The dictionary defines the word 'grace' as God's loving mercy toward mankind.
Many Christians believe that divine grace is a New Testament provision
which wasn't extended to the human race before the Saviour came to earth.
They are mistaken. The fact is, the Almighty's grace has been available to
sinners since the fall of Adam. Every time a repentant sinner presented
him/herself before God, grace and mercy were freely extended to that
person. The following texts, and there are more, show that grace was
available in Old Testament times.
Grace for Noah | |
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Genesis 6:8 | "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD."
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Grace for Lot | |
Genesis 19:19 | "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:"
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Grace for Moses | |
Exodus 33:12-13 | "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.
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." |
Exodus 33:16-17 | "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.
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." |
Exodus 34:9 | "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 stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance." |
Grace for Gideon | |
Judges 6:17 | "And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me." |
Grace for David | |
Psalm 84:11 | "For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace
and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."
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Proverbs 3:34 | "Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly." |
Grace for the Exiles | |
Ezra 9:8 | "And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage." |
Grace for Jerusalem | |
Zechariah 12:10 | "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." |
Grace for ALL Israel | |
Jeremiah 31:2 | "Thus saith the LORD, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest." |
2 Timothy 1:9 | "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not
according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which
was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,"
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John 1:17 | "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ."
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Titus 2:11 | "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all
men,"
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1 Corinthians 1:4 | "I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which
is given you by Jesus Christ;"
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Ephesians 2:7 | "That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." |
Acts 15:11 | "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they are" |
To be justified means to stand before the Most High JUST-AS-IF-I'D
never sinned. This is possible because of His love, mercy and grace which
are channelled through His son. In other words, we are justified by
grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8 | "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God:"
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Titus 3:7 | "That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." |
Romans 6:1-2 | "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace
may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any
longer therein?"
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Romans 6:14 | "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under
the law, but under grace."
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Romans 6:15 | "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law,
but under grace? God forbid."
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Hebrews 10:29 | "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" |