"Grace is Unmerited Favor" - This Common Definition is Wrong

We are saved from sin's penalty by mercy to live free from sin's power by grace — all for God's glory.

There are a few keywords in the Bible that are given wrong definitions, even though the definitions are widely accepted. Such wrong definitions created much confusion and a weak church. Grace is commonly defined as "God's unmerited favor to man". We even go to greater lengths to differentiate grace from mercy. Grace is defined as getting the blessings/favors that we do not deserve and Mercy is NOT getting the punishments that we deserve.

With such fine definitions, we deceive ourselves that we have a good and deep understanding of the terms of Grace and Mercy.

However, the definition of Grace as an unmerited favor is wrong. I used to define grace as made up of two parts - unmerited and power. But after hearing James Ryle (Truthworks.org) preaching in Grace Chapel (gracechapel.net) on 23 Jul 2006 "Living a Legacy Part 4", I had to drop the unmerited part and just keep the power part. The unmerited part comes from God's mercy and need not be repeated in grace. In Tit 1:4, the benediction from Paul is "Grace, Mercy, and Peace". (which matches well with 2Tim1:7 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control).

How to Judge the Correctness of a Definition?

1, Substitute the definition for the term in the sentence/verse where the term is found.

2. Do it for all occurrences of the term in all the verses.

Let's try it for Jam 4:6... God resists the proud but gives [grace] to the humble.

Unmerited favor does not make sense here. If it is an unmerited favor, then the proud should have it too. In fact, the proud is more unmerited to receive it.

This is exactly like what Paul says in Rom 6:1b Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?  

Try another word "Peace" - Peace - Biblical View

Defining Grace as an "unmerited favor" causes grace to be misunderstood as a license to sin!

Other verses cited by James:

• Gal 5:4b ye are fallen from [grace]. How can one fall from unmerited favor? 
• John 1:14b Jesus was full of [grace]. Is Jesus unmerited to have full of grace? Or is Jesus so bad that he needs to be full of grace?

The Right Definition

Ps John of Petra Church defines grace as: "Grace is not a license to sin but an empowerment of God to enable us to be what we should".

James Ryle defines it as, "Grace is the empowering Presence of God enabling you to be who He created you to be, and to do what He has called you to do."

In the shortest possible form, Grace is "God's presence" or God's power", for victorious, abundant, Christ-like, God-glorifying living. Wherever that is the presence of God, there is power. God's power comes from His presence in us.

If we take grace as God's power, then it fits well in the above 3 verses cited. James 4:6, proud people don't see they need God's power. The humble people know the truth of their weakness and ask God for power. In Gal 5:4, if we rely on our own ability (our flesh) to be righteous, we do not need God's power and have indeed fallen, or departed from God's power (Grace). In John 1:14, Jesus is full of God's power and presence.

The Weak/Carnal Paul to Victorious Paul

What is the difference between the weak Paul, the Christian, of Rom 7:14-24 and the victorious Paul of 2 Cor 12:9-10 and Phi 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. The answer is the Grace of God as defined as God's presence and power. 

Salvation for all is God's mercy of unmerited favor. Christian growth (becoming like Christ) depends on us to be full of grace (God's presence and power) through crucifying our flesh (self-will, self-confidence, self-capability, self-pride) and following after the Spirit. It is about abiding in Christ, living from the Vine of God's presence and power, and then being fruitful.

The Verses Coming Alive

Heb 4:16 Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace(God's presence), that we may obtain mercy(unmerited favor), and find grace(God's power) to help in time of need.  

2Pe 3:18 But grow in grace(God's presence & power), and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Let's compare, which definition gives better emphasis

• Rom 11:6 And if by grace[unmerited favor of God], then is it no more of works: otherwise grace[favor] is no more grace[favor]. But if it is of works, then is it no more [God’s favor]: otherwise work is no more work.
• Rom 11:6 And if by grace[Power of God], then is it no more of [men’s] works: otherwise grace[God’s Power] is no more [of God]. But if it is of [men’s] works, then is it no more [God’s power]: otherwise work is no more work. 

