“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9
When we hear the word “grace” in our modern context, we might think of elegance, politeness, or perhaps saying grace before a meal. But the Greek word that Paul and other New Testament writers used carries depths of meaning that can transform our understanding of God’s heart toward us and revolutionize how we live the Christian life.
The Rich Meaning of Charis
The Greek word for grace is charis (χάρις), and it appears over 150 times in the New Testament. Far from being a simple religious term, charis was a word packed with cultural and emotional significance in the ancient world. It encompassed several interconnected concepts that, when understood together, paint a breathtaking picture of God’s character and His relationship with humanity.
At its core, charis means “favor” or “kindness,” but it’s favor that is completely unmerited and unexpected. It’s the kind of kindness that catches you off guard because you’ve done nothing to earn it and everything to forfeit it. In Greek culture, charis often described the response one had to unexpected beauty—the kind of beauty that stops you in your tracks and fills you with wonder and gratitude.
The word also carries the meaning of “gift,” but not just any gift. It’s a gift given freely, with no strings attached, no payment expected, and no obligation created for the receiver. When someone extended charis, they were acting purely from the generosity of their heart, not from duty or expectation of return.
Perhaps most significantly, charis was associated with joy and delight. The giver of charis didn’t bestow favor grudgingly or with reluctance, but with genuine pleasure and happiness. This wasn’t charity given with a sigh, but blessing given with a smile.
Grace as God’s Heart Revealed
When we understand charis in its full richness, we begin to see that grace isn’t merely God’s method of salvation—it’s the revelation of His very heart toward us. Every time Scripture speaks of God’s grace, it’s showing us a God who looks upon us with favor we don’t deserve, who delights in blessing us, and who gives to us freely from the abundance of His love.
Consider the familiar words of Ephesians 2:8-9 again, but with fresh eyes. Paul isn’t just explaining a theological mechanism by which we are saved. He’s revealing that our salvation flows from God’s heart of unmerited favor, His joy in giving to us what we could never earn, and His delight in calling us His children not because we’re worthy, but because He chooses to see us through the lens of charis.
This transforms our understanding of the Gospel from a mere transaction to a love story. God doesn’t save us because He has to, or because we’ve somehow earned His attention. He saves us because extending charis—unmerited favor given with joy—is who He is. Our salvation is born not from divine obligation but from divine delight.
The Scandal of Unmerited Favor
The depth of charis helps us understand why the Gospel was such a stumbling block to both Jews and Greeks in Paul’s day, and why it continues to challenge us today. The religious mind wants to earn God’s favor through works, sacrifice, or moral achievement. The secular mind wants to believe we’re basically good and deserve whatever blessings come our way.
But charis demolishes both approaches. It declares that God’s favor cannot be earned because it’s already been given. It cannot be deserved because it’s extended to the undeserving. The wonder of grace isn’t that good people get blessed, but that rebels get adopted, that enemies become children, that the dead are made alive.
This is why Paul emphasizes that grace comes “not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” If we could earn God’s favor, it wouldn’t be charis—it would be wages. If we deserved His blessing, it wouldn’t be grace—it would be justice. The very nature of grace demands that it be given to those who cannot and have not earned it.
Living in the Reality of Grace
Understanding charis doesn’t just change how we think about salvation; it transforms how we live each day. When we truly grasp that we stand before God not because of our performance but because of His unmerited favor, several life-changing truths emerge.
First, we’re freed from the exhausting cycle of trying to earn God’s love. We already have it, completely and forever, not because of what we’ve done but because of who He is. This freedom allows us to serve Him not from fear or obligation, but from gratitude and joy.
Second, we’re humbled in the most liberating way possible. We have nothing to boast about except God’s goodness to us. This humility isn’t crushing—it’s the humility of a person who has received an inheritance they never could have earned, who stands in a palace not because they built it but because they’ve been invited in.
Third, we’re empowered to extend the same charis to others. Having received unmerited favor, we become channels of unmerited favor. We forgive not because others deserve it, but because we’ve been forgiven. We love not because others are lovable, but because we’ve been loved. We serve not to earn God’s blessing, but because we’re already blessed beyond measure.
The Ongoing Gift
Perhaps most wonderfully, charis in the New Testament isn’t just about our initial salvation. It’s the ongoing reality of the Christian life. Grace isn’t just something that saved us in the past. It’s something that sustains us daily, empowers us for service, and carries us safely home.
Every morning we wake up as recipients of fresh charis. Every failure is met not with condemnation but with renewed favor. Every struggle is an opportunity to experience God’s grace as sufficient for our weakness. We don’t graduate from grace to something else; we grow deeper into its inexhaustible riches.
When we truly understand charis—God’s unmerited favor given with joy—it shapes not just our theology but our entire lives. We worship with hearts full of gratitude rather than duty. We serve from overflow rather than obligation. We love others with the same unreasonable, unmerited love we’ve received.
The Gospel isn’t just the good news that our sins are forgiven. It’s the astounding news that the God of the universe looks upon us with favor, delights in blessing us, and gives to us freely from His infinite resources—not because we’re worthy, but because extending charis is who He is.
This is the grace that saves us, sustains us, and shapes us. This is the charis that makes the Gospel not just good news, but the most wonderful news imaginable.
Lance is the founding and lead pastor of Calvary Chapel Oxnard where he has served since 1982. Lance & David Guzik co-pastored the church for six years before David planted a church in a nearby community.
Lance & his wife Lynn were married in 1980 and have three adult children and five grandchildren. Lance loves teaching the Bible, History, and Leadership. He holds Masters-of-Arts in Biblical Studies and Ministry.
Lance serves as a chaplain for both the Oxnard and Port Hueneme Police Departments and enjoys backpacking, wood-working, working out, gardening, home improvement projects, reading, and graphic design.
The popular Communio Sanctorum: History of the Christian Church podcast can be found in both audio and video at the Into His Image website along with a growing inventory of Lances teaching.
