Can the average layperson ever understand the difference between "Grace" and "Works?"?

Answer 1

Of course! I'm an average layperson and I have at least a wroking understanding of the two. If you mean, "can a person understand it without any work or study," my answer becomes a resounding "NO!" It's an important concept and deserves our attention.

The only way for any of us to get to Heaven and live with Jesus is by grace. No human could ever earn his way there. It's like trying to swim to Hawaii. There was an excellent illustration going around youth groups a few years ago. Let's say Pastor, the Youth Leader, and I all try to swim to Hawaii. We start near L.A. and dive in. I'm not much of a swimmer, so I tire out and drown after about 500 yards. The Youth Leader swims pretty well and makes it nearly a mile from shore before he gets tired and sinks to the bottom. The Pastor, however, has been in training for this. He's studied and trained and is in great shape. He swims about 15 miles out before he tires and drowns. Hmmmm. Who made it to Hawaii? Nobody! Is it possible that we can all fail at something? Yep! All humans fail at trying to work their way to Heaven. We just plain can't. That's works.

Grace means it's all up to God. Jesus has done the work on the cross when He accepted the punishment for all your sins and mine and everyone else's. We need to have faith in that work. By grace (which is defined as unmerited favor) we are saved and brought into right relationship with Him. In loving gratitude, we follow and obey and serve Him as best we know how. We learn and grow and figure out how to serve Him better. We are not earning our way to Heaven, we are thanking God because He's already paid the ticket for us.

We do need to confess and repent of our sins. A just and holy God can't tolerate sinfulness. We need to let Him clean our hearts from the inside out. Then we can have relationship with Him by grace, His grace. When you sin again (when, not if) you confess and repent again. If you become callous and pretend to repent without really meaning it or asking His help to change, you need to become aware of that and then repent of that attitude.

I'd better quit. Grace is one of my favorite subjects; I could go on about it for hours -- but won't.

Answer 2

It depends on what you mean by layperson. I am a Christian and I know the difference. But if you ask me what Grace means and then ask a Mormon what grace means, you will get two totally different answers. Which is really quite complicated to explain when you try to compare the two beliefs. So, even though someone says they understand what the difference is between Grace and Works.. they might have their own understanding of what each of those are, but have a totally different definition for each.

Answer 3

Yes....
Everyone who reads this will know the difference between "grace" and "works".

Grace- getting something that you don't deserve.

Mercy- not getting what you do deserve.

Works- the fruit you produce as a Christian "layperson"

Answer 4

Understanding the difference between grace and works is not something that the clergy has a monopoly on any true born again christian knows that grace is the gift given for the forgiveness of our sins. Works are those good things that we want to do as a result of grace.

Answer 5

Yes. I think it all has to do with the seed that has been planted within that person. Plus the average lay person probably stands more of a chance to understand the 'grace v works' reality.
Mat 19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Note that it is harder not for a lay person but for a rich person. None of us shouls get consumed by the material things this world has to offer. God will reveal the things of Himself to those whom He chooses.
Matthew 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Phi 3:15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

Answer 6

Layperson?

Answer 7

Can they? Yes. Do they? No. Unfortunately, this is one of the major things that keeps Christians from experiencing the abundant life Christ talked about. ANYTHING added to the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross is a work. Grace and works are mutually exclusive (Romans 11:6). A little leaven spoils the whole loaf so it doesn't take much works to spoil a person's understanding of grace.

Answer 8

No. The average layperson doesn't commit enough time to proper study of scripture. And then it doesn't help that others who think they know teach these things incorrectly anyway.

Answer 9

I would hope that all Christians would know the difference, and aren't most Christians laypersons

Answer 10

I'm going to make this simple to understand because there has always been a lot of controversy over this. people have not understood the context in the word works in the new testament. This is an example of the correct context. works is faith in action. if you say you believe in Christ yet you do not walk in faith, trusting in him, then you could not say that you have faith and works. the context that you have in your question does not even apply to Christians. that applies to all non-believers who are under the law not Grace.