A study I've been working on compelled me to look up the definition of 'Grace' in the Webster dictionary:
Pleasing quality; favor; thanks; A sense of what is right and proper; the unmerited love and favor of The Creator towards mankind; divine influence acting in a person to make the person pure (righteous/clean/set apart); morally strong; a special virtue, gift or help given to a person by Elohim.
Grace is a gift from Elohim that does not replace Torah. Torah is the set
of instructions to show us what is right and proper. Grace
shows His favor towards us, in that through His Set Apart Spirit He helps us
to understand His commands and how to apply them to our lives that we
may be righteous, morally strong. YHWH, by His Grace, gave us the gift
of His Laws and free will to choose Life eternal by obeying, keeping,
observing and living by them.
There is a point of contention among 'believers' in regards to being 'saved'. There is the 'once saved always saved' mindset along with being 'saved by grace' and the 'saved by faith' and the 'saved by works' facets of this one topic.
Acts 2:38 tells us in order to be saved (from the curse of eternal death) that we are to repent (return to Yah, turn from our sinful ways) and be immersed (mikveh/baptised/ritually cleansed) so that we may receive the Ruach haKodesh (Holy Spirit).
If we do turn away from our sinful ways and return to the Creator and His Teachings and be immersed symbolizing our intentions, then we are ready to receive the gift of His Set Apart Spirit. If we make the first move then Yah will follow up, giving us His unmerited love and favor. It is a process, not an end-all. We never stop learning until the day He restores all things!
2 Thessalonians 2:16
And may our Master Y'shua the Mashiyach himself, and Elohim our Father who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and a good hope through His grace, comfort your hearts and establish yourselves in every good word and in every good work.
In the letter to the Romans, Paul refers to himself as a servant of Y'shua, who was called, sent and separated to the Good News of Elohim and acknowledges it is from Him whom we have received grace and a mission... to the end that all may obey the faith among whom are called by Y'shua.
Grace doesn't just happen - it is a result of our Faith. Faith is our belief, our trust in YHWH Elohim. In trusting Him we choose to obey His Instructions. The result is Righteousness - we become morally justified and freed from sin.
Hebrews 11
Now faith is the persuasion of the things that are in hope as if they were an actual fact, and it is the manifesting of the things not seen. For by faith we understand that the worlds were shaped by the Word of Elohim and that things seen originated from those that are not seen.
By faith, Abel offered to Elohim a better sacrifice ... and on account of it he is testified of being righteous... By faith, Enoch was translated and did not taste death ... there was testimony of him that he pleased Elohim.
Without faith, man cannot please Elohim.
He who draws near to Elohim must believe His existence
and that He will recompense those who seek Him.
By faith, Noah when he was told of the things not seen, obeyed Yahweh and made an ark... and became righteous which is by faith. By faith, Abraham, when called, obeyed... departed to the place of his inheritance while he had no idea where he was going. By faith he became a resident in the land that was promised... All these died in faith and did not receive their promise but they saw it from a distance and rejoiced in it, and they confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
1 Peter 1:6-9 ... when you are under some pressure by the various trials that pass over you (it is) so that the proof of your faith may appear more precious than refined gold that is tested by fire, to glory and honor and praise at the manifestation of Y'shua: whom having not seen, you love; and in the faith of whom you rejoice with the joy that is glorious and beyond expression, that you many receive the reward of your faith, the life of your souls...
Faith and Grace are part of a harmonious connection between us and YHWH.
Paul's desire is to give the gift of the Spirit through which we become established and find comfort together in faith. The Good News reveals the righteousness of Elohim, from faith to faith, as it is written, 'The righteous by faith will live.'
We find in the writings of James chapter 2:
What is the use if a man says 'I have faith' yet he has no works? Can his faith restore life?" James continues to give the example of a fellow believer who is cold and hungry and another says to him, 'go in peace...warm yourself and be full', then he does not give him the necessities (clothing and food), what is the use? Consoling a person without providing the need is faith without works... whereas providing the need, whether food, clothing or shelter, is 'works' which reveals faith.
James 2:17 reads:
"So also faith alone, without works, is dead. For a man may say you have faith and I have works; show me your faith that is without works and I will show you my faith by my works."
James 2:24
You see that by works a man is justified and not by faith alone.
Galatians 3:23
"But before faith came, Torah was guarding us while we were confined from the faith about to be revealed."
Andrew Gabriel Roth offers insight:
In this regard "Torah" can be compared with any righteous values a soul voluntarily imposes upon himself. However, as a spiritual relationship is established with YHWH and Y'shua, a soul is elevated to much higher levels of spiritual awareness and accountability.
Galatians 3:12
Thus Torah is not made by faith, but whosoever will do the things that are written in it, will live in it. (Leviticus 18:5: You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances; which if a man does, he shall live in them...)
John 20:29
Y'shua said to him, "Now that you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who do not see me and believe."
If you continue to study Scripture then Knowledge and Understanding will increase, baggage falls away, the narrow gate opens and the straight path is revealed. Halleluyah! and praise Elohim for His steadfast love that all would have the opportunity and choose to turn from sin and return to Him - the One who created us! This is the path we journey along towards our real home. We come across many stepping stones as well as stumbling blocks, but our Faith keeps us steady.
By our Faith we receive His Grace as we live by His Instructions. It is just natural to follow up caring for fellow believers and by doing these good works we are morally justified, accounted as righteous.