• Eph 2:8 For by grace[unmerited favor] are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
• Eph 2:8 For by grace[God's power] are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
• Grace is God's power that comes from God and not of ourselves. The grace power is a gift, the unmerited, for us from God. Paul had already doubly emphasized that Grace was not from us (1st) and it was a gift (2nd) from God. There is no need to triple emphasis by saying grace is an unmerited favor. Grace is the favor, the Power of God. Please note that grace, as presented above, while it was made available for all, it is only given if we asked for it (James 4:6,8).

Conclusion

The incorrect popular definition of key Christian words gives rise to much confusion and a weak church. Defining grace as an unmerited favor is wrong and creates the confusion that grace is a license to sin. To live a victorious Christian life, we need to understand God's Word correctly and we must define grace as the power of God's presence and power in us to enable us to Christ-like lives.

See part 2 Grace - God's Loving Power for You to become Your Very Best

See also the impact of the right or wrong definitions:  

• The Balanced View:  Degree of Grace - From Grace-less to Ultra-Grace
• The Error: Grace - Wrong Definition leading to Shameful Behavior
• The Right:  From Be-Do-Have to Be-Do-Have-Share

Update 21 March 2013

Recently, I found a definition of Grace from John Bevere that is very similar to my definition of grace as God's presence and power to enable us to live out Christ-likeness.
John Bevere’s definition of Grace: “God’s empowerment that gives us the ability to go beyond our natural ability.” John's message on grace can be found on YouTube as well.
Note: John Bevere's definition was also pointed out in one of the comments. Sorry that I missed that.

The Right Meaning of Grace was used by the famous Actor Andy Griffith
"I firmly believe that in every situation, no matter how difficult, God extends grace greater than the hardship, and strength and peace of mind that can lead us to a place higher than where we were before."

Grace is God's power given to those who ask for it, especially those called by God to accomplish His will.

Watch out for the Abuse of Grace and here is the explanation:

Why Grace is often Abused as a License to Sin? Salvation!

DeepSeek's Comment 27 June 2025:

Conclusion:

Your understanding, crystallized by Hebrews 4:16, is transformative:

• Mercy is the unmerited, irrevocable foundation of acceptance secured by Christ, "always there" to be discovered and obtained – answering our past guilt.
• Grace is the empowering presence of God, actively sought and found at the throne, providing the strength needed for our present struggles and future calling – answering our present weakness and future purpose.

This distinction frees us from condemnation (mercy) and empowers us for victory (grace). It moves grace from a static theological concept to the dynamic, life-giving power source for the Christian walk. We come boldly to the throne because of mercy to find grace for the need. This is the heartbeat of authentic Christian living. 

Responding to Some of the Comments

There are still confusion of mixing mercy and grace in our salvation which this post is meant to correct. Perhaps the following statement will make this "Mercy" and "Grace" clearer:

We are saved from sin's penalty by mercy to live free from sin's power by grace — all for God's glory.

 

1. Salvation is the Starting Point (Not the Finish Line)

• Ephesians 2:8–10 perfectly mirrors your statement:
  "For by grace [God's power] you have been saved through faith... (v8)
  ...created in Christ Jesus for good works (v10)."
  Salvation initiates God's redemptive purpose — we are saved for works, not by works.

2. Good Works Flow from Grace-Empowered Partnership

• Philippians 2:12–13 resolves the tension:
  "Work out your own salvation... (human responsibility)
  ...for it is God who works in you (divine empowerment)."
  We seek, obey, and act — but the power source is God's grace operating within us.

3. The Role of Grace in Post-Salvation Life

Salvation Initiation	Sanctification Process
Mercy: Pardons sin (Eph 2:4–5)	Grace: Empowers holiness (Titus 2:11–12)
Received once (John 10:28)	Accessed continually (Heb 4:16)
Based on Christ's finished work	Fueled by Christ's ongoing life (Gal 2:20)

4. Why This Corrects Common Errors

• Against "Easy Believism": If salvation requires no transformation (Matt 7:21), we deceive ourselves.
• Against "Works-Righteousness": If holiness relies on human effort (Gal 3:3), we burn out.
• The Biblical Path: "Faith working through love" (Gal 5:6) — grace-powered obedience.

