Today we begin a series on God’s amazing grace. We begin… of course with the introduction. So today allow me the honor and great joy to introduce to you the incomprehensible, the absolute unmatchable, the seemingly almost unattainable, yet the freely given and available… amazing grace of our God.
The very first time we discover the use of the word grace in the Word of God is in Genesis. Why, yes, in Genesis… the book of beginnings. Grace was indeed in the beginning… Let us go to Genesis 6:8
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. (NASB)
Here in Genesis 6:8 we see that Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. The word favor in Hebrew is chen -it means favor, grace, kindness, beauty, precious. It comes from the word chanan –which means to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior, to have mercy on or to have pity on. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord and it would be this grace that would bring him the offer of salvation from the coming judgment upon the face of the earth.
The last time the word grace is used in the Old Testament is in the book of Zechariah. Let us go to Zechariah 4:6-7
Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” (NASB)
and let us go to Zechariah 12:10
I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. (NASB)
From Genesis to Zechariah we see that grace is equated with salvation and our beautiful Savior. Grace and salvation and Jesus… they just all go together.
In 1 Peter 1:10-12 we read of how God’s grace was prophesied through the prophets. We see how His amazing grace is longed to be looked into even by the angels!
As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look. (NASB)
The first time that the word grace is used in the New Testament is in Luke 2:40 and once again it is in a verse that is teaching of our Savior.
The Child continued to grow and become strong,
increasing in wisdom;
and the grace of God was upon Him.
In the Greek, the word grace is charis –which means gratifying, of manner or act, the divine influence upon the heart and it’s reflection in the life.
The next mention of the word grace is in John 1:14-17.
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’” For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
In this passage of Scripture we read of how grace and truth were realized in Jesus.
The KJV of this verse (John 1:17) reads “grace and truth came” by Jesus. The word came in this verse is ginomai –and means to cause to be generate, to be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, grow, be kept, be married, be ordained to be, partake, be performed.
What we see from this is beautiful!
The Law is indeed truth, but it came with no grace. Yet in Christ grace and truth are married, they are one. Grace and truth are finished in Christ, they are performed in Christ. They are brought to life in our lives in, through, and by Christ.
The very last mention of the word grace in the Word of God is in the book of Revelation. The very last verse recorded from the breathe of God… Revelation 22:21
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
How great is our God and how abundant is His grace!
So… now… what does all this mean… how should grace look in us? We will begin to look at this tomorrow.
However today, think on the beautiful thread of grace that flows from Genesis to Revelation. Meditate on the truth that grace that flowed like a fountain upon Noah before the fountains of the deep broke forth in judgment. Meditate on the truth that grace was prophesied and offered to the disobedient and rebellious Israel while she was in the midst of her consequences. Meditate on the truth that grace is still available and being offered today… to you… may it fall like rain.