We had small group the other night, with our discussion centered on a chapter we all read from Philip Yancey's book, "What's so Amazing About Grace?" Most of the people in our group have been believers in Christ for a lot of our lives, so 'grace' is a word we've heard A LOT of, as it is in many verses of the Bible both explicitly and implicitly. In the book, there was a quote from some author/theologian of note, that said something to the effect that you can find any number of organizations out there doing amazing work to help people in various kinds of need, but only the Church can provide 'grace.'
This sparked some interesting discussion- some began to play devil's advocate: Is that really true? As we talked, it became apparent that it was crucial to get down to what we mean by 'grace.' If it is simply doing something or giving something to another who doesn't deserve it, then you can go back to the fact that many non-religious affiliated groups worldwide are giving a lot of much-needed grace in the world. So what sets the grace we speak of in Church, and other Christian circles apart from this apparently 'other kind' of grace?
I do believe there is a difference. Since I hold to a Christian worldview, I believe that people, who bear the image of God (check out Genesis 1), that we all in some degree (some more than others) exude qualities that He possesses in perfection. Since grace is one of those qualities, it is possible to meet people who are incredibly gracious and kind-hearted, yet may not consider themselves a believer in Christ. So when you hear a Christian talking about grace, they're probably thinking of grace in the way that Paul talks about it in Ephesians 2:8-9. In this section of the Bible, Paul is writing about how by Grace, anyone who believes in the salvific action of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, are promised an eternal life in heaven after their life on earth is passed.
So you could think of grace, which is exhibited by many people all over the world, as something that hints at God, but not always directly. Grace, on the other hand has to do exactly with God, and carries the power not only to provide a blessing for the moment, but also extends fulfillment that lasts beyond a lifetime.
This sparked some interesting discussion- some began to play devil's advocate: Is that really true? As we talked, it became apparent that it was crucial to get down to what we mean by 'grace.' If it is simply doing something or giving something to another who doesn't deserve it, then you can go back to the fact that many non-religious affiliated groups worldwide are giving a lot of much-needed grace in the world. So what sets the grace we speak of in Church, and other Christian circles apart from this apparently 'other kind' of grace?
I do believe there is a difference. Since I hold to a Christian worldview, I believe that people, who bear the image of God (check out Genesis 1), that we all in some degree (some more than others) exude qualities that He possesses in perfection. Since grace is one of those qualities, it is possible to meet people who are incredibly gracious and kind-hearted, yet may not consider themselves a believer in Christ. So when you hear a Christian talking about grace, they're probably thinking of grace in the way that Paul talks about it in Ephesians 2:8-9. In this section of the Bible, Paul is writing about how by Grace, anyone who believes in the salvific action of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, are promised an eternal life in heaven after their life on earth is passed.
So you could think of grace, which is exhibited by many people all over the world, as something that hints at God, but not always directly. Grace, on the other hand has to do exactly with God, and carries the power not only to provide a blessing for the moment, but also extends fulfillment that lasts beyond a lifetime.
