For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Ephesians 2:8 NASB
Mercy has been defined as not receiving what we deserve, and grace has been defined as receiving what we do not deserve. There is truth to this. As sinners, we deserve punishment for our sin, yet we find the penalty lifted, as we are forgiven in Christ. Instead of spiritual death, we now have life everlasting through Jesus Christ. Again, God's grace flows out of His love for us. We do not deserve it, and cannot earn it. If so, it would not be grace, but an obligation.
There is more to the grace of God however. His grace goes beyond forgiveness, reaching to the very inner depths of our being. Grace is transforming and empowering. Why would God reach out and take a rebel, and radically transform his life?
We read about the grace of God in Titus 2:11-14,
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds (Titus 2:11-14 NASB).
It is God's grace that transforms us from sinners to saints. It is by His grace that our lives and conduct are radically transformed. We are changed from selfish beings into selfless beings, no longer pursuing the desires of our flesh, but living for the will of God (1 Peter 4:1-2). This is a picture of the grace of God that brings salvation. Again, we do not deserve this. Who are we that God would reach down in grace and not only forgive our enmity against Him, but work in us a surrender to His will and ways?
Young's literal translation translates the Greek word eleos as kindness, and the Hebrew word checed as kindness.
ReplyDeleteI think that the term 'mercy' is not an exact translation for the Greek word eleos. So I disagree with those who translated KJV, in this matter.
I can just a little German and not at all Dutch, but I suppose that the word Gnade and the word genade are not exact translations for the Greek word charis. I think that the English word grace is more exact translation for the Greek word charis than the German word Gnade. Did mennonites understand what is grace?
I am not Mennonite, but from what I have studied, primarily through the writings of Menno Simons, and Dirk Philips, as well as other anabaptist writings, they had a very good working knowlege of grace, what it was, and what it accomplished in the life of the true believer. The 16th century Hutterites also had a passion for Jesus Christ, and had a good understanding of grace as well. Sadly, they have for the most part fallen into tradition and formalism. The early anabaptist Christians (Swiss brethren, Hutterite, Amish, and Mennonite) had a very vibrant faith in Christ, taking the words of Jesus quite literally, even more so than many of the other reformers. Where the reformers saw faith and grace as dealing more with justification, the early anababtists saw faith as an active principle, compelling them to follow Christ, and grace enabling them to do so at all costs.
ReplyDeleteI suppose that early Mennonites read German and Dutch Bible translations, and I know that the Hebrew word chen and the Greek word charis were mostly translated as Gnade in German Bible translation, and I think that the term Gnade is a mistranslation for the words chen and charis, so I have thought that, did early Mennonites, Amishes and Hutterites understand what is grace.
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