Dear Friend,
Our God truly is a loving Father,
A Father who lavishly bestows His grace and favour upon His children. I have something a little different for you today: did you know that the Greek word translated as ‘grace’ in your English Bible could just as easily be translated as ‘favour’?
Think of it like this: the favour and grace of a mighty King towards his beloved subjects, or even more accurately, the favour of a loving King towards his precious sons and daughters—you! So, this list of God’s Favour Scriptures will include some never-before-seen verses, unless you’ve been following the progress of the Fear of God Bible Project.
In this new Bible revision, I have chosen to translate (χάρις, 5485) as favourable grace or favorable grace for my USA friends. This Greek word in English sounds like charis and is also the root word of charisma—translated as gift, which shares another root of chairo—translated as to rejoice.
So, you really do get the sense here of incredibly great gifts from a mighty King where the only logical response is, “Why me?” Like the beautiful hymn Amazing Grace!
Charis is used 156 times in 147 verses of the New Testament and quite literally birthed the Reformation when the Holy Spirit revealed the power of His grace to Martin Luther, who then got to work and nailed his treatise to the church door! The Apostles also use it a total of 33 times just in their greetings and farewells, so you know they understood its importance.
I pray you are mightily blessed as you read these unique verses about God’s favour (bolded below) that He bestows willingly on all of us as His prodigals!
The First Time We See God’s Favourable Grace in the New Testament
It’s wonderfully fitting that the first time we see the Greek χάρις (charis) is when an angel announces to Mary the arrival of the Lord Jesus in Luke 1. The next time we see it, we learn how Jesus matures in יהוה YAHWEH’s favour as a child. It’s clear from the first scripture that God’s favour, first and foremost, is The Gift of Him (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and not just ‘stuff’!
PS: If you are new to the Fear of God Bible, we use the original Hebrew names for God, people, and places, like Yerushalayim (Foundation of Peace) instead of Jerusalem.
(30) The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid Miryam! Because you have found favourable grace with יהוה (Yahweh).” (31) Behold, you will conceive in your womb and carry a Son and you will name Him, Yeshua (יהוה YAH’S Salvation)! (32) This One will be great and will be called the Son of El-Yon (God Most High) and יהוה YAHWEH, Elohim will give Him the throne of David (Beloved), His father.
Luke 1:30-32
(40) Now the Child grew and strengthened, increasing in wisdom and יהוה Yahweh's favourable grace was upon Him.
Luke 2:40
(52) ישוע Yeshua kept progressing in wisdom, maturity and favourable-grace with יהוה Yahweh and men.
Luke 2:52
God’s Favour is Connected to a Divine Inheritance
God’s favour is also connected by Jesus in His hometown sermon to the Jubilee Festival. This amazing time was part of the Judean Torah (Divine Instructions) that required people to forgive the financial debts of their brothers. The land was restored back to the original families and clans to whom God had given it, and to say it was supposed to be a time of jubilant joy would be an understatement. But scholars aren’t sure if the Israelites ever actually observed it for any significant length of time.
The fact that Jesus stood up in His hometown and informed them that the remarkable Isaiah Jubilee prophecy was completed in Him was a powerful statement. This shows us that God’s favour on us is for the forgiveness of spiritual debts first, which will then overflow in unique and special ways to you personally in the natural too.
I think it’s also interesting to note how even our decision to choose Him at the point of salvation rebirth is His favourable grace as you will see in these verses.
Isaiah’s Jubilee Prophecy
Luke 4:18-22
(18) The רוּחַ Spirit (Ruach) of יהוה Yahweh is upon Me,
Because of which, He’s anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor,
Sending Me to proclaim forgiving release to captives,
Recovery of sight to the blind,
To send out a release to those being oppressed,
(19) To keep proclaiming the delightful year of יהוה Yahweh.
(20) He rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the synagogue servant and sat down and all eyes in synagogue were fixated upon Him. (21) Now He began saying this to them, “Today this writing has been completed in your ears.” (22) Everybody testified well of Him and were astounded at the words of favourable-grace proceeding from His mouth! They also were saying, “Isn’t this Yosef’s (He will Add) son?”
(33) With great power, the ambassadors gave testimony to the resurrection of Adonai (Lord) Yeshua and great favourable-grace was upon them all. (34) For there wasn’t anybody needy among them because whoever had possessions, owners of land or houses would sell to bring the value of the sales (35) and lay by the ambassador’s feet. Now they would distribute to each, according to any maybe having need.
Acts 4:33-35
(27) Now he wanted to go across to Achaia (Trouble; Wailing) and the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, this helped greatly those believing through favourable grace, (28) for he passionately convicted the Judeans in public. He demonstrated through The Writings, that Yeshua was HaMashiach (Messiah).
Acts 18:27-28
(32) Now I set you before יהוה Yahweh’s Word of His favourable-grace which is able to build and give you an inheritance among all the holy ones.
