Grace

The English word, 'grace,' carries a very broad spectrum of possible meaning, ranging from 'favour,' 'kindness,' 'largesse,' 'pleasing behaviour,' etc. While not absent from the Bible, the word is used theologically, especially in the NT, in a very specific sense, and is the crown-jewel in its story of salvation. Indeed, no religion makes 'grace' as centrally crucial to its understanding of the relationship between humans and deity as the Christian faith does in defining where Christians stand with relation to God. It is a landmark tenet of the Christian faith, and is especially central to Paul's understanding of salvation. The meaning of grace, as stated by J. I. Packer, is simple enough: "The grace of God is love freely shown towards guilty sinners contrary to their merit and indeed in defiance of their demerit. It is God showing goodness to persons who deserve only severity, and had no reason to expect anything but severity" (Knowing God (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1973), 146.).

A cynic might be tempted in response to say that grace is "free lunch." Biblical grace, however, is no free lunch. For embedded in Packer's lucid explanation are a number other NT affirmations. It assumes, as part of its story of salvation, that 1) the recipient of grace—we, humans—was deep in need (whether conscious of it or not), a need that we were powerless to provide for ourselves, that 2) God was under no obligation to help us, but 3) He, nonetheless, does provide any aid, and 4) when He does, He does so out of His own free-will and mercy. Indeed, the NT affirms that, at the time that God provided for our salvation through the death of His Son, we were His enemies (Rom 5:10). Furthermore, it is the clear teaching of the NT that this grace of God provided in Jesus is made effective and real by the enabling of the Holy Spirit.

So central is 'grace' to Paul understanding of the Christian life and calling, he customarily includes it, paired with 'peace,' in the greetings that open his letters to the churches. Click here read about its significance.

Systematic theologians, while assuming this fundamental understanding of grace, also add a number of adjectives as shorthands for describing different aspects of the work of the Holy Spirit as He works in the life of the believer. Roman Catholic theologians, e.g., speak of actual grace to describe any supernatural help given by God to avoid sin and to do good work, and habitual or sanctifying grace to describe the divine power that enables humans to do live righteously. Protestant Christians use the term habitual grace to refer to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of believers. Prevenient grace is used by Protestants to mean the gracious work of God that prepares the sinner to believe, while Roman Catholics use it to refer to God's work in the heart of an infant being baptized. Roman Catholics also speak of sufficient grace to mean God's offer of help made to all believers; and when it is appropriated, it becomes efficacious grace. Calvinist theologians often speak of irresistible grace to mean the sovereign work of God in the regeneration and conversion of believers. The term is borrowed from Augustine of Hippo and, as explained by Louis Berkhof, by this "he does not mean to intimate that divine grace forces the will, contrary to the nature of man as a free agent, but rather that it so changes the will that man voluntarily chooses that which is good. The will of man is renewed and thus restored to its true freedom. God can and does so operate on the will that man of his own free choice turns to virtue and holiness. In this way the grace of God becomes the source of all good in man" (History of Christian Doctrine).

Cheap grace was a term coined by the German theologian and martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer to describe the embrace of the blessings of salvation without living out a life consonant with the demands of radical discipleship and holiness. Cheap grace finds its modern counterpart in what is today popularly called hypergrace.

Media Resources:

David Pawson. Davidpawson.com.
Pawson is one of the most renowned British expositors of the Bible. Here is a treasure trove of expositions on grace. video lecures N (Open on Phone)

Foundations of Grace: Old Testament. Dr Steven Lawson. Ligonier Ministries. This is a series of 14 lectures.
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Foundations of Grace: New Testament. Dr Steven Lawson. Ligonier Ministries. This is a series of 24 lectures.
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The Doctrines of Grace, by Sinclair Ferguson. The Holiness of God: 2009 National Conference. Ligonier Ministries. video lecures N (Open on Phone)

Further Reading & Print Resources:

Anonymous, "An Annotated Bibliography," Reformation & Revival 3:1 (Winter 1994): 127-133. Pdf N (Open on Phone)

T. F. Torrance, "The Doctrine of Grace in the Old Testament," Scottish Journal of Theology 1/1 (1948):55-65.
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John H. Armstrong, "Common Grace: A Not So Common Matter," Reformation & Revival 3:1 (Winter 1994): 101-125.
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Duane W.H. Arnold & George Fry, " Augustine: A Pilgrimage of Grace," Ashland Theological Journal 20 (Winter 1989): 19-28.
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William Arp, "All Grace and Grace Alone," Reformation & Revival 6.4 (Fall 1997): 27-47. Pdf N 5-6 (Open on Phone)

David W. Baker, "Aspects of Grace in the Pentateuch," Ashland Theological Journal 29 (1997): 7-22.
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Louis Berkhof, History of Christian Doctrine. Abstract on Augustine's theology of sin and grace. html

W. Campbell-Jack, "Common Grace and Eschatology," Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology 7.2 (Autumn 1989): 100-115. Pdf N 5-6 (Open on Phone)

Robbie Castleman, "The Last Word: My Father and Common Grace ," Themelios 29.3 (Summer 2004): 43-44.
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Robbie Castleman, "The Last Word: The Skim-milk Gospel of Cheap Grace," Themelios30.1 (Autumn 2004): 52-53. Pdf N 4-5 (Open on Phone)

Robbie Castleman, "The Last Word: Surprise, the Essential Nature of Grace," Themelios 31.3 (April 2006): 76-78.
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Robbie Castleman, "The Last Word: Gender, Grace and a Greek Conjunction," Themelios 32.1 (October 2006): 57-59.
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Bryan Chapell, "'Intolerant' Grace: Titus 2:11-15," Reformation & Revival 7.3 (Summer 1998): 67-93.
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William W. Combs, "Does the Bible Teach Prevenient Grace?" Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal 10 (Fall 2005): 3-18. Pdf N 6-7 (Open on Phone)

Leo G. Cox, "Prevenient Grace—A Wesleyan View," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 12.3 (1969): 143-149.
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David A. deSilva, "Patronage and Reciprocity: The Context of Grace in the New Testament," Ashland Theological Journal 31 (1999): 32-84.
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Robert Doyle, "The Death of Christ and the Doctrine of Grace in John Wycliffe," Churchman 99.4 (1985): 317-335.
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Stephen P. Dray, "Ruth 2:1-23 Grace for today," Evangel 14:1 (1996): 3-4.
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Stephen P. Dray, "Ruth 3:1-4:22 Living in Grace," Evangel 14:2 (1996): 35-37.
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Richard Gibb, "The Implications of the Covenant of Grace for the Church's Identity and Mission," Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology 26.1 (Spring 2008): 68-86.
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Tim Grass, "By Grace Alone: 'Who Makes the First Move in Salvation?'," Evangel 25.1 (Spring 2007): 3-4.
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J. R. Harrison, "Paul, Eschatology and the Augustan Age of Grace," Tyndale Bulletin 50.1 (1999): 79-91.
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Thomas Harvey, "Baptism as a Means of Grace: A Response to John Stott's 'The Evangelical Doctrine of Baptism'," Churchman 113.2 (Summer 1999): 103-112. Pdf N 5-6 (Open on Phone)

I. John Hesselink, "Sovereign Grace and Human Freedom," Reformation & Revival 12.2 (Spring 2003): 11-24.
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W.J. Torrance Kirby, "The Paradigm of Chalcedonian Christology in Richard Hooker's Discourse on Grace and the Church," Churchman 114.1 (Spring 2000): 22-40.
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Gary D. Long, "The Grace of God and Departures From It," Reformation & Revival 3:1 (Winter 1994): 79-99.
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Richard C. Lucas, "The Grace of God," Reformation & Revival 3:1 (Winter 1994): 15-31.
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Andrew T.B. McGowan, "Federal Theology as a Theology of Grace," Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology 2 (1984): 41-50.
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Chuck McGowen, "God's Grace, Pneumatics and the Infilling of the Holy Spirit," Reformation & Revival 15.2 (2006): 15-23.
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John Murray, The Covenant of Grace. London: The Tyndale Press, 1954. Pbk. pp.32. Pdf N 7 (Open on Phone)

Robert Oliver, "'Grace Abounding' Imputed Righteousness in the Life and Work of John Bunyan," Churchman 107.1 (Spring 1993): 70-80.
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A. Peter Parkinson, "Ministering the Grace of God in Pastoral Care," Reformation & Revival 3:1 (Winter 1994): 61-78.
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Robert V. Rakeshaw, "John Wesley as a Theologian of Grace," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 27.2 (June 1984): 193-203.
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P. Andrew Sandlin, "The Grace of Law and the Obligation of Gospel," Reformation & Revival 14.1 (2005): 29-56.
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Owen J. Thomas, "Irrisistible Grace," Vox Evangelica 4 (1965): 55-64.
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Kevin J. Vanhoozer, "Effectual Call or Causal Effect? Summons, Sovereignty and Supervenient Grace," Tyndale Bulletin 49.2 (1998): 213-252.
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Mark Webb, "What Difference Does It Make?" Reformation & Revival 3:1 (Winter 1994): 45-60.
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Tom Wells, "Misunderstandings of Grace," Reformation & Revival 3:1 (Winter 1994): 33-44.
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Monte E. Wilson, "Grace-Full," Reformation & Revival 15.2 (2006): 31-35. Pdf N 5-6 (Open on Phone)

Recommended Reading:

John M. G. Barclay, Paul and the Power of Grace. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2020.