The Supernatural Power of Grace

Grace—what an interesting term. The Church has been wrestling with it for ages. What is grace? As I have contemplated and wrestled with that question for nearly four decades, I have come to realize it is so much more than we make it to be; and at the same time, it is everything we have made it to be and yet simpler and more relational. The idea that grace is defined primarily as “God’s unmerited favor” doesn’t capture how it empowers dramatic transformation and releases so much power in and through the life of a child of God.

Let’s take a moment and look at this word that is so important to our faith. In the Greek language, the word grace is charis; from which charisma is derived. Charis is a secular Greek word that the apostles chose to use for a spiritual purpose. Generally, it means a kindness given, favor bestowed, a gift. It is a term often used for when someone of greater stature is generous toward a lesser by offering them a kindness, a gift of favor.

Charis most often was used for artistic or poetic purpose. For instance, when we see a bride in her dress we might say, “You look radiant,” or, “She carries such grace.” We are being poetic; we are making an aesthetic statement. However, charis also had a lesser used ethical meaning as well. If we were left with no more understanding than this, it would seem an odd word to explain God’s grace. However, there was more to this word as it began to be used in a different context; one of power.

It may be added that in later Greek ‘charis’ also had the sense of force or power. It could be a spell, or demonic force, affecting human life with supernatural influences. In Euripides, it was a power from the underworld that could convey the virtues of a dead hero to his living family or followers. This sense, too, though set in a new context, was used in the New Testament: grace became the power of God to enable Christians to live the new life in Christ. (Grace; The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, 548.) 

Looking at the two expressions of grace mentioned—“saving grace” and “empowering grace” and only these two expressions—it is important to understand that the apostles were looking for language to communicate something beyond prior human experience. When you are speaking of the Maker of all things, words are naturally limited in capturing fully who He is or what He is doing.

Finding the right words can be challenging at the least and often not perfect. They were choosing the best words available to help people understand how the Spirit engages humans at salvation and the power given moment by moment as we walk out the personal process of transformation. It is not something simply given at the moment of salvation, it is to be lived from moment by moment, throughout our lives.

There are many Scriptures that support the thought that the power of God is what sustains us, keeps us, and empowers us to be exactly what He created us to be—sons and daughters who overcome darkness and shine with His light. Perhaps Second Corinthians 12:9 is the best-known verse, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’” (2 Corinthians 12:9). We can see in this verse that there is an ongoing relationship between God’s grace and our capacity to live a Spirit-empowered life. There are many other verses in Scripture to support this understanding of grace. The following are just a few:

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength (Isaiah 40:29).

I can do all things through him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).

For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you” (Isaiah 41:13).

…but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

The idea is this, we are not just saved by grace—we are sustained, empowered, and live by grace. This is a strong biblical theme. The Lord is intimately connected with His children. However, He doesn’t control us. We can choose to sustain ourselves through our own power, this is essentially what happened in the Garden of Eden, which led to the sin nature. Or we can choose to live a surrendered, life-giving relationship through Christ, actively receiving grace throughout our day-to-day living.

Every day, in all circumstances, we can still choose which tree we will eat from. If we eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, we are choosing to say, “I got this, God…no need to help.” If we eat from the Bread of Life, The Tree of Life, we are choosing to say, “With Your grace, God, I receive Your help.” His power allows us to live and walk through the circumstances of life in victory.

As noted previously, our English word charisma comes from the Greek word root charis. According to the Oxford Dictionary, charisma means, “to possess compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others. A divinely conferred power or talent.” It is to possess the gift or talent to influence people; it is “power to influence.” It is not passive, it is active.

When we talk of biblical grace, we need to remember it is a gift of God, it has purpose and is powerful. We can’t stir it up or make it happen; it is God initiated. God is working His influence into our lives, not through control but through loving relationship. There is no doubt about it, He is at work in us all the time. Grace is an inward working that transforms us into the fullness of Christ. Outwardly grace brings forth His image to make Him known through our lives.

In the hands of an unscrupulous master, this can be scary, and deadly. Think of men like Jim Jones, founder of the Peoples Temple cult that climaxed with mass suicides in Jonestown, Guyana. Or David Koresh and the Branch Davidians. Or a more familiar name today, David Miscavige the leader of Scientology. All these men had or have charisma, the power to influence, to charm and cast a spell on people to follow their sinister agenda and belief systems.

God, on the other hand, is faithful, kind, and perfect in love, wholly trustworthy. He doesn’t force His will on us; He draws us near, by grace, into greater revelations of His love.

Seeing grace as power to influence would have been part of how those living in the first-century Greco-Roman world would have applied charis. It would be part of the secularization of charis. An almost divine power to influence people. Peter, John, and Paul understood this application and used it to describe God’s working in people to bring them into the saving work of Jesus on the Cross.

In summary, the writers of the New Testament were looking for words to describe and instruct this new revelation in Jesus. They naturally, just as we would today, would have sought after language that common people would understand to help them take hold of the gift of life provided through Christ Jesus. In our modern English, it doesn’t quite translate the same, but it is no less valuable. Charis has different applications within different contexts; for us, the context is one of God’s love and kindness.

Phil Urena