If you go to church regularly, you will likely be regularly exposed to teachings on major Christian topics such as grace, faith, gifts of the Holy Spirit, and salvation. You might spend weeks or months studying one of those topics.
There are probably many times you have heard a Scripture and said to yourself, “I wish someone would give me a short lesson on a particular word or topic. Not a long treatise, but enough to get a better understanding.” The purpose of this series is to do that for a wide variety of topics. For that reason, some of these videos are shorter than the typical Eyewitness episodes.
As we often caution, we are not trying to add to what the Bible says, we are trying to add context that will help you understand the Bible better. So, please read the applicable Scriptures in the study guides for these stories so you will know exactly what the Bible says.
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The demoniac lived in the region of the Gerasenes, on the east side of the Sea of Galilee. Tthe Bible doesn’t say, but it is likely this area was inhabited by mostly non-Jewish people, and that the demoniac was not a Jew. Jesus showed special grace to the man both as a demoniac and as a non-Jew. That could add a special level of grace to the story’s end where the man wanted to go with Jesus, but Jesus instructed him to go tell others what God had done for him.
There are 124 uses of the word “grace” in the English Standard Version of the Bile, of which 86 are in books written by Paul. There are many facets to the concept of grace, but here are two of the major uses.
Grace is often described as “undeserved favor.” Examples of this use are Romans 3:24, 5:15, and 11:5-6. In these, grace is a quality of God that inclines him to give undeserved gifts to sinners, with salvation being one of those gifts.
Grace is also used to described the power of living a godly life. Examples of this use are 1 Corinthians 15:10; and, 2 Corinthians 9:8 and 12:9. These verses picture grace as a power or a strong influence for godly behaviors. It is a gift from God that works in us to change our capacities for work, suffering, and obedience.
It’s common to say that grace is a free gift of God.
