Both the words `gift' and `grace' preclude human merit or mere attainment. Dorea is

used in Acts 2: 38; 8: 20; 10: 45 and 11: 17 for the special enduement with Holy

Spirit that was characteristic of Pentecostal times. In Paul's witness this is only used

once of such gifts, namely in Heb. 6: 4, the other references (Rom. 5: 15, 17;

II Cor. 9: 15; Eph. 4: 7), speaking of the grace of God in salvation and without special

reference to gifts as such. The form dorean which occurs nine times, and translated

`freely', `without a cause', `in vain' and `for nought' the more emphasizes the freeness of

the grace thus bestowed.

Charis `grace' is a term that is very characteristic of the ministry of Paul. James uses

the word twice, Peter twelve times, the epistles of John, Jude, the Revelation four times

between them, the gospels twelve times and the Acts sixteen times, whereas Paul uses the

word one hundred and ten times in his epistles! The distribution of the word `grace' in

Ephesians is as follows:

A | 1: 2. Grace to you.--Salutation.

B | 1: 6. Grace exhibited in salvation.

a | 1: 7. Riches. Redemption.

b | 2: 5. Saved.

a | 2: 7. Riches in ages to come.

b | 2: 8. Saved.

C | 3: 2. Dispensation of the grace of God.

B |  Grace manifest in service.

a | 3: 7. According to gift of grace.

b | 3: 8. Grace given to preach.

a | 4: 7. According to . . . . . gift of Christ.

b | 4: 29. Grace ministered to hearers.

A | 6: 24. Grace with all.--Benediction.

How truly does the divine arrangement of this word emphasize its place and

importance. No salvation is complete without it, and the very benediction is enriched by

it. It runs through the whole fabric of redemption, covering the ages past and to come

with its unction. It gives its name to the special dispensation committed to the Apostle

Paul, marking it off as pre-eminently one of grace.  It vitalizes the outcome of

redemption, namely service, being as much a necessity for the inspired and gifted Apostle

while preaching the Word, as for the individual believer in his everyday conversation.

While grace and works belong to two very different categories, as Rom. 11: 6 will

make very clear, grace can and should lead to works, even as Eph. 2: 8-10 has already

demonstrated. So the gift of grace given to the Apostle had not been bestowed in vain, as

he declared: