{"id":38929,"date":"2017-08-01T08:00:59","date_gmt":"2017-08-01T15:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.olivetree.com\/?p=38929"},"modified":"2022-03-09T08:47:15","modified_gmt":"2022-03-09T16:47:15","slug":"love-grace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/blog\/love-grace\/","title":{"rendered":"Love & Grace"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Love and grace are incredibly important, but how do they play out realistically in our lives? Let’s look at Corinthians and what the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible<\/a> has to say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” \u20132 Corinthians 13:14<\/a> NIV<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The God of biblical revelation is no impersonal absolute. The living God is the God of love and grace. But what do such terms mean? It is in Scripture that big terms such as \u201clove\u201d and \u201cgrace\u201d are embodied in stories as well as in direct affirmations. In particular, it is Jesus Christ and his story that provides the lens through which to view what the big biblical ideas are about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does divine love look like?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Love is manifested in action, as the story of Jesus exemplifies. Jesus embodies the divine love in his coming and his cross. As John 3:16<\/a> famously affirms, \u201cFor God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.\u201d Paul elaborates, \u201cGod demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us\u201d (Rom. 5:8<\/a>). John adds to this testimony: \u201cThis is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him\u201d (1 John 4:9<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As in the OT, in the NT practical consequences follow. Jesus exhibits a new paradigm for loving others (John 13:1-7<\/a>). This love serves. This love shows hospitality. And this love washes the feet of others. We are to love like that. Love is the new commandment (John 13:34<\/a>). It is new because it is informed by the story of Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This newness carries over into the Christian household. <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As in the OT, the NT presents no mere duty-ethic. This love is an answering love to the divine love as experienced in Christ: \u201cWe love because he first loved us\u201d (1 John 4:19<\/a>). This love is not manufactured by us; it is the fruit of the Spirit of Christ living within us (Gal 5:22<\/a>). This love cannot possibly claim to love God while hating other believers (1 John 4:20<\/a>). Some things \u2013 like knowledge and prophecy \u2013 fade away (1 Cor 13:8<\/a>). But love remains (1 Cor 13:13<\/a>). It never fades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does grace look like? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Divine grace <\/strong>is undeserved favor of a superior bestowed on an inferior. The Israelites experienced God\u2019s grace when he delivered them from Egyptian oppression. God proclaims to Moses on Mount Sinai, \u201cThe Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God\u201d (Exod 34:6<\/a>). The exodus event also shows that when God acts graciously, it means salvation for some (Israel) but often judgement for others (Egypt and its gods as in Exod 12:12-13<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Divine Grace in Jesus<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Jesus the divine grace comes into view in the most personal of ways, as John points out in his prologue (John 1:17<\/a>). By coming among humankind and dying on the cross, Jesus Christ did what he was not obliged to do, and he did so not for his own sake but for ours, undeserving though we are. The nature of this undeserved favor removes any grounds for our boasting before God about our meritorious works. As Paul tells the Ephesians, \u201cIt is be grace you have been saved, through faith \u2013 and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God \u2013 not by works, so that no one can boast\u201d (Eph 2:8-9<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How We Reflect Grace<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Even though the accent on grace in Scripture focuses repeatedly on God or Christ as the gracious one, those who have received such grace must be gracious themselves. This graciousness must show itself especially in Christian generosity (2 Cor 8:9<\/a>) and speech: \u201cLet your conversation be always full of grace\u201d (Col 4:6<\/a>). Unsurprisingly such gracious speech characterized Jesus Himself (Luke 4:22<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grace and love occur together in the Bible, and both express his goodness. We deserve neither God\u2019s love nor his grace. Church leader Irenaeus rightly said in the second century, \u201c[Jesus] became what we are that we might become what he is.\u201d Such is grace. Such is love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How has the grace and love you receive from Jesus Christ affected your life and relationships with others?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"NIV<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Looking for more encouragement? This content is from the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible<\/a>! Visit our website to learn how study Bibles work in the app and how this study Bible can teach you more about God’s Word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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GET THIS STUDY BIBLE<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Alternatively, we offer this resource along with other curated study tools in our NIV Study Pack<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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TRY A STUDY PACK<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Love and grace are incredibly important, but how do they play out realistically in our lives? Let’s look at Corinthians and what the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible has to say. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":50569,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sb_show_comment_boards":false,"_cf_multicollab_revision_bundle":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5341],"tags":[5936],"class_list":{"0":"post-38929","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-topical","8":"tag-niv-biblical-theology-study-bible"},"yoast_head":"\nLove & Grace - Olive Tree Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It is in Scripture that big terms such as \u201clove\u201d and \u201cgrace\u201d are embodied in stories as well as in direct affirmations. 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