Presenting God's Grace

"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 we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Eph 2:8-10)

The doctrine of salvation by grace is a fundamental belief that is proclaimed throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Simply put, the doctrine of salvation by grace says that fallen mankind is unable to do anything to gain salvation of his own ability. He can neither pay the price for his own sin, nor can he deserve the sin payment made by Christ on the cross.

But to develop a deeper understanding of the meaning of salvation by grace, we need to know the five basic teachings that make up the grace doctrine:

Teaching #1 - Man, who was conceived in a sinful condition, is spiritually dead, This means he is separated from God and unable to gain the forgiveness of his sins by his own ability. Like a physically dead man needing CPR, a spiritually dead man cannot give spiritual life to himself, he must receive life through the intervention of his God. (Eph 2:1-3, 1 Cor 2:14)

Teaching #2 - God, before the world began, chose whom He would save. This choice was made by God based solely upon His will and plan for all mankind. (John 15:16, 1 Thess 1:4-5)

Teaching #3 - God sent His Son, Christ, to die on the cross to pay the sin debt exclusively for those He chose to save. If Christ died for those that will not be saved, His work is vain and incomplete at best. (John 10:14-15, Matt 1:21)

Teaching #4 - A spiritually dead man CANNOT come to Christ of his own accord. The Holy Spirit must call him with an inward, heart-felt call. When the inward call is issued the lost man will come to Him. The power of the Spirit cannot be refused. (Rom 8:28-30, John 6:37-45)

Teaching #5 - The salvation that God gives, because it is based entirely on the work of Christ, is an eternal salvation that cannot be undone or reversed. (Eph 4:30, Rom 11:29)

As we come to an understanding of the above truths from Scripture, we become more aware of the scope and depth of God's amazing grace. Simply put, due to our sinful condition and actions, we all were deserving of eternal punishment in the lake of fire. As sinful mankind, we didn't realize our condition nor did we desire the remedy for our condition.
But then God's grace appeared! He sent to us his Word that revealed to us our need. Then, through the Holy Spirit, He applied His Word to our hearts, drawing us to Him! As He drew us, He changed our desires, implanting in us the desire for His salvation and Lordship for our lives. We then trusted in His work on the cross (He died specifically for our individual needs) and then we submitted to His Lordship. He then granted to us an eternal heavenly abode where we will live in glorified bodies with Him eternally. This is true grace!

(Just a note: I only used a very few of the many verses that support each part of the doctrines of grace. For a more complete study of the doctrines of grace {including an explanation of the verses that seem to oppose these doctrines} please see my list of books available on Amazon.com below,)

Does the world benefit from understanding the different aspects of God's grace? Many would say absolutely not.

In my experiences, I have heard church leaders say that the declaration of God's grace leads to a lax, fatalistic attitude on the part of God's people. They go further to say that teaching grace to the lost will promote a helpless attitude causing them to reject their responsibility to repent and believe. But is this really the case? In most cases, I believe these mistaken concerns are held by those who love the Lord. They are trying to do what they believe is best for the cause of Christ.

However, I totally disagree with their beliefs. I have seen that when the doctrines of grace are taught ( if done to glorify the Lord and out of love and concern for those being taught) they are of great benefit to lost and saved alike.

First of all, on the part of those who are saved, coming to an understanding of the doctrines of grace, leads to an increased appreciation for what the Lord has done for them.
Without a complete understanding of grace, salvation can appear to be a joint achievement between God and man. In other words, it appears as if God did His part (sending His Son, