Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer wrote: Grace—a much misunderstood feature of
God's ways with lost men—is itself a revelation and all human hearts not
having this truth of Scripture revealed will be unable to comprehend it
or to adjust themselves to its provisions. Grace is not mercy or love.
In Eph_2:4-5 these three doctrinal words appear severally and in their
individual, specific manner: “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his
great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath
quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;).” Speaking
first of mercy, it is defined as that compassion in God which moved Him
to provide a Savior for the lost. If He had been able to save even one
soul on the basis of His sovereign mercy alone, He could have saved
every person on that basis and the death of Christ would have been
rendered unnecessary. As for divine love, it is an emotion of infinite
character, the motivating purpose back of all that God does in saving a
soul. But since God is holy and righteous too and the sinner's sins are
an offense to Him, He might perfectly desire to save a soul and still be
utterly helpless to do so in the light of the claims which divine
righteousness make against the sinner. Not until those claims are met
can God's infinite love realize its desire. Therefore, to come now to
the third definition, grace is what God may be free to do and indeed
what He does accordingly for the lost after Christ has died on behalf of
them. “By grace are ye saved” (Eph_2:8). When thus released from His
holy demands against the sinner by the sacrificial death of Christ, and
that sacrifice is accepted intelligently, the love of God will never be
satisfied until He has done all He can do for such a one. The greatest
thing God can do, reverently speaking, is to make someone like His Son.
Such, then, will be the destiny of everyone who believes (Rom_8:29;
1Jn_3:2). Since grace only represents what God can and will do for those
who trust the Savior, it must needs function apart from all human works
or cooperation. It calls for no more than confidence in the only One who
can save.
The
Scriptures assign to the operating of grace the only salvation now offered to
sinful men. God's grace also provides security for the saved one. This is done
by continuing the grace work of God with the individual in spite of his
imperfections. Grace also undertakes to direct the saved one in the new manner
of his daily life after he has been saved. A new motive for this is set up by
the fact that the one saved was perfected forever in the sight of God as being
in Christ, therefore partaking of His merit and standing forever. Nothing of
merit need be added to that which is perfected forever (cf. Joh_1:16; Rom_5:1;
Rom_8:1; Heb_10:14). Hence the obligation to gain merit is removed completely,
and the whole law system with its merit ceases to be applicable to the saved one
under grace. He is no longer under law, but under grace (Rom_6:14). The new
problem becomes that of how a perfected person should walk in this world. Grace
teaches the saved one concerning his holy walk in daily life. The standard is as
high as heaven itself. God requires, and with reason, that the saved one, by
reason of being a citizen of heaven, should live according to the standards of
heaven (cf. Joh_13:34; Eph_4:1, Eph_4:30; 1Th_5:19).
GRACE: GOD'S
UNMERITED FAVOR
"Grace" is so much
of a characteristic of God (like His love), that human words do not adequately
express its meaning.
Romans 3:24
begins: "BEING JUSTIFIED FREELY BY HIS GRACE"
Some have defined
"Grace" as "Undeserved Mercy", and this is true. However, all mercy is
undeserved; that's the meaning of mercy. GRACE is more than mercy. Mercy gets a
criminal off the hook and out of jail, but GRACE pays the debt of the criminal
and sets him free to enjoy the good life.
When we say that
GRACE is "Unmerited Favor", we are saying that this favor cannot be earned. It's
not just that you don't have to earn it. The fact is, you cannot earn it. Since
we are all sinners, there is nothing that we can do to gain God's favor. Even if
you did good works continuously from here on out, and sacrificed all your time
to help others, and did great and wonderful things 24 hours a day for the rest
of your life to please God, God still would not accept you or your efforts
because He is Holy and you are still a sinner. You cannot work off your sins.
God's salvation is
not merited, it is a GIFT of God! – See Ephesians 2:8, 9. The word for "GRACE"
(in the Greek) is "Charis." The word for "GIFT" (in the Greek) is "Charisma." It
is easily seen that the very root meaning of the word GRACE is GIFT.
Romans 11:6 is a
verse that clearly contrasts "WORKS" with "GRACE." It does that because they are
exact opposites. A gift is something given freely, but work is something that
you do to earn a wage. Romans 6:23 tells us what wages we have coming to us:
"FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE, THROUGH
JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD."
We really don’t
want what our sins have earned for us. Rather we want the gift that comes from
God through Christ. Since we began to study Romans 3:21-24, we have seen that
God's righteousness has been made available to all of mankind today, but it is
only imputed to those who believe. Then God, upon that faith, justifies or
declares the sinner righteous. Now we learn that all of this is done "FREELY BY
HIS GRACE." What a wonderful God we have!
Ephesians 3:1-5
teaches us that God's message of GRACE was first revealed to Paul. It was
through the Apostle Paul that God's Word of GRACE was preached to the Gentiles.
Galatians 1:13-16
gives testimony that God's GRACE was what changed Paul from being the number one
enemy of Christ into Christ's number one preacher among the Gentiles.
I Timothy 1:11-16
explains why God used Paul for this job of making His GRACE known. It was
because Paul's conversion is the pattern of grace. Paul deserved the most severe
punishment of hell, but by the grace of God he was saved and given the right (as
all believers have today), to sit with Christ in heavenly places - (see
Ephesians 2:6).
We have said:
"Mercy gets the criminal off the hook, but grace pays his debt". Romans 3:24
goes on to tell us that the reason God is free to deal with mankind today in
GRACE is because of what Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the Cross. The Lord
Jesus Christ paid our debt of sin and, in receiving Him, we are set free to
enjoy God's love and to live in His favor!
PRACTICAL POINT:
Everything required for my Salvation has been supplied by God. Salvation is the
work of God in my behalf. Now, to get that point through our stubborn thick
human heads, we are told that justification is unmerited and undeserved on our
part. On the other hand, it is given freely to us on God's part. It could not be
made any clearer. Salvation comes to us, not on the basis of works, but on the
basis of a free gift from God.
Since I am now in
God's favor apart from any good works of my own, then-- if I happen to do a bad
deed-- it does no change God's attitude toward me.
Before you jump to
any conclusion, please understand; this does not mean that a believer is free to
go out and continue sinning. Contrary to popular opinion--but in accordance with
Scripture--as a Believer dwells upon this grace of God in which he now stands,
it will motivate him to do good works! – see Titus 2:11, 12.
The Nature of Grace
Dr. William R. Newell
1. Grace is God acting freely, according
to His own nature -- as Love; with no promises or obligations to fulfill; and
acting of course, righteously -- in view of the cross.
2. Grace, therefore, is uncaused in the recipient: its cause lies wholly in the
GIVER, in GOD.
3. Grace, also is sovereign. Not having debts to pay, or fulfilled conditions on
man's part to wait for, it can act toward whom, and how, it pleases. It can, and
does, often, place the worst deservers in the highest favors.
4. Grace cannot act where there is either desert or ability: Grace does not help
-- it is absolute, it does all.
5. There being no cause in the creature why Grace should be shown, the creature
must be brought off from trying to give cause to God for His Grace.
6. The discovery by the creature that he is truly the object of Divine grace,
works the utmost humility: for the receiver of grace is brought to know his own
absolute unworthiness, and his complete inability to attain worthiness: yet he
finds himself blessed -- on another principle, outside of himself!
7. Therefore, flesh has no place in the plan of Grace. This is the great reason
why Grace is hated by the proud natural mind of man. But for this very reason,
the true believer rejoices! For he knows that "in him, that is, in his flesh, is
no good thing"; and yet he finds God glad to bless him, just as he is!
The Place of Man under Grace:
1. He has been accepted in Christ, who is his standing!
2. He is not "on probation."
3. As to his life past, it does not exist before God: he died at the Cross, and
Christ is his life.
4. Grace, once bestowed, is not withdrawn: for God knew all the human exigencies
(needs) beforehand: His action was independent of them, not dependent upon them.
5. The failure of devotion does not cause the withdrawal of bestowed grace (as
it would under law). For example: the man in I Cor. 5.1-5; and also those in
11.30-32, who did not "judge" themselves, and so were "judged by the Lord, --
that they might not be condemned with the world"!
The Proper Attitude of Man under Grace:
1. To believe, and to consent to be loved while unworthy, is the great secret.
2. To refuse to make "resolutions" and "vows"; for that, is to trust in the
flesh.
3. To expect to be blessed, though realizing more and more lack of worth.
4. To testify of God's goodness, at all times.
5. To be certain of God's future favor; yet to be ever more tender in conscience
toward Him.
6. To rely on God's chastening hand as a mark of His kindness.
7. A man under grace, if like Paul, has no burden regarding himself; but many
about others.
Things Which Gracious Souls Discover:
1. To "hope to be better" is to fail to see yourself in Christ only.
2. To be disappointed with yourself, is to have believed in yourself.
3. To be discouraged is unbelief, -- as to God's purpose and plan of blessing
for you.
4. To be proud, is to be blind! For we have no standing before God, in
ourselves.
5. The lack of Divine blessing, therefore, comes from unbelief, and not from
failure of devotion.
