Article July 17, 2006 Issue

THE SURPRISING GIFT OF GRACE

God doesn't wait to see whether we are worthy before embracing us in His care.

BY ELAINE FOLLIS

GRACE IS PROBABLY the biggest surprise and the most precious gift anyone could ever receive. It comes to us straight from God.

The word grace has strong roots in Biblical tradition. Looking first at the Greek of the New Testament, we find the word charis. Its basic meanings are: favor; attractiveness; goodwill. People have charis, favor, in the eyes of a parent of superior authority. They express charis to others when they do them a favor of some kind. And most important, they find charis in the eyes of God when He accepts them as members of His own family.

While the Old Testament has no direct linguistic equivalent, it does have a conceptual one: chesed. In the King James Version, this word is often translated "mercy" or "lovingkindness," but its implications are far deeper than any one English word can contain. Chesed means steadfast love—love that exists within the context of a covenant, or lasting relationship, between individuals; love that hangs in when the going gets tough.

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'THE POWER OF GRACE TO OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD'
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