Jonah 4, God’s Communicable Attributes (9, Grace)

e)    Grace: unmerited goodness to those who have forfeited it & are by nature condemned.  [In Ex. 34:6, “gracious” is hannun, used 13x in the OT and always as an attribute of God.  Wouldn’t that mean it’s not a “communicable” attribute, that man can’t understand God’s grace?  No.  In (Ex. 22:27) God commands that when a man’s garment is taken as pledge, it must be returned at sunset because the indebted man needs it.  That is a perfect illustration of “grace” and further, the rich man is commanded to be gracious like God. 

Of the 13 uses of this term, all but a couple are connected to the “manifold name of God” in Ex. 34:6-7 (e.g. Neh. 9:17).  The first two attributes in that name are “merciful and gracious.”  Thus, in passages like Neh. 9:31, reference to those two attributes are reminders of the full expression of God’s name.  What a joy that YAHWEH, our God, is God as described by God Himself.]

Psalm 103:8-10 The LORD is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities.  The essence of grace.  He has not dealt with us according to our sins.

Psalm 130:3-4 If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared. Grace will lead us to fear/respect God.  It does not lead us to take advantage of God (Rom. 6:1f).

Ephesians 1:6-7 … to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.  As with all the communicable attributes, they find their fullest earthly expression in Christ.

Ephesians 2:7-9 … that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.  As Rom. 11:6 says, if it involves our works, then it is not of grace; if it’s of grace then none of our works can be involved.

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  God’s grace is sufficient for the sins of every sinner who ever lived.

Titus 3:4-7 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. God’s grace is the fountain of all spiritual blessing.

Romans 3:24 … being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.