God’s Part GRACE:
Favor
Blessing
Acceptance
Approval
Pleasure
Delight
Good Will
Affection
Benefit
Man’s Part Grace is REALIZED:
Understood
Comprehended
Grasped
Conscience of
Appreciated
Recognized
Apprehended
Received
Attained
What is Grace?
John 1:17 – “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were REALIZED through Jesus Christ.”
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Most translations of John 1:17 say grace and truth “CAME” by (or through) Jesus Christ as if Grace or Truth didn’t exist before Jesus. It is not that Grace didn’t exist in the Old Testament; it is that we couldn’t receive God’s Grace.
God has always had Grace toward humanity; he was never angry with us; the problem was with us.
Why is Grace important?
Grace means Favor or Approval.
The gospel is not an invitation to accept Jesus into our hearts; it’s a proclamation that God has accepted us & His APPROVAL in on us.
Adam’s sin (error) broke the relationship (separation) between God and us.
The sacrifice of Jesus demonstrated God’s love and goodwill for us and corrected the break (sin) in our relationship with God.
The act of dying on the cross by Jesus has forgiven (healed) every human being: past, present, and future. This unconditional forgiveness (GRACE) means there is no longer a break in the relationship between God and us. Everyone is forgiven (healed from sin), but not everyone has “realized” it or is experiencing it.
The Grace that God gives means that his Favor, Acceptance, and Blessing are no longer at a distance.
He shows Approval, Pleasure, and Delight in all of his children.
He has nothing but Good Will, Affection, and Benefit for all of us.
What is the LAW?
“For the LAW was given through Moses;”
John 1:17 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
It is impossible to have a full REALIZATION of God’s GRACE without also having an understanding of the LAW.
The beginning of John 1:17 says “For the Law was given through Moses;” and then it goes on to say; “grace and truth were REALIZED through Jesus Christ.” The two things are linked. If you want to fully experience God’s redemptive love and forgiveness which we call GRACE, you must come to know the opposing paradigm of the LAW.
It is the LAW that causes us to come to know how our relationship with God was corrupted and broken. It is comprehending the LAW that makes us come to realize God’s Goodness and the Grace he has given us in Jesus Christ.
OUR VALUES
God is Good… All the Time!
God’s Love for Humanity is expressed through Jesus.
God is not angry with you for your sins. In fact he never was.