[EGW editor’s note: proper viewing of the Greek vocabulary used in this article requires the true-type font “Greek” (download here)] Ever wonder about how the New Testament uses the words “grace”, “gift”, and “joy”? How are they associated? In the original Greek language of the New Testament, all three of these nouns plus the verbs “give” and “rejoice” share the same root word and are closely interwined — “grace” (noun, cavri" “charis”), “gift” (noun, cavrisma “charisma”), “give” (verb, carivzomai “charizomai”), “joy” (noun, carav “chara”), and “rejoice” (verb, caivrw “chairo”). How tightly intertwined do these words relate to one another? Grace gives gifts rejoicing to see the joy that results from rejoicing to receive the gifts. (“The farmer farms his farm” is an example of similar unity in definition. The person is not a farmer without the farming or the farm. The action is not farming without the farmer or the farm. The piece of land is not a farm without the farmer or the farming.) To put it another way… … grace is the voluntary desire to cause joy in another by means of gifts; … giving gifts is the natural tool of grace; … and joy is the natural response felt when accepting gifts given through grace. ›››››››››› Similar words ›››››››››› Generosity and liberality are similar to grace in that all three words are descriptions of a giver's favorable manner of giving, but the words do have subtle differences. • “Grace” focuses on the attitude or disposition of the one doing the giving… gracious and willing, neither reluctant nor terrorized nor coerced nor with malice. • “Generosity” focuses on the quantity or amount of what is being given… generous and abundant, neither selfish nor minimal nor miserly. • “Liberality focuses on the intensity or flow of how the giving is being done… liberally and freely and simply, neither sluggishly nor overly restricted nor overly complicated. Both God and His offered salvation through grace are described in the Bible as abundant (ex. 2 Corinthians 5:18; Ephesians 3:8, 5:20; Philippians 4:7,19; Colossians 2:2; 1 Timothy 1:14; 2 Timothy 3:15-16; 2 Peter 1:11) and free (ex. John 8:31-32; Romans 5:15-16, 6:23, 8:32; 1 Corinthians 2:12; Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 1:6; 1 Timothy 1:15; 1 Peter 3:18). Appreciation and gratitude are similar to joy in that these words are descriptions of a recipient's favorable response towards a gift, but the words do have subtle differences. • “Joy” focuses on the gladness to receive the gift… happy and well-pleased, neither dismal nor disappointed. • “Appreciation” focuses on the value the receiver places upon the gift… recognizing usefulness and acknowledging the involved cost to provide, neither disdaining nor under-estimating the true worth. • “Gratitude” focuses on the thankfulness to the giver for the gift… grateful and respectfully indebted, neither scornful nor rejecting nor rude. God expects His Christians to appreciate (Hebrews 10:29; Revelation 5:9, 12; Matthew 10:37-38; Luke 21:36) and to feel both joy (ex. John 15:11, 17:13; Romans 14:17, 15:13; Galatians 5:22; 1 Peter 1:8; Jude 24) and gratitude (ex. Romans 6:17, 14:6; 1 Corinthians 1:4, 15:7; Ephesians 5:4,20; Colossians 2:7, 3:16-17; Philippians 4:6; 1 Timothy 4:1-5; Hebrews 12:28, 13:15) for His gifts. ›››››››››› Food for thought ›››››››››› A gift cannot be earned (ex. Romans 3:21-24, 6:23), but is either accepted with grateful appreciation or else rejected with disrespectful disdain (ex. Philippians 2:1-2, 4:4-9; Luke 18:9-14; 2 Chronicles 32:24-26; Hebrews 10:29, 10:35). We cannot earn grace (ex. Ephesians 2:8-10) from God or another person… and so the grace itself is a gift to be either accepted or else rejected (ex. 1 Peter 4:10-11; Ephesians 3:7, 4:7; Romans 12). Likewise, the joy we feel in receiving a gift is itself a gift that cannot earned (ex: John 15:9-11), but it can be enjoyed and shared (ex. 1 Timothy 6:17-19). Over 45 verses in the New Testament mention how God’s grace is given or revealed to us through Christ. For example, in Ephesians chapter four the apostle Paul discusses how God & Christ graciously set the example for His body (the church) to work together according to His word. He then says in chapter five, verse one, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.” Question: If we would imitate God, what tool(s) and expectation(s) does God provide us so we, too, may reveal God’s grace? |