What does grace mean exactly? The dictionary defines grace as:

1. Free and unmerited favor or beneficence of (or help from) God.

2. A disposition to kindness and compassion; benign (a want to do good) good will.

3. A state (the way something is with respect to its main attributes) of sanctification (making something Holy) by God.

What does the Bible teach us about grace? Let's start with a parable from Jesus Christ. The Parable of the Vine and the Branches; which can be found in John 15:1-11

First Jesus Christ compares himself to a vine and compares God to the husbandman or farmer who tends to the vines.

Jesus then teaches that those that "beareth not fruit" the husbandman or God will take them away. Everyone or every branch that "beareth fruit" the husbandman will purgeth; meaning to test; so that we may "bring forth more fruit."

From this we learn we become clean when we listen to the words of God. As we keep Christ in our lives He uplifts us.

For example, when we go to school we have to take tests. How do we pass the tests? We study all that we have learned before the test. That way when we get to the test we know we did all we could do to pass; by studying. As we take the test we remember what we studied. If we don't study we won't learn what we need to pass the test.

In this aspect when we apply that to life when we do all we can to follow the commandments of God when we fall it is Christ's sacrifice that picks up where we left off. It is at this point that by putting our faith in God that the grace of Christ works.

Without Christ we wouldn't get anywhere. Now, I'm not saying that all those famous celebrities are religious or that without Christ we would be homeless. I am saying that in an eternal perspective without Christ we can't live with God. We must be tested or purged by the husbandman before harvesting.

Next we learn that those that turn away from the teachings of God will be gathered and placed in a symbolic fire to be burned. In reality they will be cut off by the presence of God.

Listening to the words of God will produce the answer we want and or need, but in God's time. By following the commandments we glorify the Father (husbandman); God; and become disciples. We are taught to love one another as Jesus loves us; as God loves us. This requires action. To love someone you must show it.

There are always two sides to each promise. Our side and God's side; to which God always keeps his promises, do we?

After all that is done come the blessings and the process of purging starts again. It is not until judgment day that the harvesting will occur.

What have we learned so far? That we must produce fruits to show our love of God so he can test us so we know where our faith is and produce more fruits to gain the waiting blesses God promises from obedience. So what are fruits?

Fruit is defined as it applies here as: the consequence of some effort or action.

I don't know about you, but to me that sounds like works. The parable of the vine and the branches teaches us that we must put forth good fruits or good works through our efforts of faith for grace to work.

Ephesians 2:8-9 teaches that works in which a man or woman boasts is not through faith in God. That the faith we show we have of God produces the works spoken of in James 2:14-26; who teaches "faith without works is dead."

Romans speaks of grace throughout its chapters. Let's go over just a few. I will be inserting the definition of grace and other words as they apply within [these markings].

1:5 reads: "By whom we have received grace [or help] and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name."

We gain grace through obedience to the faith.

3:24 "Being justified freely by his grace [help] through the redemption [salvation] that is in Christ Jesus."

Through the redemption or salvation of Christ we gain grace freely.

4:16 "Therefore, it is of faith, that it might be by grace [help]; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all."

Through faith like unto Abraham comes grace.

5:17 "For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace [help] and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)"

Just because Adam sinned does not make us sinners. Through Jesus Christ's sacrifice comes grace.

6:15 "What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace