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What Grace Is Versus What Grace Does?

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Hi P____,
Yes, the word ‘grace’ is the same in all of the sciptures you reference. ‘Grace’ is God’s loving favor toward’s those He loves. That is what grace does; it teaches and disciplines through chastening. “Grace… chastens us to forsake ungodliness and to live godly lives in this present age”:
Here are the scriptures which say this:

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth [ Greek – paideuo], and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Now notice the choice of Greek the holy spirit uses to tell us what grace does:

Tit 2:11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching [ Greek – paideuo – same Greek word translated ‘chasteneth’ in Heb. 12:6] us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

So now we know what ‘grace’ does and we know why God chastens us.
But what anything does is not what that item is. For example a bat can be used to hit a ball. But when it is your turn at that plate you don’t say hand me a ‘hit the ball.’ What you say when it is your turn at the plate is ‘hand me a bat’.
Cars and trains and airplanes can all be used for transportation. But unless you specify which you are using, you would never know what kind of transportation is under discussion, simply because a car, a train or an airplane are all modes of transportation. They are not transportation any more than ‘grace’ is chastening. A car can be also used for storage at times. Or at times one can just sit in it for a quiet place to meditate. But just as a car can transport us from Georgia to Pennsylvania, so too, can grace, which is defined as God’s favor or God’s love, be used by God to chasten us because we are told:

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth [ Greek – paideuo], and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

What is the mode of that chastening? We are told in no uncertain terms:

Tit 2:11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching [ Greek – paideuo – same Greek word translated ‘chasteneth’ in Heb. 12:6] us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Now let’s look at the verses you ask about and see if our understanding of what grace does, that is chastening us, makes any sense.  You ask:
Is the same word for grace in Rom 5:20 the same word used in Rom.6:1  Shall we continue in sin that (chastisement) shall abound?
Let’s look at both verses:

Rom 5:20  Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

There is only one more verse in this chapter. This is the only verse there is between Rom 5:20 and Rom 6:1 the two verses you reference. Here then are those last two verses of chapter 5:

Rom 5:20  Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

Rom 5:21  That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Did you catch the point Paul is making in verse 21? “Grace reigns through righteousness.”

Grace does not reign when we continue in our sins. And so Paul continues with this very same thought without even a break in chapter six verse one:

Rom 6:1  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2 God forbid . How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Can you see what Paul was dealing with? He was dealing with the doctrine of A. E. Knoch who founded the Concordant publishing Concern. Mr. Knoch’s doctrine is “Nothing you do or don’t do can affect your standing with God.” While it is true that everything we do or do not do was caused to be done by God “working all things after the counsel of His own will,” Mr. Knoch’s doctrine that “Nothing you do or do not do can affect your standing with God” flies in the face of Paul’s statement that “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound… grace reigns through righteousness… shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?”
What Paul was dealing with in this epistle to the Romans was the same spirit that tells us today that since Christ died for our sins, we do not have to quit sinning because ‘where sin abounds God’s favor much more abounds.’ That is the very essence of Mr. A. E. Knoch’s teaching that nothing you do or do not do can affect your standing with God.” God had simply blinded Mr. Knoch’s eyes to the teaching of the apostle Paul as to what grace does:

Tit 2:11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12  Teaching [ Greek – paideuo- chastens] us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Does the word grace mean chasten? No, it does not. The Greek word for ‘grace’ is ‘charis’. Here is Strong’s definition of this Greek word:

charis khar’- ece
From G5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude): – acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace (- ious), joy liberality, pleasure, thank (- s, – worthy).

But knowing the definition of the word ‘bat’ or the words ‘car’ or ‘train’ or ‘airplane’ does not tell us what those things can do. And neither does the definition of ‘grace’, “graciousness… favor…” tell us that “grace chastens.” But the fact that we are told in Tit 2:11-12 that “The grace of God has appeared to all men, chastening us to forsake ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live godly lives in this present age” shows us the truth of Heb 12:

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

I hope this helps you to see what ‘grace’ does as well as what grace is. ‘Grace’ is God’s “gracious love and favor.” But what does grace do for us? Well, when we sin grace does much more abound with God’s loving Fatherly chastening and scourging until we are brought to see that it feels so good when we finally quit banging our heads against the wall of “turning grace into lasciviousness.”

Jdg 1:4  For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Those who soft pedal the consequences of sin never admit to turning grace into lasciviousness. They will even tell you that if God’s spirit is in you that you will not sin like you once did. But with the same mouth, and in the same breath they will tell you “Nothing you do or don’t do will affect your standing with God. And if you ever go so far as the apostle Paul and tell others to “Be careful to maintain good works,” these same people who profess such a high regard for the apostle Paul will accuse you of teaching heresy.
I hope this is all of some edification for you. If you have any futher questions please feel free to write me.
Mike

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