Grace
Grace is undeserved acceptance and love received from another, especially the characteristic attitude of God in providing salvation for sinners. For Christians, the word "grace" is virtually synonymous with the gospel of God's gift of unmerited salvation in Jesus Christ.
The definition of God's grace comes from the Word of God. Like Paul, I can say:
I Corinthians 15:9-10 states, “For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
I Tim. 1:12-14 states, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; 13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.”
Was the Apostle Paul looking for God when he was saved? The answer to this question will reveal much about what true grace is. Paul was not looking for God. He was doing everything he could to avoid God. In Acts 9, it is revealed that Paul was on his way to Damascus with letters to persecute Christians. Paul was not trying to be saved, nor was he trusting in his works to be saved when God struck him down on the Damascus Road. God appeared to Saul (whose name would be changed to Paul). God also appeared to each unbeliever in the same way. No believer was seeking God until God first sought him. This is true grace, not a make believe grace. Grace is never a person performing a work, deed, or action, and then receiving the favor of God. True grace is when God appears to sinners, causes them to seek him, and be eternally satisfied in his presence.
The Apostle Paul was so convinced that his salvation and Christian service was all God's doing and not of his own merit that he could describe his apostolic calling as coming even before his birth. Galatians 1:15,16 states, “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:” He was an apostle solely because of God's grace (Rom. 1:5), and his entire ministry and teaching were due to that divine grace (gift). (Rom. 12:3; 15:15; 1 Cor. 3:10; 2 Cor. 1:12; Gal. 2:9; Eph. 3:2,7,8).
There is too profound a sense of human sin to believe that a person could ever earn God's acceptance.
Romans 3:23 declare, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
Listen to Romans 3:10-11, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” These verses are a quote from Psalms 14:1-3, which states, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. 2 The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. 3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
As a Pharisee, Paul sought to earn God’s acceptance by fulfilling the divine law. When Paul was saved, he came to see that it was not a matter of earning God's acceptance but rather of coming to accept God's acceptance of him through Jesus Christ. So, Paul came to see a sharp antithesis between law and grace. Law is the way of self-help; the law is supposedly a way of one earning their salvation. Grace is God's way of salvation; salvation is totally unearned.
Rom. 3:24 states, “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”
Romans 4:4 continue by stating, “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.”
Romans 11:5,6 confirms this truth by stating, “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”
Our text, Ephesians 2:8-10 repeats this eternal truth by stating, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Grace is appropriated by faith in what God has done in Christ. Romans 4:16 states, “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all” God's grace comes to sinners, not to those who merit (or perform physical acts to earn) God's acceptance. Listen to Romans 5:20-21, “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
It is through Christ's atoning work on the cross that God's grace comes to us, setting us free from the bondage of sin. Romans 3:24-31 states, “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. 29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: 30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”
Christ is the Representative who breaks the reign of sin and brings life and acceptance with God through divine grace. Romans 5:15-17 states, “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. 17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)”
God's grace is so bound up with Christ that we can speak of the "grace of our Lord Jesus Christ". II Cor. 8:9 states, “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” II Tim. 2:1 states, “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” It was in the beloved Son that God's grace came supremely to mankind (1 Cor. 1:4; Eph. 1:6-7; compare 2 Tim. 1:9).
In truth, grace is practically synonymous with the gospel. Grace brings salvation. Ephesians 2:5-8 states, “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”
Grace brings eternal life as stated in Romans 5:14-21, “Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. 15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. 17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Titus 3:7 states, “That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
To share in the gospel is to be a partaker of grace (Phil. 1:7; Col. 1:6). In Christ Jesus, God's grace is open to all people (Titus 2:11; compare 2 Cor. 4:15); but the experience of God's grace is conditional upon human response. It can be rejected or accepted (2 Cor. 6:1; Gal. 1:6; 5:4).
From the human perspective, the divine grace is a power that under girds the present life. God's grace abides in us (2 Cor. 9:14); we stand in it as declared by Rom. 5:1-5, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Our calling, our witness, our works are all based on the power of God's grace in our lives. II Thess. 1:11-12 declares, “Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: 12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” We sharply rejected any antinomian perversion of the gospel, which failed to recognize that the true experience of God's grace changes one's life in the direction of righteousness (Rom. 6:1-2 states, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Romans 6:14-15 declares, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” Grace never gives freedom to sin. Salvation by grace shows us a new power of the divine grace active in our lives in spite of his human weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). In fact, all who experience God's grace have gifts of that grace for ministry and service (Rom. 12:6; Eph. 4:7).
So pervasive was Paul's sense of God's grace that he always referred to it in the opening or closing of his letters. His usual salutation includes a wish for "grace" and "peace" upon his readers (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:3). Here Paul played upon the normal word of salutation in Greek letters (chairein-joy). Charis has a similar sound, but a world of difference. For the Christian, a reminder of God's grace in their lives is the richest word of greeting and the fullest source of joy.
How long are we saved? When we are saved, we are given the same kind of life that Jesus has – eternal life.
John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
John 3:36 states, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
John 10:28-30 declares, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and my Father are one.”
Saved until we sin? - T. V. preacher said we are saved until we sin. But there is no verse for that answer.
Why don’t people believe in eternal life? One fine Christian man told me he was afraid to turn people loose in this world with the thought they could sin and ask forgiveness and continue to live. He was afraid people would run to sin. He thought saved people should be afraid of losing their salvation so they would live right. I John 4:18 states, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”
So what do we do about sin in the life of the believer? I John 1:8-10 states, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
If we lose our salvation when we sin, where does chastisement come in? Hebrews 12:4-8 declares, “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. 5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.”