"Grace is What I'm Talking About"
ZADOK PUBLICATIONS - Dr. C. R. OLIVER
February 1, 2012

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ZADOK PUBLICATIONS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

February 1, 2012

"Grace is What I'm Talking About"

The earliest reference to grace in the NT is in Luke. The writer quotes the Angel of God:

Luke 1:30
"Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor (charis) with God.

This is an O. T. usage of the word chen ("Noah found favor [chen]"). Both Noah and Mary "found" the kind of Grace that played heaviest in the grand scheme of God. Historical place and elevated callings are part of this type of grace. It is the kind of grace that fell upon Jesus, for Luke hastens to show how "that kind of grace" rested on Him.

Jesus, even as a child, was full of Grace. Everyone around Him could see it. He wore grace like an ornament and a crown on His head (OT).

Proverbs 1:8, 9
My son hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace upon thy head, and chains about thy neck"
Proverbs 3:3-4
Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart,
And so find favor (GRACE) and high esteem In the sight of God and man

Luke continues by emphasizing the aspect of "fullness" associated with "this kind of grace." On Jesus rested all the manifestations of grace found in all the Old Testament ancients and all the coming glory of New Covenant grace. He was "filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon Him." It was a visible grace.

It was visible to Anna and Simeon. It was visible to those who sought Him at His birth. It was visible at age 12 in the Temple. It affected His life. Under the sustaining power of grace, He grew strong in spirit, while exhibiting the mantle of grace.

Luke 2:40
40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

Grace is an element of the anointing. Grace surrounds a person, engulfs his every action---is present in every event of life. It is the consciousness of God's grace, that is in every waking moment, every second of awareness, that separates the holy from the worldly. It is what caused Jesus to know He must be about the Father's business.

The power of this grace upon His life propelled Him toward the cross. Grace did not start at the cross. It started in the plan of God before the world was made. Grace was accelerated at the cross. (The prophet Zechariah spoke about the final days when Grace will still be in action.)

Zech 12:10-11
And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

The prophets spoke of this kind of Grace as the Capstone to the Gospel. Grace's resurgence to preeminence must take place, in order for there to be an end time move of God. There can be no revival without the preaching of Grace, no hope for a Glorious Church without the crowning of Grace. That which propels man (from "where He is" to "where he must be in order to be in the will of God") is called, Grace. Grace lifts, it propels, it carries one when the water is too deep; it opens a way of escape when hopelessness drives the soul into the jaws of the enemy.

Grace is what is what I'm talking about.

This kind of Grace is what John's first reference to grace was all about.

John 1:15-17
15 John (the Baptizer) bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, 'This was He of whom I said, "He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me."'
16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

The gospel writers understood they lived in the time of transition between the Old and New Testament. They understood "grace," because they recognized their understanding was prompted by the Holy Spirit, and they were the recipients of it. History changed when Jesus brought in the "fullness of Grace," just as He brought the "fullness of the Spirit."

In the Old Testament, "grace" was "found" or "came upon" certain people or groups. Its presence was based on the Tabernacle or Tent. When Jesus came, He brought the fullness of Grace "present" in the Temple of the Heart. It took a Messiah to introduce "Grace" in its fullness. His actions and words were "grace-filled" and even magnified in front of the scholars and scribes of His day. They, like the moderns, need to come to a greater understanding of grace's power.

(Author's note: It was the meaning of grace (chen) from the Old Testament that the Greek translators used for a base and upon which they framed their interpretations. So, look to the OT and find Grace, then know it exploded upon the scene when Jesus came to earth. He is the personification of Grace.)

When one sees Jesus, he sees Grace and Truth ... when one sees Moses, he sees the Law. The Law CAME THROUGH Moses to the people. It first was in Moses' possession, and he brought it down to the people. Grace came THROUGH Jesus; it belonged to Him first, and He brought it down to man. Grace portrayed in the OT was not in fullness. Revelation of its fullness came through the apostles as they garnered it from Jesus. (Example: The Spirit in the Old Testament was not in fullness, but progressed through Jesus to the upper room and then to the world.)

Early in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addressed Grace in fullness.
Luke 6:31-36
31 and as ye wish that men may do to you, do ye also to them in like manner;
32 and -- if ye love those loving you, what grace have ye? for also the sinful love those loving them;
33 and if ye do good to those doing good to you, what grace have ye? for also the sinful do the same;
34 and if ye lend [to those] of whom ye hope to receive back, what grace have ye? for also the sinful lend to sinners -- that they may receive again as much.
35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again, and your reward will be great, and ye shall be sons of the Highest, because He is kind unto the ungracious and evil; 36 be ye therefore merciful, as also your Father is merciful.
YLT (Darby Bible)

Being full of the Grace of Jesus expressed itself in life actions. (Look into your own Bible translation and see how it translates the passage above. KJV (thank), NIV (credit) "Charis" has a larger meaning than these other words.)

