Definition
Grace (ancient Greek χάρις, Hebrew חֵ֣ן) — in its main meaning, the divine power acting on a person for the purpose of his salvation.[1]
The power of God, the action of God (1 Cor. 15:10 — “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” — χάριτι δὲ θεοῦ εἰμι ὅ εἰμι, καὶ ἡ χάρις αὐτοῦ ἡ εἰς ἐμὲ οὐ κενὴ ἐγενήθη, ἀλλὰ περισσότερον αὐτῶν πάντων ἐκοπίασα, οὐκ ἐγὼ δὲ ἀλλὰ ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ [ἡ] σὺν ἐμοί);
Mercy, kindness, a gift, favor toward someone, love toward someone (Gen. 18:3 — “if I have now found favor in Your sight” — ἄρα εὗρον χάριν ἐναντίον σου), (Judg. 6:17 — “If now I have found favor in Your sight” — εἰ εὗρον χάριν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου), (1 Sam. 16:22 — “he has found favor in my sight” — εὗρεν χάριν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς μου), (1 Kin. 11:19 — “Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh” — καὶ εὗρεν Αδερ χάριν ἐναντίον Φαραω), (Act. 2:47 — “having favor with all the people” — ἔχοντες χάριν πρὸς ὅλον τὸν λαόν), (Act. 7:46 — “who found favor before God” — ὃς εὗρεν χάριν ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ), (1 Cor. 16:3 — “to bear your gift to Jerusalem” — ἀπενεγκεῖν τὴν χάριν ὑμῶν εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ);
Thanksgiving to God, being pleasing to God (2 Cor. 9:15 — “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” — χάρις τῷ θεῷ ἐπὶ τῇ ἀνεκδιηγήτῳ αὐτοῦ δωρεᾷ), (1 Pet. 2:19 — “For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief” — τοῦτο γὰρ χάρις εἰ διὰ συνείδησιν θεοῦ ὑποφέρει τις λύπας);
Beauty (Prov. 5:19 — “a graceful doe” — πῶλος σῶν χαρίτων), (Prov. 3:22 — “grace to your neck” — χάρις ᾖ περὶ σῷ τραχήλῳ);
Something precious (Prov. 17:8 — “a precious stone” — אֶֽבֶן ־ חֵן), (Eccl. 10:12 — “The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious” — λόγοι στόματος σοφοῦ χάρις), (Ps. 45:2 — “Grace is poured upon Your lips” — ἐξεχύθη χάρις ἐν χείλεσίν σου);
Honor, esteem, glory (Jdt. 8:23 — “our slavery will not bring us into favor” — κατευθυνθήσεται ἡ δουλεία ἡμῶν εἰς χάριν)
The Calling Action of Grace
“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel” (Gal. 1:6)
“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace” (Gal. 1:15)
Grace as a Divine Gift
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you” (1 Cor. 16:23)
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 1:2)
“But you shall receive power (δύναμιν) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me…” (Act. 1:8)
“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry” (1 Tim. 1:12)
“of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power” (Eph. 3:7)
“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (Eph. 4:7)
“and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you” (2 Cor. 9:14)
“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Cor. 9:8)
“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, ‘My grace (χάρις) is sufficient for you, for My strength (δύναμις) is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power (δύναμις) of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Cor. 12:7-9)
“We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain” (2 Cor. 6:1)
“But by the grace (χάριτι) of God I am what I am, and His grace (χάρις) toward me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace (χάρις) of God which was with me” (1 Cor. 15:10)
“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Act. 2:38)
“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” (2 Cor. 1:21-22)
“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Rom. 8:9)
“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16)
“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father’” (Rom. 8:15)
“And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’” (Gal. 4:6)
“But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him” (1 John. 2:27)
“We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain” (2 Cor. 6:1)
“For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people’” (2 Cor. 6:16)
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him’” (John. 14:23)
“For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them” (Heb. 13:9)
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Heb. 12:28)
“Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.’ <...> And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them” (Mark. 10:13-14,16)
“And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven” (Luke. 24:50-51)
The Action of Grace Through People
“Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God. For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient — in mighty (δυνάμει) signs and wonders, by the power (δυνάμει) of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ” (Rom. 15:17-19)
“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Tim. 1:6)
They received grace in order to bring the nations to obedience:
“Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name” (Rom. 1:5)
“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers” (Eph. 4:29)
“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Col. 4:6)
Grace Is Given to the Humble
“Surely He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble” (Prov. 3:34)
“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’” (James. 4:6)
“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’” (1 Pet. 5:5)
The Need to Stir Up Grace
“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Tim. 1:6)