith, in His blood,

to show His righteousness because of
the passing over of the sins done
aforetime, in the forbearance of God;
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Romans 3:19-31 - Making sense of it all
● 26. for the showing, I say, of His
righteousness at this present season:
that He might Himself be just, and the
justifier of him that has faith in Jesus.
● 27. Where then is the glorying? It is

excluded. By what manner of law? Of

works? Nay: but by a law of faith.
● 28. We reckon therefore that a man is

justified by faith apart from the works of

the law.
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Romans 3:19-31 - Making sense of it all
● 29. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is
He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of
Gentiles also:
● 30. if so be that God is one, and He

shall justify the circumcision by faith,

and the uncircumcision through faith.
● 31. Do we then make the law of none

effect through faith? God forbid: nay,

we establish the law.

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Our need for justification
● What is justification, and why should we be
interested in it?
● In order for us to be justified, what do we

need? Mercy? Is that enough?

● Paul wrote that we have been “...justified

freely by His grace….” Let’s look further

into Romans 3:24.

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“…justified freely…”
● The thought begins in verse 22:
“There is no difference, for all have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God, and are
justified freely by His grace through the
redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
● So that’s the full thought, but let’s center in
on verse 24…

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“…justified freely…”
“…and are justified freely by His grace
through the redemption that came by
Christ Jesus.”
● Neatly sandwiched in between “justified”
and “by His grace” is the adverb “freely”.
● Such a simple word, yet a powerful modifier

in this case.
» The word literally means “gratuitously,” or
“without a cause”.

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Back to Ephesians 2
● Now that we have a better handle on mercy
and justice, let’s get back to Ephesians 2:4-
10 – especially verses 8-9:
» “For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is
the gift of God—not by works, so that no one
can boast.”
» Back to the word “grace” (charis) – it means
“gift.” So where do works come into the
picture?

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The religion of “optional obedience”
● Ever hear the term “cheap grace”? What
does it mean?
● Quite the opposite of the idea of “cheap

grace,” God’s true grace is anything but

cheap, and it teaches us to be obedient!

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Blessed Assurance
● How many times have you sung that without
really feeling it?
● The Word doesn’t require us to feel saved

in order to be saved…

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Blessed Assurance
● How many times have you sung that without
really feeling it?
● The Word doesn’t require us to feel saved

in order to be saved, but

» we can know we’re saved (1 John 5:13)
» “These things have I written unto you, that
you may know that you have eternal life,
even unto you that believe on the name of
the Son of God.”

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Blessed Assurance
● How many times have you sung that without
really feeling it?
● The Word doesn’t require us to feel saved in

order to be saved, but

» we can be confident in our salvation, even when we don’t
feel saved. (Hebrews 10:19-22)
» “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the
holy place by the blood of Jesus, by the way which He
dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the
veil, that is to say, His flesh; and having a great priest
over the house of God; let us draw near with a true
heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled
from an evil conscience: and having our body washed
with pure water….”
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Grace – a summary
● It’s God giving us something we don’t deserve –
eternal life.
● Mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve –
eternal damnation.
● God’s justice demands the penalty be paid for our
sin.
● We are obedient because of our love for God.
● We can feel confident of our salvation because it’s
based on Christ’s goodness, and not our own.

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