Acts 20:32
(11) But rather we believe that we’re saved through the favourable-grace of Adonai (Lord) Yeshua, in the same way as them.
Acts 15:11
How to Use God’s Favour with Others
When you receive God’s favour in your life, it’s always for a greater purpose than just yourself. From the abundant overflow of God’s favour, you will increasingly be in a position to bless others through how you treat and serve them.
(31) Just as you want people to do to you, do to them in the same way. (32) If you love those loving you, what favourable grace becomes to you? For even deviators love those, loving them. (33) If you do good to those doing good to you, what favourable grace becomes to you? They also, the deviators do that! (34) If you lend from whom you expect to receive, what favourable grace becomes to you? Deviators also lend to deviators to receive equally? (35) Nevertheless, love your enemies, do good, lend, don’t despair at all, and your reward will be great and you will be sons of El-Yon (God Most High) because He’s kind to the ungrateful evil ones. (36) Become merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Luke 6:31-36
(46) Day by day, both powerfully devoted with one mind in the Palatial Temple and by house breaking bread, they had a share of food in jubilant-joy and simplicity of heart. (47) Praising יהוה Yahweh and having favourable grace with all people. Now daily, Yahweh added upon them, the ones being saved.
Acts 2:46-47
(8) Now Stephen (Crown), full of favourable grace and power performed great wonders and miraculous-signs in the people.
Acts 6:8
A WARNING:
You Can Get Out of Sync with God’s Favour
In the following scripture, we see that new believers, rather than unbelievers, are strongly urged to remain in God’s favour. This isn’t necessarily a question of salvation, but if you feel this might apply to your life, the best advice is to humble yourself and pray to God. Always thank Him for His shed blood, which removes any and all deviations (sins) from His perfect way. Here’s the verse.
(42) Now they went out and the people urged that these spoken-words might be told to them in the next Shabbat. (43) And once the synagogue was released, many of the Judeans and God-fearing converts followed Paul and Bar-Nabba, who spoke to them, urging them to remain in the favourable grace of יהוה Yahweh.
Acts 13:42-43
God’s Favour is Connected with Miraculous Signs and Wonders
Now, signs and wonders can make some Christians nervous, but here’s a thought: even the fact that you have immense peace in the midst of a chaotic world right now is a sign and wonder! So even if you’ve never yet witnessed a healing miracle or anything else in an atmosphere where Jesus is glorified, it doesn’t make you any less if you have His trademark of Holy Spirit peace!
The first verse below shows there’s a choice when it comes to signs—will you believe that God did it because Jesus’ name was glorified, or will you have more ‘faith’ in the enemy doing it?
(3) Therefore they indeed spent considerable time speaking boldly on the Adonai and were testifying to the Word of His favourable grace, by giving miraculous-signs and wonders to happen through their hands. (4) But the multitude of the city were split and some for sure, sided with the Y'hudim (Judeans) and some with the emissaries.
Acts 14:3-4
Final Thoughts and a Prayer for God’s Favour
I’m sure you’ll agree that the verses above are unique and ultimately show that He is the treasure for which you sell everything to buy the field, as Jesus said. God’s favour begins at the point where He removes the veil from your eyes and you come into your right mind to choose Him wholeheartedly at the altar of salvation.
This spiritual marriage covenant allows your spirit to become one with His Set-Apart Holy רוּחַ (Ruach) Spirit, and every day His wonderful visitations towards you grow and renew your spirit. This is such a special gift from Him, as it’s a fresh daily deposit of His mercies, favourable grace, and shalom peace for you.
If this doesn’t seem to be your current reality with Him, I am here today to tell you that it’s available and is the most beautiful daily gift you’ll ever receive in this world and the next. I speak from experience as someone who, after 28 years of dry and stale religion, received a fresh touch one glorious day, and NOTHING was ever the same again!
So I encourage you to pray with me:
My Lord Jesus,
I thank You for the steep bridal price You paid for me,
Because I know You loved me first,
So that I can love You and others more fully.
I thank You for everything You’ve done in my life already!
I believe wholeheartedly that You died for me,
And Abba-Father, wow, just wow! Through Your Almighty power of Your Holy Spirit,
You raised Him up from death
To seat Him upon Your glorious throne.
You just love to give me little previews, don’t You?
To show me what will fully happen to me one day,
That one glorious day, when You raise me up too,
In my own glorified body to celebrate with King Jesus!
But right now, my heart is aching,
With many different conflicting thoughts
[Give any burden to Him now]
I know deep down that my future in You is bright,
But right now, all I know is that I need You more!
I will never go from glory to glory without You,
So I ask, My Abba Father, in Jesus’ name for a fresh deposit of Your Holy Spirit,
My treasured gift in this fragile clay pot of mine.
Thank You, Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. Amen!