grace

Here's a good monday message. Dr. David de Silva lectured at the Ashland fall lectureship today. While I would say the talk lacked zeal and generally was hard to stay attentive towards, there was something profound that will hopefully rock your world!

It has to do with the word GRACE. This word in first century Greco-Roman culture was not a spiritual word. It was not a Christian word. It was simply a word that meant "favor". There were three aspects of grace that helped to define it.
1. The Giver...usually one who was more well endowed than the recipient. He or she bestowed unmerited favor upon the recipient.
2. The Recipient. Not only did the giver give the gift, the recipient had to actively receive it.
3. The Reaction. Not only did the recipient receive the grace, but they had to respond to the gift by showing 'faith' and good will toward the giver.

This concept of grace should challenge us. When Paul writes about the grace given to all who believe in Christ, we have to understand it in this light. There is a threefold ideology that should be present...God's gift, our acceptance of that gift (which seems to call into question Reformed Theology), and our response toward the giver of the gift.

The above picture is of the Three Graces. This shows the united nature of the three elements of grace.

So...how are you responding to the Giver of Grace?