The church of Christ

stumble me

At Granby, MO

The 4th Annual Preachers Files Lectureship

Youth Gathering Oct 16th 2010

Amazing Grace (An Analysis of God's Grace)

In our last lesson, we looked in detail at Biblical obedience.  At the end of the lesson we touched on God's grace.  It is the purpose of this lesson to make an in depth study of God's grace from a Biblical perspective. 

Grace produces forgiveness through the blood of Christ:
Ephesians 1:7, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace"

Grace provides salvation from the condemnation of sin:
Ephesians 2:5, "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)" Acts 15:11, "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they".

The word of Grace builds a Christian up:
Acts 20:32, "And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified".

God's Grace is impartial:
Titus 2:11, "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men".

God's Grace calls: Galatians 1:15, "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace". 2 Timothy 1:9, "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began".

Christians have their hope through Grace: 2 Thessalonians 2:16, "Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace".

And Grace is accessed through Faith:
Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace are ye saved through faith..."

Christians stand in Grace: Romans 5:2, "By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God". 1 Peter 5:12, "By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand".

God's Grace is Conditional:

Gods Grace is conditional upon faith, Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace are ye saved through faith..."

A Christian can fall from God's Grace, Galatians 5:4, "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace".

God's Grace can be turned into lasciviousness, "Jude 4, "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ".

God's Grace is given to the humble, "James 4:6, "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble". 1 Peter 5:5, "Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble".

The Origin of Grace:

Grace is Given in Christ:
1 Corinthians 1:4, "I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ".

Ephesians 4:7, "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ".

God's Grace is Manifested in Christ:
2 Timothy 1:9-10, "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel".

God's Grace came by Jesus Christ:
John 1:17, "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ".

Romans 1:4-5, "And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name".

Grace is Given by God:
Romans 15:15, "Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God".  Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God".

Grace and Salvation:

Christians are saved by grace through faith: Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace are ye saved through faith..."

Christians are justified by grace: Romans 3:23-24, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus". Titus 3:7, "That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life".

Grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life: "Romans 5:20-21, "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord".  Those who do righteousness are righteous: "1 John 3:7, "Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous".

Grace cannot be earned: Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast".

For God to even reveal himself and his expectations is grace.

For God to reveal our violations against that will is grace.

For God to provide a way of atonement for sin is grace.

For God informing us of that atonement is grace.

For God to defer judgment to give us time to respond is grace.

For God revealing to us how to respond is grace.

There is much confusion on the role of "faith," "works," "law," and "grace."  People are frequently confused on what sorts of works are involved in our salvation vs. what sorts of works are completely excluded from the salvation process.

The very first thing to do is to insure that everyone is clear on whether or not man can save themselves. The answer is that we cannot. There is not anything we can do to put God in our debt. One important passage that teaches this clearly is the following:

Luke 17:10
"So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do."

If we had/have done all things commanded us, without exception, then we are still unworthy of God's gracious blessings. Thus, we cannot earn salvation! But, part of the confusion expressed in the ongoing give and take, is located in failing to distinguish types of works in Scripture. When the Bible says that "works do not justify" (Rom. 4:1f; 11:1f.), and "works justify" (James 2:14-26), it becomes pretty clear that either the Bible is hopelessly contradictory on this point, or more than one type of work is under consideration in the Bible. The latter choice is the correct one! Some works are completely excluded with reference to salvation, and some works are included! When those works that are included are performed, they do not merit salvation in any sense whatever.

WORKS THAT ARE EXCLUDED:

1. Works of the flesh (Galatians. 5:19-21);
2. Works of human merit (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:3-5);
3. Works of the Law (Galatians 2:16; Romans 3:20); and/or
4. Works of human devising (Romans 1:1-4).

WORKS THAT ARE INCLUDED:

1. Works of righteousness (Acts 10:34-35; John 6:28-29).

The question is (and always has been) whether our faith is active and submissive in the salvation process, or totally inactive and passive! Many argue that faith is totally inactive and passive.  The scriptures are clear that faith must be active and submissive (James 2). And, isn't it interesting that Abraham, the very one who is used by Paul to argue salvation apart from works of human merit and devising (Romans 4:1-5), is used by the author of Hebrews as well as James as the primary example of active and submissive faith (Hebrews 11:8, 17; James 2:24-26). One other example is used, namely, Rahab. Her faith was expressed through works (James 2:25-26), which the author of Hebrews defines as an obedient faith. Hebrews 11:31, "By faith Rahab the harlot perished not with them that were disobedient, having received the spies with peace". (ASV) Since Rahab didn't perish with those who disobeyed, she therefore must have been saved because she obeyed. 