Real-World Implication
Consider Corrie ten Boom: Her salvation freed her from sin's penalty (mercy). But when forgiving a Nazi guard, she testified:
"I prayed: Jesus, help me!... Then this warm love flooded me."
That was grace — God's power enabling what was humanly impossible (Mark 10:27).

This is why Paul declared:
"I labor, struggling with all His energy which powerfully works within me" (Colossians 1:29).

Your summary captures Christianity's heartbeat: We are saved from sin's penalty by mercy to live free from sin's power by grace — all for God's glory.

  

 

The Secret of Receiving the Spirit - Brokenness

Christians are well aware of the need to live a Spirit-filled life. We are taught to be filled with the Spirit. We prayed very hard to be filled and yet we did not see the full power of the Spirit in our life. Why? The answer is very simple - we did not know how to receive it.

 

The secret of receiving the Spirit is to come to the end of oneself. If we do not come to the end of ourselves, our carnal flesh is still in charge and our prayers are means to get things done our way. Only when we fully give up on ourselves do we then desire help from the Spirit? We are then ready to receive the grace (empowerment of the presence of God) to live a Spirit-filled life. We must come to realize "I must be full of the Holy Spirit if I am to be a whole-hearted Christian."

 

The greatest turning point of Peter's life is in "And Peter went out and wept bitterly.” - Luk_22:62.

He came to realize his inadequacy. A broken heart that give up all his self-confidence and self-will. When we came to realize that we can't, don't be disappointed, and don't stop there. It is then we that can through Christ to strengthen me.

 

We must be prepared properly in order to receive. The way of preparation is coming to the end of oneself and desiring a higher force, the Spirit. The path to being filled fully with the Holy Spirit is the path of brokenness. Do not despair but rejoice when that happens in ourselves. For it is the beginning of life depending on the Holy Spirit for abundant life.

THE END OF SELF IS THE BEGINNING OF GOD

Does Pre-Believer Have a Spirit?

Many Christians were taught that pre-believers do not has a spirit ... Man's spirit dies when he sins and it results in physical death eventually. This is not so as we know that man is spirit, soul and body. When a man dies, his spirit remains and goes either to heaven if he has accepted Christ's salvation and goes to hell if he hasn't. If pre-believer does not has a spirit, then he just disappears after physical death. This is against Bible's teaching... Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: . There is not need for judgement is he has gone.

Death, is better , or originally, defined as separation. Before Adam sinned, his spirit was connected to God. After he sinned, his spirit was disconnected from God and consequently lost the glory of God's presence and found himself naked.

In Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Here are the disciples who were not yet born again by the Holy Spirit. Their spirit is very much alive.

For man as making of spirit, soul and body see the Tripartite Man

Submitting to a Bad Boss!

It is easy to submit to a boss who is intelligent, caring,  and better than us. But how about submitting to a boss who is self-centered, abrasive, crude, and doesn't see things as you. Your ideas are not accepted and he just doesn't think much of you? Is there a Bible verse to cover a situation like this?

In church, we also have similar situations. Many leaders left their churches because they felt their opinions were not accepted. If we only serve when our views are accepted, and not to stay and work through, perhaps we all should start our own church.... no wonder there are so many independent churches? Reversing the situation, how about we accept the other party's view? What does the Bible say?

1) Is he really as bad as we think or is it just us?

Often, the boss' expectations of us and our expectations and valuation of ourselves differ. It is common for people to blame their lack of performance on an over-demanding boss or "he just dislikes me".

2) Is he trying to test us out?

Our perceived "over-demanding" boss might be trying us out to see if we can handle greater responsibility. If we pass the test, the promotion could come. We should not jump to an early conclusion about the boss.

Heb 13:17  Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

3) Even so...We are called to do our best irrespective...

Even if our boss is an overbearing, demanding, and unreasonable boss, the Bible does not allow that as an excuse for our lack of performance. Except the Boss asks us to do things against the Bible (not to believe in Jesus, do illegal things, ...) we have to still give our best to the work assigned because we do things unto Christ and not to men. Our reward is not from our boss but from God even if the reward is not now (eternal perspective)  Eph 6:5-8.

We have a good testimony to keep. 1Pe 2:12-19.

