Word studies · Greek · Strong's G5485
χάρις · cháris · appears 155 times in the New Testament
In one line: Undeserved kindness or favor freely given.
For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God,
Ephesians 2:8
Grace is God's unearned favor and generosity toward people — a gift freely given, not a wage paid for merit.
In Paul's letters especially, grace names the free, undeserved kindness God extends in Christ, the basis on which sinners are forgiven and given new standing before God. It is favor given, not favor earned.
Charis is rooted in the idea of what is pleasing or delightful, and in everyday Greek described a favor done for someone, or the charm that made someone attractive. New Testament writers took this ordinary word for “gift” or “kindness” and used it to describe the character of God's dealings with humanity in Christ.
Because charis in common usage described a favor with an expectation of return, its New Testament use is striking precisely because it removes that expectation — grace is a gift that cannot be repaid or earned, which is what makes “salvation by grace” such a countercultural claim in its original setting.
Charis (G5485) is the root of the English word “charisma,” and is also the word behind “eucharist” (eu-charis), the term many churches use for communion.
Grace is central to Paul's gospel: “For by grace you have been saved through faith... it is the gift of God, not a result of works.” It reframes salvation as something received rather than achieved, and grounds Christian assurance in God's character rather than human performance.
Let grace shape how you treat people who don't “deserve” your kindness — since you've received undeserved favor, extend it rather than keeping score. Consider one relationship where you can offer grace instead of insisting on what's fair.
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)
So the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
Luke 1:30The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Acts 2:47Through Him and on behalf of His name, we received grace and apostleship to call all those among the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.
Romans 1:5Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:2Press and hold grace in any chapter and this study opens on the verse you are reading, with the lexicons, every occurrence and the commentaries beside it. The Bible is free to read.
Scripture quoted from the Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Strong's definitions are public domain. Counts come from The Pillar's own tagged text.