Word
Grace
God's undeserved favour, given freely in Christ
What the text teaches
Grace is favour that is not earned. Ephesians 2:8 says is by grace through faith, and that it is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one may boast.
Scripture also uses grace for God's ongoing help. 2 Corinthians 12:9 records the answer to unanswered prayer: my grace is sufficient for you.
First in Scripture
Genesis 6:8. Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD, before any obedience of his is recorded. The word appears before the flood narrative gives any reason for it, which sets the pattern for how grace works all through Scripture.
Verses to carry with you
- Ephesians 2:8-9. States plainly that salvation is by grace, through faith, and not of works, so that no one can boast.
- Exodus 34:6. God's own description of himself as merciful and gracious is the root every later use of the word grows from.
- Titus 2:11-12. Ties grace to a changed life rather than to indifference about sin, holding the gift and the ethic together.
- 2 Corinthians 12:9. Shows grace as ongoing sufficiency in weakness, not only the initial gift of salvation.
- Romans 5:20. Where sin increased, grace increased far more, which is Paul's answer to anyone who thinks sin has the upper hand.
The original language
χάρις
The same root gives the words for gift and for thanksgiving, which shows how the parts belong together.
חֵן
Genesis 6:8 says Noah found chen in the eyes of the LORD, before anything is said about his conduct.
Historical and cultural background
In the Greek world charis often described a benefactor's gift that placed the receiver under obligation. The New Testament keeps the generosity and removes the debt, which is part of what made the message strange to first hearers. History
Where this comes from
Through the whole Bible
Noah finds favour, and God calls Abram before any obedience is recorded.
God proclaims himself merciful and gracious, slow to anger.
John 1:16 speaks of grace upon grace received from Christ's fullness.
Paul sets grace against works as the ground of acceptance, and against sin as no licence.
Where this appears across the Bible
Audela traces grace through 8 chapters in 7 books, from Genesis to Titus.
Old Testament
Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD, before any obedience of his is recorded. The word appears before the flood narrative gives any reason for it, which sets the pattern for how grace works all through Scripture.
God's own description of himself as merciful and gracious is the root every later use of the word grows from.
New Testament
John 1:16 speaks of grace upon grace received from Christ's fullness.
Where sin increased, grace increased far more, which is Paul's answer to anyone who thinks sin has the upper hand.
Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid.
Shows grace as ongoing sufficiency in weakness, not only the initial gift of salvation.
States plainly that salvation is by grace, through faith, and not of works, so that no one can boast.
Ties grace to a changed life rather than to indifference about sin, holding the gift and the ethic together.
Cross references
- Genesis 6:8. Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
- Exodus 34:6. The LORD, merciful and gracious, abundant in goodness and truth.
- John 1:16. Of his fullness we have all received, grace for grace.
- Ephesians 2:8. By grace you have been saved through faith.
- Romans 6:1. Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid.
- 2 Corinthians 12:9. My grace is sufficient for you.
How it points to Christ
John 1:17 says grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, and Titus 2:11 calls his appearing the grace of God bringing .
Teaching on the subject
Grace begins in the Old Testament as favour shown to someone who has done nothing to deserve it. Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD in Genesis 6:8, and the sentence comes before the text tells us anything about his . That order matters. Grace is not a reward that follows good behaviour, it is a gift that precedes it, and the rest of the Bible keeps that order even when it adds more to say about grace.
Exodus 34:6 gives grace its fullest Old Testament description, when God proclaims his own name to Moses after Israel's failure with the golden calf. He calls himself merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abundant in goodness and truth. This is not a general statement about a kind deity. It is spoken directly after Israel's worst failure so far, which is why the New Testament writers keep returning to this verse whenever they want to explain God's character toward sinners.
In the New Testament, grace becomes the specific word for how reaches sinners in Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9 could not be plainer: by grace you have been through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Paul is careful to remove every possible ground for human credit. Faith is the means of receiving grace, not a contribution alongside it, and even faith itself is described as gift rather than achievement.
Grace also continues after begins. Paul asked God three times to remove a painful weakness, and the answer was not removal but sufficiency: my grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Titus 2:11-12 ties the same grace to a changed life, since the grace of God that brings also teaches us to deny ungodliness. Grace is never presented in Scripture as licence. It is presented as the very power that produces a life pleasing to God, which is why Paul can answer his own question in Romans 6:1, shall we continue in sin that grace may abound, with an immediate God forbid.
Often misunderstood
Scripture ties grace directly to , not to God simply looking away. Romans 3:24-25 says believers are freely by his grace through the that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation. The cost was paid, it was simply not paid by us.
Grace runs through the Old Testament from Genesis 6:8 onward, and Exodus 34:6 has God describe himself as gracious centuries before Christ. The New Testament reveals how grace reaches its fullest expression in Christ, but it does not introduce a different God.
Paul faces this exact question in Romans 6:1-2 and answers it as strongly as he answers anything in his letters: shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. Titus 2:11-12 says the same grace that saves also trains a person toward godliness.
Living this today
If grace truly precedes anything you do, as it did for Noah, then your standing with God does not rest on how today has gone. That is a hard truth to actually , because most of us instinctively measure God's favour by our recent performance. Ephesians 2:8-9 removes that measuring stick altogether. Your acceptance is a gift you received, not a balance you maintain, and that is meant to be a daily relief rather than a truth you file away after conversion.
At the same time, grace is not meant to leave you where it found you. The same grace Paul calls sufficient in weakness is the grace Titus describes as teaching us to deny ungodliness. If you find yourself using grace as an excuse to stop caring about sin, you have misunderstood the gift. The right response to grace is neither anxious effort to earn what you already have, nor indifference because you already have it, but a life shaped by gratitude for a debt you did not pay and could not have paid yourself.
Related people, places, events and themes
Related chapters
Ephesians 2, Romans 5, Titus 2
Study this further in Audela
Sources and evidence
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What this reveals about God
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What does this word in Scripture teach about God?
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What does this word in Scripture reveal about God's character?
Look for the words the text itself uses of Him: holy, merciful, faithful, jealous, patient. Take the text's own vocabulary rather than your own.
What this reveals about us
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What does this word in Scripture teach about humanity?
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Where this arrives in Christ
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What does this word in Scripture reveal about Jesus Christ?
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What does this word in Scripture reveal about salvation?
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The world behind the words
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How would the original audience have understood this word in Scripture?
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What historical or cultural background helps explain this word in Scripture?
Look at the work, the worship, the law and the customs the text assumes you already understand.
What do these words carry in the original: χάρις, חֵן?
Take the word to its root, its first appearance, and its range of use. Then let the context choose the meaning.
How this connects to the rest of Scripture
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What this asks of you
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What does this word in Scripture teach believers to do today?
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Questions Audela will not answer
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The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever.
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How this connects across Audela
Scripture teaches one story, so Audela is one library. These are the pages standing on the same passages, themes, doctrines and people as this one.
Same passage
- FaithBoth pages teach Ephesians 2:8, so they stand on the same text.
- JustificationBoth pages teach Romans 5, so they stand on the same text.
- SalvationBoth pages teach Ephesians 2:8-9, so they stand on the same text.
- Does God hear my prayers?Both pages teach 2 Corinthians 12:9, so they stand on the same text.
Same chapter
- Genesis 22: The Mountain Where God Revealed the GospelBoth stand in John 1, at different points in the chapter.
- Philippians 4: Contentment Learned in ChainsBoth stand in 2 Corinthians 12, at different points in the chapter.
- Covenant faithfulnessBoth stand in Exodus 34, at different points in the chapter.
- Does John 15:7 promise that God will give me whatever I ask?Both stand in 2 Corinthians 12, at different points in the chapter.
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