6. Real devotion to God arises, not from man's will to show it; but from the
discovery that blessing has been received from God while we were yet unworthy
and undevoted.
7. To preach devotion first, and blessing second, is to reverse God's order, and
preach law, not grace. The Law made man's blessing depend on devotion; Grace
confers undeserved, unconditional blessing: our devotion may follow, but does
not always do so, -- in proper measure.
Studies in Deuteronomy
by William R. Newell
Instead of blessing the people altogether on the ground of promise, that is
altogether in view of Christ's coming work, He says "If you obey My law, I will
bless you." Obedience first, then blessing, is the order under the law. There is
nothing for the people to fall back on, except their own obedience now. They may
indeed remember that they are God's chosen people, according to His covenant
with the fathers: but the law has come in since those days, and they are under
it. So Moses insists, in Deuteronomy, on their obedience as the condition of
everything, as they are about to enter their inheritance.
Now the position of the Christian is entirely different. It is of absolute
importance that we understand this. Thousands upon thousands of Christians today
are in bondage because they do not see the essential difference between our
position and that of Israel under the law. Now, Israel depended upon their own
obedience to get their blessings in the land. Christians get their blessings
because Christ obeyed in their stead. This gives them rest of heart, so that
they have leisure to love God for His own sake, and learn to delight in His
will.
But there are hardly any Christians who dare believe this. That is, they cannot
apprehend such grace as this. They think, of course, that their blessings depend
upon their faithfulness, their earnestness, their consecration, etc. But, this
is not to be under grace (where God says we are Rom. 4:14) but under law; that
is, under responsibility to do, in order to have, which is the order of the law,
not that of grace.
Grace says, "You have been blessed already, in Christ Jesus, with all spiritual
blessings." Eph. 1:3 The only obedience that pleases God now, is the obedience
of FAITH, which enters boldly in, and appropriates these things that Christ's
obedience unto death has secured for us.
Now I know someone will read these words who will say: ''Yes 'but we must do our
part', ere we can claim or enjoy these spiritual blessings." The which shows
that such a person is at heart, a miserable legalist to this day believing
neither that Christ is the end of the law, nor that His work has really made
these heavenly things actually ours. This is the hellish insult that unbelief
ever flings into the face of God, that His Word is not good for the exact face
of it.
The primary reason Christians today are living such unhappy, such empty, such
weak and fruitless lives, is not (I dare to say it), that they are "not
consecrated," "not surrendered," "not self-denying," "not obedient," not this
and that and the other that the thousand and one preachers of legal holiness are
complaining -- not these at all: the trouble, the one great trouble, is,
Christians do not believe that they are free from the law, in Christ Jesus; and
that they already have the glorious blessings they are seeking after, and need
only claim them, to enjoy them. People dare not believe that Christ has done all
the obeying and fulfilling for them, and that "their part" is simply to enter in
and enjoy the infinite spoils of Christ's victory.
Someone needs to die for this great truth in their own day, as Paul died for it
once and all the martyrs since. God bring it back to the church, this glorious
truth of grace! "By the obedience of the ONE, the many are made righteous," and
are blessed for His sake alone. Rom 5 Eph 3.
GRACE: Old
Scofield Bible Summary
(1) Grace is "the
kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man. . . Not by works of
righteousness which we have done" (Tit_3:4); (Tit_3:5).
It is, therefore,
constantly set in contrast to law, under which God demands righteousness from
man, as, under grace, he gives righteousness to man (Rom_3:21); (Rom_3:22);
(Rom_8:4); (Phm_3:9). Law is connected with Moses and works; grace with Christ
and faith; (Joh_1:17); (Rom_10:4-10). Law blesses the good; grace saves the bad;
(Exo_19:5); (Eph_2:1-9). Law demands that blessings be earned; grace is a free
gift; (Deu_28:1-6); (Eph_2:8); (Rom_4:4); (Rom_4:5).
(2) As a
dispensation, grace begins with the death and resurrection of Christ
(Rom_3:24-26); (Rom_3:4); (Rom_3:24); (Rom_3:25). The point of testing is no
longer legal obedience as the condition of salvation, but acceptance or
rejection of Christ, with good works as a fruit of salvation, (Joh_1:12);
(Joh_1:13); (Joh_3:36); (Mat_21:37); (Mat_22:24); (Joh_15:22); (Joh_15:25);
(Heb_1:2); (1Jo_5:10-12). The immediate result of this testing was the rejection
of Christ by the Jews, and His crucifixion by Jew and Gentile (Act_4:27). The
predicted end of the testing of man under grace is the apostasy of the
professing church.
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