Topical Bible: Grace: Christ Spoke With

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In the New Testament, the concept of grace is intricately woven into the teachings and actions of Jesus Christ. Grace, understood as the unmerited favor of God, is a central theme in the message of salvation and the Kingdom of God that Jesus proclaimed. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus exemplifies and speaks of grace in various contexts, offering insights into its transformative power and divine origin.

1. Grace in the Teachings of Jesus

Jesus often spoke of grace in parables and teachings that highlighted God's generosity and mercy. One of the most profound illustrations is found in the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). In this parable, Jesus describes a father who graciously welcomes back his repentant son, symbolizing God's readiness to forgive and restore those who turn back to Him. The father's actions reflect the essence of grace—undeserved and freely given.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus emphasizes the nature of God's grace by encouraging His followers to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them, stating, "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45). Here, Jesus underscores the impartial and abundant nature of divine grace.

2. Grace in the Actions of Jesus

The ministry of Jesus is replete with acts of grace, as He reached out to the marginalized, healed the sick, and forgave sins. One notable instance is His interaction with the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). When the Pharisees brought the woman to Jesus, seeking to trap Him, He responded with grace, saying, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her" (John 8:7). After her accusers left, Jesus told the woman, "Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more" (John 8:11). This encounter highlights Jesus' grace in offering forgiveness and a new beginning.

Another significant example is Jesus' healing of the ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19). Although only one returned to thank Him, Jesus extended grace to all ten, demonstrating that His compassion and healing were not contingent upon gratitude or merit.

3. Grace and Salvation

Central to Jesus' message is the grace of God in salvation. In His conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus explains the necessity of being "born again" to see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3). He further reveals the depth of God's grace in the well-known verse, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). This declaration encapsulates the essence of grace—God's initiative in offering salvation through faith in Christ.

Moreover, Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross is the ultimate demonstration of grace. As Paul later writes, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). Jesus' atoning work provides the means by which humanity can be reconciled to God, underscoring the unearned and generous nature of divine grace.

4. Grace in the Kingdom of God

Jesus' parables often depict the Kingdom of God as a realm characterized by grace. In the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16), Jesus illustrates the generosity of God's grace, as the landowner pays all workers the same wage, regardless of the hours they worked. This parable challenges human notions of fairness and highlights the boundless and sovereign nature of God's grace.

In summary, the teachings and actions of Jesus Christ reveal a profound understanding of grace as a divine gift that transcends human merit. Through His words and deeds, Jesus not only spoke of grace but embodied it, offering a glimpse into the heart of God and His desire for all to experience His unmerited favor.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 45:2
You are fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into your lips: therefore God has blessed you for ever.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Luke 4:22
And all bore him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Method of Grace
... your hearts, must confess that God never yet spoke peace to ... fly, fly for your lives
to Jesus Christ, fly to a bleeding God, fly to a throne of grace; and beg ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/the method of grace.htm

Whitefield -- the Method of Grace
... and yet you may be strangers to Jesus Christ, you may have no true work of grace
upon your ... Did you ever feel that peace that Christ spoke to His disciples? ...
/.../kleiser/the worlds great sermons volume 3/whitefield the method of.htm

The Sacrament of Holy Baptism
... Our Lord Christ spoke one of them in the last chapter of Mark (Mark 16:16): "Whoever ...
But with God's Word it is a Baptism, a grace-filled water of life, a bath ...
/.../luther/the small catechism of martin luther/iv the sacrament of holy.htm

"Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ. " These Words Belong ...
... may be said that John's earlier testimony to Christ is to ... His fulness we all received,
and grace for grace," are in ... words, "This is He of whom I spoke, He that ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/3 grace and truth came.htm

The First Epistle to the Corinthians the Pauline Salutation of ...
... What grace, therefore, can be had of a god who has ... incur perdition, to whom the cross
of Christ is accounted ... "The circus shouted," "The forum spoke," and "The ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter v the first epistle to.htm

Law and Grace.
... This touched the Friend's heart. He stepped up, spoke kindly, and shook hands with
the forlorn being. ... Grace tells of what Christ has done for man. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/sovereign grace/chapter v law and grace.htm

A Word to Workers
... It was Thine own grace that led me to Christ; and I stand before Thee in ... who spoke
with Him were filled with this heavenly Spirit; and thus Christ spoke in them ...
/.../murray/the deeper christian life/vii a word to workers.htm

Since those Marvellous Works which from the Days of Moses were ...
... to make this clear and patent to everybody he spoke as follows ... too we read: "Neither
let us tempt Christ, as some of ... that we shall be saved by the grace of our ...
/.../cassian/the seven books of john cassian /chapter ix since those marvellous.htm

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners Or, a Brief Relation of ...
... intimate companion all this while, and that was the poor man I spoke of before ... '2.
That every man in the world had the spirit of Christ, grace, faith, etc. ...
/.../bunyan/grace abounding to the chief of sinners/grace abounding to the chief.htm

Christ and his Cross the Centre of the Universe
... these truths, as long as you believe that God spoke through prophets ... Now, if we put
these designations together"salvation, grace, Christ's sufferings, the ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/christ and his cross the.htm