"What grace have ye?" is a wonderful question. It probes the inner person of the heart. This question needs to be asked in churches, to individuals and of all who name the Name. This passage was used by Jesus to transition the meaning of Grace (from that of the past) and move its cognition to a higher level as His kingdom demanded.

Up to this point, the disciples and the established ministry of the Temple and Synagogue had the Old Testament construct of "Grace." Jesus built upon this to establish new and greater meaning to the subject. Jesus extended Grace to non-Jews and rather than acknowledge this new definition, the establishment wished to murder him.

Luke 4:16-27
And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: 18 "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." 20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." 22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious ( charis: grace filled ) words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?" 23 He said to them, "You will surely say this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.'" 24 Then He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; 26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian." (2 Kings 5ff)

Beginning with a reference to the Old Testament scriptures was the method Jesus used to introduce many new meanings; He did the same in this case with "the manifold Grace" of His kingdom.

Grace: As defined in the Old Testament

(Note: It is efficacious, at this point, to review "grace" as it is seen in the Old Testament Scriptures. The 11th Chapter of Hebrews goes down the line of O.T. dignitaries and said all of them obtained their place in spiritual history through faith. They epitomized the passage of Paul: "for by grace you are saved through faith." Faith opens the door to God's grace both in the Old and New Testaments. As we review each case, keep in mind that outside the grace of God, they would not have been able to stand.)

Noah:
The first passage in Genesis to mention grace is:

Genesis 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

Grace, in this case, was not universal. It was found of one man and no other on earth. Perhaps someone might rightly argue that he was the only righteous person left on earth at this time. (He and Lot share a similar grace. Grace led them both out of an unsavory civilization). A massive question arises then from the issue of "righteousness." Did grace come to Noah because of his righteousness?

Heb 11:7
By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Noah, like every believer, reached out to God in faith and "found grace" was there. HE found the grace of God. You and I must discover, uncover and receive grace that is already operative in our behalf. We too must "find grace." It is grace that floods our perception of spiritual things to the point that we "stand" in it and are equipped to pull away any impediment and rise to tasks thought impossible by man.

It was the grace of God that allowed Noah to do this gargantuan task. Grace carried him from one estate to another-from world citizen to world "over comer." Grace took him out of a corrupt environ, which was untouched by his righteousness, and gave him a testimony that would condemn the wickedness of the ancient world. (This "grace" on Noah covered his family and every living creature that came into the Ark, but only this one time.) Grace allowed Noah to accomplish God's mandate. Grace always takes saints from where they are and makes sure they advance to where they need to be. A wonderful passage follows on the heels of Genesis 6:8.

Gen 7:5 And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.

(Over in Ezekiel 14, God, while speaking to His prophet about His plan to punish His people, mentions Noah. Notice the distinction.

Ezek 14:19-20
'Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out My fury on it in blood, and cut off from it man and beast, 20 even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.'

Grace, in the Old Testament, was individual, and it is today.

Jesus taught about His second coming being like the days of Noah. The inference was upon the universal corruption of the whole world and the lack of large numbers of righteous. There was one righteous man on earth in Noah's day; who will qualify today? Those who qualify will have grace to stand apart from the world, just like Noah. Grace will see them through.

Noah is also used as an example in the work of both epistles by Simon Peter. In 2 Peter, Simon uses the ancient world as a proof text to declare that God, once again, will deliver His people-through grace. (Another study will survey Peter's works and the subject of grace.)

2 Peter 2:5
And did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly

(Note: keep in mind that this study is building the total picture of grace that was in the minds of those who first heard the teachings of Jesus. Their mind set was Old Testament in nature, and He came to adjust and expand their understanding of the vastness of God's grace.)

Abraham:
Abraham is a picture of the grace of God. He was chosen by God, not on any merit of his own, to be the father of many nations and through whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Strangely, Abraham asked for grace during the initial visit of the angels and the Lord. He was favored by an extended visit and given the news of the birth of a son of promise. Grace rested on Abraham and blessed every action he took and did not forsake him (even in the fathering of Ishmael).
Grace attended the following passage in dealing with Abraham, an assertion that has blessed spiritual nations for thousands of years.

Is any thing too hard for the Lord? Genesis 18. 14

That verse, when coupled with the New Testament promise, "Ask what you will in my Name and it shall be done unto you," is enormous. (These two verses should course our minds every moment and cause us to excel in exploits.) The grace that was upon Abraham is transferred to sons.

