The believer is elected and predestined to bear fruit by means of grace; John 15:16.

Title: The believer is elected and predestined to bear fruit by means of grace; John 15:16.

 

The counter-attack to grace by the enemies of God is to:

1)distort grace into lasciviousness

2)deny grace as impossible

3)confuse grace with works

4)confuse morality with the CWL

5)distort the word “grace” into a false meaning

6)distort the character of God

 

To many people the word grace only means saying something before a meal. It has become just a toast. The cosmic system has been very successful in destroying the meaning of words. Love, charity [a word for love a few centuries ago], joy, peace, hope, faith, etc. have all been distorted from their true origins and meanings.

 

This is why a PT must explore the etymology of every significant word that the scripture uses, hence the importance of the original languages.

 

It would behoove us to look at the etymology of this tremendous word in the original language, used 155 times in the NT.

 

 “grace” - ca,rij[charis] = Ancient Greece - the favor of the gods. Plato - favor, pleasure, good will, thanks.

 

Hellenism [from the death of Alexander, 323 BC to the conquest of Rome 146 BC] - favor shown by rulers emphasizing a gracious disposition or a gracious gift. Thanks to those who receive. The power to do magic from the power of the heavens.

 

 NT Koine Greek - that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, or loveliness; that which is received without merit with the proper response of thankfulness.  

 

In the OT the word “lovingkindness” is used 240 times. It is the Hebrew word checed.

 

OT Hebrew - checed = lovingkindness. This word refers to strength, permanence, steadfastness, and love. Its inflection is more about God’s faithfulness to His covenant promises to Israel.

 

OT Hebrew - chanan = to be gracious, considerate, to show favor. This refers to the blessings of God upon men and the nation Israel.

 

However, in the NT, though the truths of God’s faithfulness and blessings remain, and even though there are greater blessings for the Church due to her position in Christ, the word charis takes on the ability of God to give perfect power to imperfect creatures.

 

No one was filled with the Spirit in the OT. A very small percentage of believers had any power from the Spirit, but it was not a filling, but the Spirit was upon them. No one was in union with Christ. No one had the plan of Christ’s to follow.

 

If chanan of the OT can be said to be a synonym of charis in the NT then it would be marginal at best. These words have some similarity, but the main gist of them lies far apart from one another.

 

OT believers are regenerated, being born again, but the CA believer is regenerated into a new creature that is in union with Christ through the baptism of the HS. This is unprecedented.

 

Grace [charis] for the CA believer is the free and open corridor of BD and the FHS to metabolize doctrine and execute the plan of God in the divine power of applied doctrine under the FHS.

 

Taking advantage of grace will lead to super-grace. Under grace God does the work and man is only the beneficiary. Under super-grace God does the pursuing and man does the benefiting.

 

James 4:6

But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

 

Super-grace is the capacity for the secondary blessings from God to the indwelling righteousness of the vessel of honor.

 

The enemies of Christ, unbelievers and fallen angels, have their own appointment with judgment and wrath, 1Cor 15:25.

 

1 Cor 15:25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.

 

The believer has not been appointed to judgment or wrath; therefore he should press on with confidence to the exclusion of all fear.

 

1 Thess 5:8 But since we are of the day [knowledge as opposed to none], let us be sober [SSE], having put on the breastplate of faith [doctrine] and love [agape love], and as a helmet, the hope of salvation [confident deliverance over future physical death].

 

1 Thess 5:9 For God has not destined [tithemi - appointed] us for wrath [in context the wrath is the Tribulation], but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

 

1 Thess 5:10 who died for us, that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.

 

1 Thess 5:11 Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing.