Walking in Grace & Mercy Out of Stuff, Struggles, & SinSampel

Definitions...

Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. 2 John 1:3

Let’s briefly define our key study words:

• Grace is receiving something that we don’t deserve
• Mercy is not getting what we do deserve.

However, these hand-in-hand sisters are so much more. Let’s begin with grace…

The Old Testament Hebrew word translated as grace in our Bible is chen, meaning favor, graciousness, kindness, beauty, pleasantness, charm, loveliness, elegance, and affectionate regard. The root word chanan means to act graciously, compassionately, or mercifully toward someone.

As we look to the New Testament Greek word charis used for grace, we find its root stemming from the Greek words chara, meaning joy; and chairo to rejoice. Charis produces rejoicing because of the pleasure and delight it brings to its recipients. New Testament grace is kindness received or desired, a benefit, favor or a gift, acceptance, approval, generosity, open-heartedness, and magnanimity.

Which of these definitions of grace expands your heart, warms your soul, or soothes your thoughts? Which of these definitions do you need in your life at this moment? They are yours and found in Jesus!

Grace is the word given by the New Testament writers to describe God’s favor, acceptance, and His free, no-strings-attached gifts and blessings. His grace is the extension of His agape, unconditional love toward humanity that Christ’s work on the cross ultimately expressed – that beyond extraordinary and stunning evidence of His divine and boundless benevolence.

Grace is God’s holy influence upon our lives – first drawing our hearts to Christ (Eph. 2:8). It then effectively continues as He delivers us from bondage, keeping and strengthening us in our faith, and providing the Holy Spirit’s gifts necessary for us to wage war against the prince of this world – the devil (1 Cor. 12:4-10). It is also what the Apostle Paul describes as the source for fulfilling the call upon our lives whereby we minister Jesus to others by His grace working in and through us (1 Cor. 15:10).

As we ponder grace, it takes our breath away! Grace is not a little wading pool that is small, stingy, or selfish; it is a limitless ocean relentlessly washing wave after wave of His divine favor, kindness, and acceptance over our lives. And Jesus’ grace comes to our rescue smack dab in the middle of the very habits and behaviors we are ashamed of even acknowledging.

Was there a particular definition of grace that spoke to your heart? Explain.