Lot:
Lot recognized the grace of God upon Him during his deliverance from Sodom. He tread upon grace, though, in seeking to deviate from God's exact plan of escape. He chose Zoar instead of the mountain of provision. Grace eventually took him to the mountain, however. Never mind the Sodom influenced daughters.

Gen 19:19
9 Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die

Gen 19:30
And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.

Joseph:
He found favor with his captors because the Lord sent grace to deliver him. Yes, grace carried him from a man of low position (even when under Potifer) to a man of highest rank (next to Pharaoh in power). He moved from being a man servant to a national figure. Grace always promotes!

Grace brought Joseph into his rightful place among the sons of Jacob. When Jacob blessed him and his two sons, he said, "Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well whose branches run over the wall." This spoke of the ascending grace that would follow his descendants. Embedded in his blessing was grace for those who came after him, just as in the case of Abraham.

I am convinced that grace is a two way street. I am convinced that the recipient of grace knows grace has been afforded him and that he is indebted to God for that grace. I am convinced that gratitude has nothing to do with the initiation of grace, but is a result of its affectation on the saint. I am convinced that grace can be requested, but the "grace-prayer" has been answered before the fact by God who knows all things. I am convinced that grace is a fullness. It is like the fullness of the Spirit. Jesus was full of Grace and Truth. I am convinced that grace, when found in man and passed onto others, is a direct result of understanding the basic "forgiveness" associated with it. I am convinced that grace is an empowering force that the enemy cannot accost. I am convinced that grace must be applied to each day, and there comes a sense of "living in Grace" as a moment by moment realization. Grace becomes the arbiter between the saint and all of life's endeavors, whether it be job, family relationship or social interaction. (Jacob found grace intervened between him and Esau.)

Moses:

Exodus 11:3
And the LORD gave the people favour (chen, grace) in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people.

Here is the first mention of a corporate grace (other than the extended faith and grace found in Abraham and Joseph). Grace extended to the people of God as a group, and it caused them to have freedom from bondage and create a separate nation. Grace will do the same today. Grace is the instrument God uses to bring His people together as one body. (Ephesians 1 declares God's intention is to "bring together in one, all things in Christ, both that which is in heaven and which is on the earth." His grace will bring it about.

Five times (5) Moses invokes grace in his dialogue with God.

Exodus 33:12-19
12 And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
17 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

This conversation yielded another of the great postulates on grace in verse 19. God is the selector- distributor of His grace. He cannot be cajoled or bargained to give it. That is why the soul who understands the manifold grace of God is himself grace-filled! Moses was shown that God's goodness is expressed in His grace.

The Lord moved Moses from a wanted murderer to the commander-in-chief of a great multitude. God's grace is so powerful that kings cannot resist its words. The Grace-filled person must be heard; his words are irresistible and strong. Grace-filled words carry the weight of God himself. That is why the early church had "great grace upon them" and why Jesus was characterized as speaking "gracious(grace-filled)" words.

Exodus 34:9-10
9 And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.

10 And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.

God is IN His grace! This is why Paul wrote in the beginning of his epistles, "grace be unto you." How like God who said, "Light be."

Gideon:
Upon being commissioned to lead the band of Israel, Gideon awakened to the grace that was on him.

Judges 6:17
17 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.

There is a sense of wonderment when persons awaken to the fact of the operation of grace in their life. It almost overwhelms the soul, and it calls for all kinds of reassurances that truly God's grace is present in them. It is neither euphoric nor burdensome; it is, however, an adjustment to the new reality that God's favor abides with them and is a constant companion. Grace belongs to them; it is their possession.

Judges 6:24
Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovah-shalom (God's peace).

Ruth:
There are times in people's lives when grace is the only vehicle to get them through their difficulties. Becoming a widow at an early age, having no visible means of support, following in the footsteps of her mother-in-law back to her native land and having no place or status of her own, seemed insurmountable, but Grace intervened.

God's grace increased in the life of Boaz, as he extended grace to Ruth. This is often the case for those who show mercy. Grace moved them both to places they could not have known without it.

She became the wife of Boaz; they had a son and named him Obed. Obed became the grandfather of David, the great king of Israel.

Grace has its own reason and grace is multiplied to those who obtain it! Oh, that it might be multiplied in our churches, in our homes and in our activities.

Hannah:
The mother of Samuel found grace in the heart of the High Priest, and he spoke for God, and she had faith to believe her prayers were answered. Grace often goes beyond a person's request. Hannah not only bore a son, Samuel, but He became one of Israel's greatest prophets. Like Ruth, Hannah's progeny would alter history. Grace leaps over generations to bless in ways unthought-of by man.

(Listen, I'm talking about Grace with a capitol G.)

