I was hoping to see some commentary on Finney's lecture on grace cited earlier ... any comments folks?
Link to Lecture on Growth in Grace -->>
http://christianchat.com/bible-discussion-forum/77962-finneyists-among-us-5.html#post1272791
View attachment 63026
FINNEY:
I. What is grace, as the term is here used?
1. Grace is favor. It is often used in the Bible to signify a free gift. The grace of God is the favor of God, His free gifts.
.......
THAYER:
The apostles and N. T. writers at the beginning and end of their Epistles crave for their readers the favor (`grace') of God or of Christ, to which all blessings, especially spiritual, are due: Romans 1:7; Romans 16:20, 24 (R G); 1 Corinthians 1:3; 1 Corinthians 16:23; 2 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:13 (14); Galatians 1:3; Galatians 6:18; Ephesians 1:2; Ephesians 6:24; Philippians 1:2; Philippians 4:23; Colossians 1:2; Colossians 4:18; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:28; 2 Thessalonians 1:2; 2 Thessalonians 3:18; 1 Timothy 1:2; 1 Timothy 6:21 (22); 2 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 4:22: Titus 1:4; Titus 3:15; Philemon 1:3, 25; Hebrews 13:25; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 3:18 (cf. 3 a.); 2 John 1:3; Revelation 1:4; Revelation 22:21; cf. Otto, Ueber d. apostol. Segensgruss χάρις ὑμῖν etc., in the Jahrbb. f. deutsche Theol. for 1867, p. 678ff.
Moreover, the word χάρις contains the idea of kindness which bestows upon one what he has not deserved: Romans 11:6; hence, κατά χάριν and κατά ὀφείλημα are contrasted in Romans 4:4, 16; χάριτι and ἐξ ἔργων in Romans 11:6; κατ' ἀκλογην χάριτος, Romans 11:5; but the N. T. writers use χάρις pre-eminently of that kindness by which God bestow: favors even upon the ill-deserving, and grants to sinners the pardon of their offences, and bids them accept of eternal salvation through Christ: Romans 3:24; Romans 5:17, 20f; (); 1 Corinthians 15:10; Galatians 1:15; Galatians 2:21; Ephesians 1:6,(); f; Philippians 1:7; Colossians 1:6; 2 Thessalonians 2:16; 1 Timothy 1:14; 2 Timothy 1:9; Hebrews 2:9 (here Treg. marginal reading χωρίς); Hebrews 10:29; Hebrews 12:15; Hebrews 13:9; 1 Peter 1:10; Jude 1:4; εὑρίσκειν χάριν, Hebrews 4:16; ἡ χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ σωτήριος, Titus 2:11; ὁ λόγος τῆς χάριτος,
....the message of his grace, Acts 14:3; Acts 20:32; τό εὐαγγέλιον τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ, Acts 20:24; it is styled 'the grace of Christ,' in that through pity for sinful men Christ left his state of blessedness with God in heaven, and voluntarily underwent the hardships and miseries of human life, and by his sufferings and death procured salvation for mankind: (Acts 15:11); 2 Corinthians 8:9; Romans 5:15; Galatians 1:6; (Titus 3:7); John 1:14, 17. χάρις is used of "the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues"
...
FINNEY:
IV. Conditions of growth in grace.
1. Growth or increase in anything implies a beginning. Growth in the favor of God implies that we have already found favor in his sight, and that we are already indebted for grace received, and that we are already in grace, in the sense of having a place among his favored ones.
2. Consequently, growth in grace implies that we have already repented of our sin, have actually and practically abandoned all known sin. It cannot be that we are in favor with God if we are still indulging in known sin against him. Being in favor with God implies, of course, that we are pardoned and favored by him, for the sake of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Pardon is favor, and implies the renunciation of rebellion against God. The conditions of the Divine favor, as revealed in the Bible, are repentance and abandonment of all known sin, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. I said, as a condition of growth in grace, we must have the commencement of grace; in other words, we must be already Christians, must be in a state of acceptance with God, must have accepted Christ, so far as be is understood, must be in a state of obedience to all the recognized will of God. Without this, we cannot be in a state of grace, or in the favor of God. But being in this state, there is room for everlasting growth. As we know more of God, we shall be capable of loving him more, of having a more universal and implicit confidence in him. And there can be no end to this while we have any being, either in this or any other world. Our love and confidence in him may be complete, so far as we know him. This love and confidence will secure his favor; but there will be no end to our growth in knowledge of him, and, consequently, there is room for eternal growth in grace. The more we love, the more we believe, the more we know of God, if we conform to all this knowledge, the more God must be pleased with us, the higher shall we stand in his favor, and more and greater gifts he will continue to bestow upon us.
GROWTH IN GRACE by Charles G. Finney
...
GOD:
Romans 5
Peace with God Through Faith
1Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, wea have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Through him we have also obtained access by faithb into this grace in which we stand, and wec rejoiced in hope of the glory of God. 3More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
6For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Death in Adam, Life in Christ
12Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
15But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
18Therefore, as one trespasse led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousnessf leads to justification and life for all men. 19For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20
Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
