What is Grace?

When our Tuesday morning Bible Study group decided to tackle St Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, the question came up: What, exactly, is “grace?”

You might ask, what kind of Christian would ask something like that? Uh, that would be me.

No doubt due to lack of diligence, I was unable to concretely and succinctly define this essential element of the Christian Faith for the group. This is not to say that I have not experienced it. (I could offer 40 definitions, mind you, but not just one.) And, as those in the group pointed out, I often use the word, grace, in teaching and preaching — so why couldn’t I define it? It’s used throughout the New Testament.

So, what is it?

One popular and quick response refers to “saying Grace” before meals. Where does that come from? Most likely, the answer lies in the Latin — gratias agere — for “giving thanks” as in “Gratias Deo agamus” (“Let us give thanks to God”). Yet, thanking God and/or asking His blessing upon food at meal times does not answer the question. Other quick responses involved words such as graceful and gracefully — as in, she’s a graceful dancer or he sure fell down gracefully. These words, which refer to beauty and form, still do not answer the Bible Study question: What is grace?

Since our Bible Study group uses the Orthodox Study Bible, here’s the definition from the OSB:

GRACE: The gift of God’s own presence and action in His creation. Through grace, God forgives sins and transforms the believer into His image and likeness. Grace is not merely unmerited favor — an attitude of God toward the believer. Grace is God’s uncreated energy bestowed in the sacraments and is therefore truly experienced. A Christian is saved through grace, which is a gift of God and not a reward for good works. However, because grace changes a person, he or she will manifest the effects of grace through righteous living. [pp. 799-800].

It turns out that there are several meanings of the word, grace, in the Scriptures:

1) signifying the general mercy of God (I Peter 5:10)

2) referring to the grace of Christ and the whole economy of salvation (Eph. 2:8-9)

3) referring to the gifts of the Holy Spirit which have been, and are being, sent down upon the Church for the sanctification of Her members

It is this third understanding of grace (in Greek, charis) which the Apostles so often write about and its use is identical with dynamis or power.

St Symeon the New Theologian warns us that a Christian:

1) who does not bear in his heart the conviction that the grace of God, given for faith, is the mercy of God …

2) if he does not labor with the aim of receiving the grace of God, first of all through Baptism, or …

3) if he had it and it departed by reason of sin, to cause it to return again through repentance, confession, and a self-belittling life; and …

4) if, in giving alms, fasting, performing vigils, prayers and the rest, he thinks that he is performing glorious virtues and good deeds valuable in themselves — then he labors and exhausts himself in vain.

(Forgive me … Writing this on vacation, I lack sources.)

Thus, [I concluded] grace is a strengthening — given by the Holy Spirit in His mercy and love to aid us in our struggle toward the Kingdom. We participate in grace by submitting our wills to God’s will, by trusting in Him. We commune with God through prayer and in the grace-filled sacraments of His Church.

Now here’s the kicker … I summed all this up for the superb walking encyclopedia otherwise known as Fr Daniel Griffith of All Saints, Salina, Kansas and asked: “So, whaddya think?”

He said, “You’re not gonna like it.”

“Try me,” I said. I went on to tell him how two astute Bible Study members had defined grace. He shook his head.

He said simply: “Grace IS the Holy Spirit … Period.”

Period?

“Period,” he said. “I think so.”

So, dear reader … Your thoughts?