David:
David, the great Psalmist, found himself driven from Jerusalem by his own son. At a time when most men would have surmised they had no grace from God,he laid himself prostrate before the Lord's will. (God's Grace will carry one through any circumstance; it is the living presence of God upon a person's life.)

2 Samuel 15:25-26
And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour (chen) in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me again, and shew me both it, and His habitation:
26 But if He thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let Him do to me as seemeth good unto Him.

David knew from his past experiences that God's grace was with him and could be counted on during this time, but he also knew not to presume on it. (I think there is great presumption concerning God's grace today. I firmly believe the church, by and large, makes the grace of God something with which to whitewash its every move. Beware O' church, in misusing that which is wholly His to grant!)

Esther:
The book of Esther is an exposé on grace. Grace carried a devout believer into the King's house to a place of honor and through it gave a blessing to the nation, Israel. There is great similarity between Joseph and Esther. Grace intervened in the case of Mordecai and elevated him, saving him from injustice and shame. Principled people, in a pagan society, depend upon the grace of God.

Esther 2:15-18
And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her. 16 So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. 17 The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 Then the king made a great feast, the Feast of Esther, for all his officials and servants; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces and gave gifts according to the generosity of a king.

There is something to be said about Grace surrounding and covering God's people. ("Great Grace was upon them all.")

Psalms:
Only twice in Psalms is the word "chen (grace)" used. Grace is implied in most of the other Psalms, but used specifically in just two places, Psalms 45:2 and 84:11.

Psalms 45:2 (Subject: Jesus)
You are fairer than the sons of men;
Grace is poured upon Your lips;
Therefore God has blessed You forever.

Psalms 84:11-12 (Subject: the righteous)
For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
The LORD will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
12 O LORD of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

Look intently at the Psalm 84 passage. Grace and Glory join hands in this verse. One will find, in any study of either component, a relativity that goes throughout the Scriptures. The previous example in Esther has both elements operating on Esther and Mordecai. The epistles join the two elements as well. Many times grace and glory are connected in Paul's writings. Why, then, are so few believers willing to walk in the glory attained through grace? John Lake thought it not sacrilege to say, "Jesus lives in this suit." The dignity afforded by grace is a far greater degree of vestige than the church has been willing to grasp. The glorious church is to be identified with the interaction of glorified saints. (Perhaps the old spiritual "Walk in Jerusalem, just like John" portrays an understanding of glory yet to be understood in modern service. However, this song speaks to a time in the future, rather than walking in glory now.)

Proverbs:
Of the 13 times grace is mentioned in Proverbs, variant blessings appear in association with it.

1. Ornament of Grace: the instruction of your father and the law of your mother are to be displayed like an ornament of grace.
Proverbs 1:9 9 For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck.

(Rather than the Bling of a Rapper or church singing group, God's grace flows through the order of the family and into the heart of the next generation. )
2. Proverbs 3:3-4
Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart,
4 And so find favor (GRACE) and high esteem
In the sight of God and man.

(Since there are 31 Chapters in Proverbs, it might go better for the school curriculum to be limited to its pages (one chapter a day) and repeat them until its wisdom soaks into the hearts of its children.)

Jeremiah:
This strident prophet of holiness related a blessing of grace (from the Lord) upon all the true sons of the Most High. This grace-blessing finds itself expressed in every generation since he spoke it.

Jeremiah 31:1-4
'At the same time,' says the LORD, 'I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.'
2 Thus says the LORD:
'The people who survived the sword
Found grace in the wilderness -
Israel, when I went to give him rest.'

3 The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying:
'Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you.
4 Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt,
O virgin of Israel!'

(Without entering the controversy surrounding "who is true Israel," I want to state that the Israel spoken of in this passage belongs to ME. All saints have, at some time or another, been in their wildernesses and have found grace. No, the true sons of God are not forsaken and alone. We are drawn by Him and loved in a way this world cannot believe or comprehend. Grace, no matter where we go, calls for fresh venues to appear.

Zechariah:
Aside from the focal passage in our initial study, Zechariah addresses the nation Israel of the last days.

Zechariah 12:10
10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

There is only one way to salvation-that is through Jesus Christ. There is no "special covenant" agreement with unregenerate Jews. Much of their activities (as heads of the modern nation, Israel) are reflective of their agnostic and atheistic hearts, but one day is coming when they will weep and mourn Him whom they have crucified and make Him Lord of their lives.

GRACE is what I'm talking about!

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt,
Yonder on Calvary's mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe;
You that are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive?

Chorus:
Grace , Grace, God's Grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, Grace, God's grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.

Julia H. Johnston, 1849-1919

Until Next month,

Dr. Cosby R. Oliver, PhD.

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