Here is another "Submit No Matter What"...2 Pet 2:13-21

Here is the very obvious one..._to those who are unreasonable (18)  Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, _not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. _ (19)  _For this finds favor_,

4) How can we? Submit to the Lordship of Jesus first. 
Jam 4:7  Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

5) Then what...

Give of our best, and pray for God's wisdom and grace to enable us to do the best. Pray for our Boss that he may come to see God's view on the matter, especially when he is a Christian.

6) Examples in the Bible.
a. Story of Joseph.
b. Story of Daniel.
c. The parable of the unjust judge?

The Wise Woman with Faith

Mat 15:22-28 The Story of the Canaanite Woman.

Most people thought that Jesus was being rude to the woman. Some think that Jesus said those things to trigger faith in her.

I think that Jesus was just telling the truth. He was sent at that time to the loss of Israel and he could do nothing for the outsiders (called dogs by the Jews then ). The woman was smart and persistent enough to extend the promise of God so that she could benefit from it. Her faith and reasoning were so good that the demon had no ground to accuse God of being unfair.

 

Here we have a person who is outside the blessings of God, not supposed to have the rights, and yet gain her blessings. Many of us have so many promises from God and yet we fail to enjoy those blessings and rights that Jesus Christ has obtained for us.

Implications for Believers:

• Combining Faith with Wisdom:
  This story teaches that while faith is fundamental, applying wisdom, logic, and understanding in our approach to God can be powerful. The woman’s strategy involved not just belief but also insightful dialogue with Jesus.
• Persistence and Creativity in Prayer:
  Her interaction with Jesus encourages believers to be persistent and creative in their prayers, using all available means to communicate their faith and needs.
• Recognizing God’s Abundance:
  The woman’s analogy highlights the abundance of God’s blessings. Even the "crumbs" from God’s table are powerful enough to bring healing and deliverance, emphasizing the sufficiency of God’s grace for all.

The Tripartite Man

Knowing that man is made up of Spirit, Soul, and Body helps us understand many things.

Spirit is Rebirth
Firstly, it is our spirit that is rebirth. In our spirit dwells God's Holy Spirit. We are 100% righteous, complete in Christ. Col 2:10; 2Pet 1:3, Eph 3:20. Within us, we have God's faith, grace, power, wisdom, etc... everything we need for life and godliness. Then what is missing? Why do some Christians still live a defeated life? The answer lies in the following.

Mind to be Renewed with the Word.
Secondly, and however, our mind remains the same - before and after our salvation. Our defective thinking that causes us to have so many problems remains unchanged. Unless we change our thinking and thought patterns, we will remain in our failures even though we are saved. Our mind therefore needs to be renewed with the Word of God. Rom 12:2. We need to know the new identity and resources that we have in Christ. These are told in the Bible.

Body to be Under Controlled of Spirit through the Mind
Thirdly, our body remains the same. We may feel better because of the joy of salvation. But unless we get our mind renewed and then exert influence on our body, our body remains the same... weak or sick as before.

Until we know the New Life and commit to live accordingly we cannot experience the abundant life for which Jesus Christ died to give us.

No Need to Ask for More but to Live it Out in Faith.
We are to live out this new life in our spirit Phi 2:12-13（12b work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.)  letting our soul be motivated from the inside and controlling the body to work out the glory of God.

Christian growth is about knowing our identity in Christ and working out our soul and body to conform to the image of Christ. 

People in the world do not see our spirit or read our mind except through our body - what we say and how we act.

In summary, the victorious Christian life involves recognizing our complete rebirth in spirit, diligently renewing our mind with God's Word, and allowing this renewed mind to control our body. This holistic approach enables us to live out the abundant life Jesus promised and effectively reflect His love and truth to the world.

http://www.tripartiteman.org/

For the salvation of man, see Salvation of Tripartite Man - The Details.

Kindness 1st then Truth 2nd - Grace & Truth in Right Order

Pro 3:3 NASB Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.

Truth must be Packaged in Grace.

It is all too easy to point out the errors in others. But if our intention is to help, it must be done out of love. Correction without love and kindness only strengthens the bad behavior and defeats the objective of the correction. This is because the truth could expose our faults and weaknesses. Hence truth must be packaged in grace. Or, grace comes first before truth.