Nothing in the process described in any way militates against salvation being by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Neither does it argue against salvation being FREE! God's gracious offers to man are always FREE.  Man can do nothing at all to purchase, earn, merit, or in any other way obtain that salvation apart from God's gracious offer. It does not, however, imply that nothing at all must be done by man to receive it.

If we think of grace as a comprehensive theological term standing for everything God does to procure my salvation, then it refers to His plan of salvation through history, the promises to the Patriarchs, preparation through prophecy, the life, teachings, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of our atoning sacrifice--the Christ, the establishment of the church, the announcing of terms of admission into the church-kingdom, etc. ALL of these things are expressions of God's grace. Mankind did nothing to provide it, could not earn it, and does not deserve it!

If we also think of faith as a comprehensive theological term standing for man's response to God's gracious offer, then faith, as a summarizing term, contains everything I do to avail myself of God's offer. It involves hearing, believing, repenting, confessing, being baptized, a life of loyal commitment, etc. Grace is God reaching down to fallen man through Christ; faith is man reaching upward to God through response. As such, it is always active, and never passive.

The availability of salvation, under any circumstances whatsoever, must be grace.

This is because God does not owe salvation to anybody. He would perfectly entitled to send a sinless man to eternal punishment. If God were to require nothing of us, not even faith, in order to receive salvation, it would be grace. If He were to require only acceptance of Jesus as the Son of God (many people wrongly consider this to be believing that Jesus is the Son of God), it would be grace. His making salvation available through obedience to the gospel plan is grace. If He extended salvation only to those who suffer fatal martyrdom, it would still be grace. Under all of these conditions, any provenance of salvation is grace, because He does not owe us anything, nor is there any possible set of circumstances by which God can be in debt to anyone that He has created.

God's grace is not some entity that operates to grant salvation indiscriminately and unconditionally; rather, God's grace consists of the fact that salvation is available by any means.  Consider the farmer who sows, waters, and in sundry other ways cultivates his crop. Could any man deny that the resulting harvest is not God's gift? Does the farmer who does everything right, but whose crop is destroyed by a freak storm, disease, locusts, or robbers, have a case against God? Can the farmer who fails to sow, water, weed, etc., rely on God's grace to receive a harvest anyway?

In the end, even if a Christian lived His entire life sinless from the moment of his conversion, he/she still cannot merit or deserve God's grace.  Nothing man did or can do had anything to do with bringing him the means of salvation from his own sin.  The scriptures teach that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  It cost God the life of His only begotten Son in order to provide mankind a means of salvation.  There is nothing man individually or collectively could do to either deserve or repay such a gift of Grace.  God's Son willingly came down here and gave His life at the hands of those He came to save in order to complete God's plan for man's salvation.  There is nothing man can do to deserve or repay that gift of Grace.  Without God's grace, there would have been no suitable sacrifice for our sins.  Take away God's gracious offer and man's hope dies.  Man absolutely cannot save himself without God's offering of grace. 

God's word is explicitly clear that grace is accessed through faith, Romans 5:2, "By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God"; Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace are ye saved through faith". The scriptures are replete with commands which are of divine origin.  Can mankind seriously contend that a person can hear of a command from God, decide that he will not obey that command, and having left this life with that command unfulfilled by his own choice, still have any hope for salvation though God's grace? Such a man is an unrepentant sinner.  Scripture clearly state that the unrepentant have no hope of salvation whatsoever (Luke 13:3). 

And as for being saved by faith: If any believe that they can disregard a command given in the name of Jesus Christ, by those empowered by Jesus to give such commands, then whatever ideas man has about Jesus do not qualify as faith that He is the Son of God. Faith does not just reside in man's head like a fish in a fishbowl; faith has specific results in one's conduct. Faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God results in unquestioning obedience. If there is no such obedience, there is no faith, and where there is no faith, there is no access to God's grace. 

The writer of this study gratefully acknowledges and used the work of Dick Sztanyo, Johnny Hinton and John VanSickle in the preparation.