THE IMPORTANCE OF

GRACE

Part 1

So the importance of Acts chapter 2:38

We need to understandPeter’s response to this

question WHAT MUST WE DO?

Because if what hesaid for them to dosaved people from

their sins then! The same response by us will save us

today!

WHAT MUST WE DO Acts

2:38;

The answer to THISQUESTION is IMPORTANTbecause it is HERE at the

very beginning of the new family of God

INSTEAD of findingUNITY among God’s

people we findDISAGREEMENT!PEOPLE CANNOT AGREE on HOW to

be SAVED

Instead of reading and listening to the WORD

OF GOD.Men look to traditions

of men and the teaching of men and

ignore the message of Peter at Pentecost

SAVED BY GRACE ALONE

Many people todaypreach and teach this.

Salvation is ALL of God and there is NOTHING

man can do to gain HIS salvation

SAVED BY GRACE

ALONEThe problem arises with a miss understanding of

GRACE.So let us examine what

GRACE is and is not.

The GRACE of God is one of the most vital and fundamental and

challenging themes for discussion.

Without it man would be doomed to eternal

hell forever.

But the bible speaks plainly

that our God is a gracious God and a God of amazing Grace

Exodus 22:27; 34:6; Numbers 6:24-26;

Psalm 86:15; 103:8; 111:4; 112:4; 116:5; 145:8;

Isaiah 33:2; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2; 1 Corinthians 1:3-4; Colossians 1:6; 2 Thessalonians

1:12; 1Peters 2:3-5,10;

The actual virtue of Grace is ascribed to every one

of the Godhead1) God Titus 2:11; 2) Christ 2 Corinthians

13:14; 3) Holy Spirit Hebrews

10:29;

Most of us feel that we

may understand the subject of Grace. Yet,

when we have to explain what it is, we

might have some difficulty explaining

Grace.

GRACE: ITS MEANING IN THE

SCRIPTURESOne problem of misunderstanding the doctrine of Grace is assuming that the word "Grace” possesses

only one meaning. Often, we will learn one definition for a word, then we will assume

that this definition applies wherever that word appears.

This often leads to religious error

The word for Grace in the Greek is CHARIS.

Thayer, and other Lexicographers usually will present six primary meanings for the word

"charis"

The word “grace”

The only Greek word translated “grace” in the New Testament is (charis).favour (6) e.g. Luke 1:30

thanks (5) e.g. 2 Corinthians 9:15credit (3) e.g. Luke 6:32

commendable (2) e.g.1 Peter 2:20Gift (2) e.g. Romans 4:4

Translated by 14 other words once, including benefit, blessing, and gracious gift.

So The word “grace”! It’s helpful to notice

how the word is translated in addition to “grace”, because it

helps us understand the word.

Depending upon the

context, we can learn the meaning the writer had in mind for the word charis.

A brief examination of SOME of these different meanings will be helpful

in our understanding the doctrine of "Grace."

Proper Meaning

All words have a proper meaning, or what we know as the common meaning.

This is the way that the word was commonly understood during its time of usage.

Thayer says that this is "that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm,

loveliness” (Thayer, p. 665).

A good example of the

proper meaning comes from a comment made about the way Jesus spoke. "And all

bare Him witness, and wondered at the gracious

words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said,

Is not this Joseph's son?“ (Luke 4:22).

Jesus' words had a sweet, refreshing quality about

them.

This was unusual for someone who was just a

carpenter's son. People delighted in the way Jesus spoke, and the words

that He used.