GRACE IN CHRISTIANITY

For the prayer before meals, see Grace (prayer) .
In Western Christian theology , grace has been
defined, not as a created substance of any
kind, but as "the love and mercy given to us
by God because God desires us to have it, not
because of anything we have done to earn it",

[1] "the condescension or benevolence shown
by God toward the human race". [2] It is
understood by Christians to be a spontandoing an do useous
gift from God to man – "generous, free and
totally unexpected and undeserved" [3] – that
takes the form of divine favor , love, clemency,
and a share in the divine life of God. [4]
It is an attribute of God that is most manifest
in the salvation of sinners. Christian orthodoxy
holds that the initiative in the relationship of
grace between God and an individual is always
on the side of God.
In Eastern Christianity too, grace is the
working of God himself, not a created
substance of any kind that can be treated like
a commodity.
The question of the means of grace has been
called "the watershed that divides Catholicism
from Protestantism , Calvinism from
Arminianism , modern [theological] liberalism
from [theological] conservatism." [5] The
Catholic Church holds that it is because of the
action of Christ and the Holy Spirit in
transforming into the divine life what is
subjected to his power that "the sacraments
confer the grace they signify": "the power of
Christ and his Spirit acts in and through [each
sacrament], independently of the personal
holiness of the minister. Nevertheless, the
fruits of the sacraments also depend on the
disposition of the one who receives them." [6]
[7] the Sacred Mysteries (sacraments) are seen
as a means of partaking of divine grace
because God works through his Church.
Catholics, Eastern Orthodox and Protestants
agree that faith is a gift from God. Ephesians
2:8; "For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is
the gift of God". Protestants almost universally
believe that grace is given by God based on
the faith of the believer. Lutherans hold that
the means of grace are "the gospel in Word
and sacraments". [8][9] That the sacraments
are means of grace is also the teaching of
John Wesley , [10] who described the Eucharist
as "the grand channel whereby the grace of
his Spirit was conveyed to the souls of all the
children of God". [11] Calvinists emphasize "the
utter helplessness of man apart from grace."
But God reaches out with "first grace" or
" prevenient grace" that each person may
accept or reject. The Calvinist doctrine known
as irresistible grace states that, since all
persons are by nature spiritually dead, no one
desires to accept this grace until God
spiritually enlivens them by means of
regeneration . God regenerates only individuals
whom he has predestined to salvation.
Arminians understand the grace of God as
cooperating with one's free will in order to
bring an individual to salvation. According to
Evangelical theologian Charles C. Ryrie ,
modern liberal theology "gives an exaggerated
place to the abilities of man to decide his own
fate and to effect his own salvation entirely
apart from God's grace." He writes that
theological conservatives maintain God's grace
is necessary for salvation. [5]