Grace
Grace is God's unmerited goodness toward sinners. It is the heartbeat of the gospel—that God gives us what we do not deserve: forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life. Grace is free to us, but cost Christ everything.
What Is Grace?
Grace is God's unmerited favor—we receive what we do not deserve.
8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not from yourselves—it is the gift of God,
τῇ γὰρ χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι ⸀διὰ πίστεως· καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον·
9not from works, so that no one may boast.
οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων, ἵνα μή τις καυχήσηται.
4But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for humanity appeared,
ὅτε δὲ ἡ χρηστότης καὶ ἡ φιλανθρωπία ἐπεφάνη τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν θεοῦ,
5he saved us—not because of righteous deeds we had done, but because of his own mercy—through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων τῶν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ ⸀ἃ ἐποιήσαμεν ἡμεῖς ἀλλὰ κατὰ ⸂τὸ αὐτοῦ ἔλεος⸃ ἔσωσεν ἡμᾶς διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας καὶ ἀνακαινώσεως πνεύματος ἁγίου,
6whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
οὗ ἐξέχεεν ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς πλουσίως διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν,
7so that, justified by his grace, we might become heirs in the hope of eternal life.
ἵνα δικαιωθέντες τῇ ἐκείνου χάριτι κληρονόμοι ⸀γενηθῶμεν κατʼ ἐλπίδα ζωῆς αἰωνίου.
6And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
εἰ δὲ χάριτι, οὐκέτι ἐξ ἔργων, ἐπεὶ ἡ χάρις οὐκέτι γίνεται ⸀χάρις.
The Source of Grace
All grace comes from God through Jesus Christ.
14And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth.
Καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας·
16For out of his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
⸀ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς πάντες ἐλάβομεν, καὶ χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος·
17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
ὅτι ὁ νόμος διὰ Μωϋσέως ἐδόθη, ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγένετο.
9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
γινώσκετε γὰρ τὴν χάριν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅτι διʼ ὑμᾶς ἐπτώχευσεν πλούσιος ὤν, ἵνα ὑμεῖς τῇ ἐκείνου πτωχείᾳ πλουτήσητε.
20The law came in so that the trespass would increase. But where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more,
νόμος δὲ παρεισῆλθεν ἵνα πλεονάσῃ τὸ παράπτωμα· οὗ δὲ ἐπλεόνασεν ἡ ἁμαρτία, ὑπερεπερίσσευσεν ἡ χάρις,
21so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
ἵνα ὥσπερ ἐβασίλευσεν ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ, οὕτως καὶ ἡ χάρις βασιλεύσῃ διὰ δικαιοσύνης εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν.
Grace for Sinners
God's grace reaches the worst sinners and transforms lives.
42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
καὶ ⸀ἔλεγεν· Ἰησοῦ, μνήσθητί ⸀μου ὅταν ἔλθῃς ⸂ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ⸃ σου.
43And Jesus said to him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."
καὶ εἶπεν ⸀αὐτῷ· Ἀμήν ⸂σοι λέγω⸃ σήμερον μετʼ ἐμοῦ ἔσῃ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ.
13me, who was once a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man. Yet I was shown mercy, because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.
⸀τὸ πρότερον ὄντα βλάσφημον καὶ διώκτην καὶ ὑβριστήν· ἀλλὰ ἠλεήθην, ὅτι ἀγνοῶν ἐποίησα ἐν ἀπιστίᾳ,
14And the grace of our Lord overflowed for me, together with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
ὑπερεπλεόνασεν δὲ ἡ χάρις τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν μετὰ πίστεως καὶ ἀγάπης τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ.
15This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—and I am the foremost of them.
πιστὸς ὁ λόγος καὶ πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιος, ὅτι Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς ἦλθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἁμαρτωλοὺς σῶσαι· ὧν πρῶτός εἰμι ἐγώ,
16But for this very reason I was shown mercy, so that in me, the foremost of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his perfect patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him and receive eternal life.
ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο ἠλεήθην, ἵνα ἐν ἐμοὶ πρώτῳ ἐνδείξηται ⸂Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς⸃ τὴν ⸀ἅπασαν μακροθυμίαν, πρὸς ὑποτύπωσιν τῶν μελλόντων πιστεύειν ἐπʼ αὐτῷ εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον.
8But God proves his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
συνίστησιν δὲ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀγάπην εἰς ἡμᾶς ὁ θεὸς ὅτι ἔτι ἁμαρτωλῶν ὄντων ἡμῶν Χριστὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀπέθανεν.
Grace for Everyday Life
God's grace is sufficient for every situation in life.
9But he said to me, "My grace is enough for you, for my power is brought to its fullness in weakness." So I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
καὶ εἴρηκέν μοι· Ἀρκεῖ σοι ἡ χάρις μου· ἡ γὰρ ⸀δύναμις ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ ⸀τελεῖται. ἥδιστα οὖν μᾶλλον καυχήσομαι ἐν ταῖς ἀσθενείαις ⸀μου, ἵνα ἐπισκηνώσῃ ἐπʼ ἐμὲ ἡ δύναμις τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
16So let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, to receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
προσερχώμεθα οὖν μετὰ παρρησίας τῷ θρόνῳ τῆς χάριτος, ἵνα λάβωμεν ἔλεος καὶ χάριν εὕρωμεν εἰς εὔκαιρον βοήθειαν.
10And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore you, support you, strengthen you, and establish you.
ὁ δὲ θεὸς πάσης χάριτος, ὁ καλέσας ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν αἰώνιον αὐτοῦ δόξαν ἐν ⸀Χριστῷ, ὀλίγον παθόντας αὐτὸς ⸀καταρτίσει, στηρίξει, σθενώσει, ⸀θεμελιώσει.
Living in Grace
Grace frees us to live for God—not out of duty, but out of love.
14For sin shall not be your master, since you are not under law but under grace.
ἁμαρτία γὰρ ὑμῶν οὐ κυριεύσει, οὐ γάρ ἐστε ὑπὸ νόμον ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ χάριν.
15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
Τί οὖν; ⸀ἁμαρτήσωμεν ὅτι οὐκ ἐσμὲν ὑπὸ νόμον ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ χάριν; μὴ γένοιτο·
11For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people.
Ἐπεφάνη γὰρ ἡ χάρις τοῦ ⸀θεοῦ σωτήριος πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις
12It trains us to renounce godlessness and worldly desires, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
παιδεύουσα ἡμᾶς, ἵνα ἀρνησάμενοι τὴν ἀσέβειαν καὶ τὰς κοσμικὰς ἐπιθυμίας σωφρόνως καὶ δικαίως καὶ εὐσεβῶς ζήσωμεν ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι,
14For the love of Christ compels us, since we are convinced that one died for all; therefore all died.
ἡ γὰρ ἀγάπη τοῦ Χριστοῦ συνέχει ἡμᾶς, κρίναντας τοῦτο ⸀ὅτι εἷς ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀπέθανεν· ἄρα οἱ πάντες ἀπέθανον·
15And he died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised.
καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀπέθανεν ἵνα οἱ ζῶντες μηκέτι ἑαυτοῖς ζῶσιν ἀλλὰ τῷ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀποθανόντι καὶ ἐγερθέντι.