The recipient must first recognize that you care for him before he can receive any word from you. Hence, it is always relationship and trust first before any correction.

See also Tough Decision Making - Loyalty vs Righteousness

Be Selective
We must be wise in selecting the persons to whom we share.

Not all people want to know the truth or are willing to learn.

Pro 9:7-9 GW (7) Whoever corrects a mocker receives abuse. Whoever warns a wicked person gets hurt. (8) Do not warn a mocker, or he will hate you. Warn a wise person, and he will love you. (9) Give advice to a wise person, and he will become even wiser. Teach a righteous person, and he will learn more.

Earn the Right to Speak and be listened to

Why should anyone want to listen to us?

We may think the truths we want to tell, such as the Gospel of Jesus, are very important and valuable. But our audience usually does not share our enthusiasm nor believe in what we want to say. If he did not ask us and we just spoke, then he would find it irritating and shut his ears off. He may not be so rude as to tell us off but he will surely close his ears. Then we lose the purpose of our telling.

The best way is to get him to be so interested to ask us. How can we do that? 

The answer is to show love and concern first. We observe and see if there is any help that we could offer him. We need to show love to earn the trust that what we want to say is beneficial to him.

Another way is to ask for help as Jesus did in the story of the woman at the well. Asking for help shows our vulnerability and triggers the love in the other person. 

The Chinese way starts with establishing a relationship. A relationship is built through the heart and not the mind. So our speeches must start with touching the heart, then reason with the mind, and then draw out the plan for execution. Storytelling that touches the heart is always more effective than a scientific presentation of facts.

So it is always Grace first to gain the heart and then the Truth. Truth is hard and must be packaged with the softness of Grace.

Summary:
Proverbs 3:3 teaches us to always hold onto kindness and truth. Effective correction should be given with grace and love to be received well. Build trust and relationships first, focusing on those open to learning (Proverbs 9:7-9). Show genuine care to earn the right to speak, and use heartfelt storytelling for better communication.

The passage emphasizes the importance of kindness (grace) coming before truth. It highlights that for truth to be effective, it should be delivered with care and concern, building a foundation of trust first.

God's Sovereignty and Man's Responsibility

It is always a balance between God's sovereignty and man's responsibility.

On the one extreme of God's sovereignty, man is entirely at God's mercy and has no responsibility whatsoever. God chooses and saves as He wills. On the other end, man is fully responsible for his own life and for saving himself.

In the parable of the Sower, we can see that man does have a part to play in determining the outcome of life. The seeds sowed on different grounds of man hearts are the same seeds. The potential to produce is the same for all the seeds. However the outcomes are determined by man's heart; or more specifically, man's reactions to external factors.

We have the hard heart that allows Satan to take the seed away.
We have a shallow heart that allows persecution to destroy our growth.
We have a choked heart that prevents the growth to produce fruits.
Lastly, we have a good heart that allows the seed to grow and produce harvests of different sizes.

The seeds are the same, but our hearts determine the harvest size.

God's love for everyone is the same, but our reception and response to God determine the abundance of life in us. Some Christians struggle through life while some live in great joy and success.

Related posts: God Initiates & Man Follows上帝主动先而人跟随 

是神还是人的责任？

这始终是上帝的主权与人的责任之间的平衡。

在上帝主权的一个极端，人完全处于上帝的怜悯之中，没有任何责任。上帝按照自己的意愿选择和拯救。在另一方面，人对自己的生命以及拯救自己负有完全的责任。

在撒种人的比喻中，我们可以看到人确实在决定生命的结果方面有一定作用。撒在不同人心田地的种子是相同的种子。所有种子的潜力是相同的。然而，结果是由人的心决定的；更具体地说，是由人对外部因素的反应决定的。

我们有坚硬的心，使撒旦夺走种子。

我们有浅薄的心，允许逆境摧毁我们的成长。

我们有被扼制的心，阻止生长产生果实。

最后，我们有善良的心，使种子能够生长并且产生不同大小的收获。

种子是一样的，但是我们的心决定了收获的大小。

上帝对每个人的爱都是相同的，但是我们对上帝的接纳和回应决定了我们生命的丰盛。有些基督徒在生活中挣扎，而有些人则在巨大的喜悦和成功中生活。

请参考 God Initiates & Man Follows上帝主动先而人跟随 

The Really Good News

The Gospel - Good News, is not just about the afterlife. It is about this life here on earth as well. Jesus came to give us abundant life now and forevermore. Do not forget it starts now in this present life. Eternal Life (the original word is ZOE life - God's Kind of Life as compared to Animal Life and Plant Life) starts now. We don't have to wait till we die to enjoy the abundant life.

