The Grace of God
We have a change of theme, and with it, a new color scheme!
Blue in the Bible has different associations, depending on its hue. In Hebrew, the word for blue is tekelet, however, it can also be translated as “purple” (Eze. 23:6 ESV) or “violet” (Jeremiah 10:9 AMPC). Sapphire blue in the Bible represents the grace of God.
So, what is grace?
The word “grace” in the New Testament comes from the ancient Greek word charis, meaning “favor, blessing, or kindness”. The full significance of the meaning of grace is made apparent in John 1:17. In this Bible verse, the Apostle John compared the Mosaic Law, which confirmed our sinful nature (Romans 3:23), to the coming of Jesus, who not only brought us the Truth but enabled us to experience forgiveness and redemption by His gift of grace.
“The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
Grace is the unmerited favor of God. It is the love, forgiveness, blessings, and sanctification He gives us in the weakness of our sinful humanity and brokenness.
We do not deserve this gift of God, nor can we earn it. And yet, God freely gives us His grace because He loves us so much. In fact, the ultimate expression of God’s grace is His gift of Salvation, made possible through the death and resurrection of His precious Son, Jesus Christ.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—”
God’s grace is unlike the grace we can show our fellow man. It is holy, selfless, and a reflection of the perfect nature of God. Do you recall the biblical account of the woman with the issue of blood (Luke 8:40-48)? Where society had condemned her because of her medical condition, Jesus gave the woman the gift of His grace by healing her as soon as she touched the hem of His garment.
Jesus was a High Priest, a personification of the Word made flesh, both of which are represented by the color blue. In fact, a priest’s hem was blue; thus by touching the hem of Jesus’ garment, the woman literally recognized her desperate need for the grace of God.
In today’s broken world that is driven by self-advancement, money, materialism, and status, shouldn’t we be turning to God to receive His gift of grace that speaks the absolute Truth of His Word over our lives and enables us to live in the fulfillment of His plans and promises (Jeremiah 29:11)?
Shouldn’t we be flinging our arms open wide in acceptance of God’s gift of Salvation that only His grace can make possible?
Sources:
crossexamined.org, “Reference guide to the biblical symbolism of colors,” Brian G. Chilton.
color-meanings.com, “Biblical meaning of colors,” Jacob Oleson.
gotquestions.org, “What is the grace of God?”
desiringgod.com, “God’s grace is mind-blowing”
www.bibleref.com, “What does John 1:17 mean?