Abundant life begins now with Jesus in and with us. He forgives and empowers us. He reconciles us back to Him and to our Father in Heaven. He came to set us free; free us from sin, sickness, poverty, and bondages. He empowers us now to live a victorious life. But we need to accept Him into our lives first and to change our minds with the Word of God. The degree of our abundant living depends on our commitment in practice to His teaching. As we yield our life to Him, we get to live this abundant life now! His yoke is easy - for we just yield to His power.

The Good News is also about God, Jesus, breaking into this world to be with us (to those who choose Him). It is about bringing Heaven on Earth through us and touching others. It is not just Jesus and us, but Jesus and us and others.

Surrender Means

Surrendering to God's will does not mean that we kill off our desires.
Desire is not wrong or sinful. It just needs to be directed.
In fact, we want to pursue God's will with great intensity and passion.

A better phase for surrendering or obeying God's will can be "As you wish" or more precisely "As God's wish".
We serve Him as he wishes. This gives a sense of willingness and a motivation of love.

29 Jan 2011 add..... 
So surrender does not just mean giving up of oneself but of adopting and following another - the one we surrender to. It is the transfer of our Lordship, from self to Jesus.

The Greatest Moment is ...

What is the greatest moment of your life ?

Birth ? Graduation ? 1st Job ? Wedding Day? etc....

The Greatest moment according to John Ortberg (Author of "God is Closer than You Think"), it is NOW!

The past is gone and we can never go back. Living the now in the past only trapped you.

The future is yet to be. In fact, the future is influenced by what you do now.

There is also no point in trying to live in the future by worrying now.

Now is the best moment - to live with the Presence of God.

What is the The Greatest Commandment?

In the OT, we have the 10 commandments. They are summarised as "love God and love others as oneself" (Mat 22:37-40).

In the NT, we come across other commandments. Below is a list:

Mat 6:33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Mat 28:19-20 The Great Commission
(19) "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

1Jo 3:23 This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. (Joh 13:34)

Joh 13:34-35 NASB
(34) "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (35) "By this all men will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another."

Mat 22:37-40 (37) And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' (38) "This is the great and foremost commandment. (39) "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' (40) "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

The "LOVE GOD" part in the OT is now "Believe in His Son Jesus Christ" of 1 Jo 3:23 and then love one another with His love.

So which one is the greatest of all? How are they related?

Luk 10:40-42 (40) But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." (41) But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; (42) but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

The Only One Thing is to be at Jesus's feet. i.e. to be with Jesus all the time as His disciple. To know and to have an intimate relationship with Him.

There are other Supporting Verses:
If you go through Paul's letters and his prayers for the Believers, you will find that he often prayed that they know Jesus more. Phil 3:8 Knowing Jesus is the most valuable thing of all.

Eph 1:16-19 (16) ... making mention of you in my prayers; (17) that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. (18) I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, (19) and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might.

Eph 3:18... to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 

Col 1:9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

Summary

To know Jesus Christ intimately is the basic and greatest commandment.

1. The knowing is not just mental but with the heart and with experience through following His will for us. 
2. It is to know of His love for us that we may trust and obey His will for us. 
3. Being rooted in His love, then we could love others as He loves them. 
4. We can then execute the Great Commission to go to share the gospels and mentor them to be like Christ too.

John 13:35  By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.

Why this matters practically

• If you focus on “love God” abstractly, you can miss Jesus.

• If you focus on “believe in Jesus” as mere mental assent, you can miss love for others.

• If you focus on “love others” without abiding in Christ, you burn out.

• If you focus on the Great Commission without love, you become noisy gong (1 Cor 13).

The center is Jesus.
Knowing Him is the greatest commandment in practice.
Loving others is the greatest commandment in expression.

The greatest commandment is to love God with all your being. In the New Covenant, that means believing in and intimately knowing Jesus Christ (the “one thing”). This loving knowledge of Jesus then produces love for others, which fulfills the second commandment and empowers the Great Commission.

In conclusion, the greatest commandment is to love God by knowing and believing in Jesus, which leads to loving others and fulfilling the Great Commission. This relationship with Jesus is the foundation of all Christian living.

The fellowship of the like-minded

The fellowship of the like-minded
This is the summary of our Bible Study Group.
We like to share what we learn and also want to learn from others.
Please gives us your comments.

(29 Jan 2011)
It becomes the Friday Bible Study Group.

The Singapore Pledge & Christainity

Every student in Singapore has to recite the following pledge every day.
As Christians, perhaps we should have a similar pledge to remind us too.
Below is the "Singapore Pledge"

We, the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language, or religion, to build a democratic society based on justice and equality so as to achieve happiness, prosperity, and progress for our nation.

There is a slogan too: "One people. One nation. One Singapore."

Propose The Church Version:

We, the citizens of Heaven and Children of our Father-God,
commits ourselves as one united body of Christ,
regardless of race, language, or background/1
to build a victorious/2 community
based on Christ and His love
so as to bring forth Heaven on earth,/3
giving love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control

notes:
/1 Christianity is a relationship with God, not a man-created religion. It reaches people of different religious backgrounds.
/2 Victorious: free from sin, sickness, poverty,... empowered to love, good works, etc.
/3 His Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. It is of people's hearts and not a political kingdom.

Christianity Is Not a Religion but a Relationship

Religion is generally a set of beliefs and rules whereby one can follow and attain holiness and be qualified to go to heaven after one death.

However, Christianity is about relationship - relationship with Jesus.
Relationship with Jesus is obtained by believing in Jesus and accepting Him as Saviour and Lord.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Believing in Jesus is:

1. He died on the cross to pay for our sins.
2. He was resurrected to give us new life--- God's kind of life, ZOE life, of which eternal life is an attribute.
3. Jesus is Man and God. As man, taking man's place, to die on the cross, to fulfill the laws, that we man may be saved.
4. Jesus as God in defeating the devil and death caused by sin and being resurrected (by the power of the Holy Spirit), and making a show of them.

Updated 1 Aug 2023:

With religions, the founder is not as important as the teachings. 
With Christianity, if we take away Jesus, the teaching is empty.

1 Cor 15:1-2 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain... 

17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

 

Updated 25 Jun 2024:

With the availability of Generative AI like ChatGPT, Gemini, etc., we can use them to distill the learning from our text even more. This post is fed into ChatGPT and below are the expanded points from it:

The idea that "Christianity is not a religion but a relationship" emphasizes the personal and intimate connection believers are encouraged to have with Jesus Christ. This perspective contrasts with the view that religion is a system of rules, rituals, and practices aimed at attaining holiness or salvation.

Here are some key points from this perspective:

1. Relationship Over Rituals: Christianity focuses on a personal relationship with Jesus rather than merely following a set of religious rituals and rules. This relationship is characterized by faith, trust, and love for Jesus, who is believed to be both God and Savior.

2. The centrality of Jesus: In Christianity, Jesus is central to the faith. Without Jesus, the teachings and beliefs of Christianity lose their meaning. The importance of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection is foundational to the Christian faith, as highlighted in the cited verses, such as John 3:16 and 1 Corinthians 15:1-2, 17-19.

3. Salvation Through Faith: According to this viewpoint, salvation in Christianity is not achieved through human efforts or adherence to rules but through faith in Jesus Christ. Believers accept Jesus as their Savior, acknowledging His sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection, which provides them with eternal life.

4. Eternal Life: The concept of eternal life, or "ZOE" life, is an attribute of the new life believers receive through their relationship with Jesus. This life is characterized by a deep, transformative connection with God.

5. Contrast with Other Religions: The statement also draws a distinction between Christianity and other religions, suggesting that while other religions may focus more on the teachings and practices, Christianity is unique in its emphasis on the person of Jesus Christ and the relationship with Him.
   

It is good to learn from our learning with feedback from Generative AI engines.

Update 8 May 2026 An Infographics from Gemini: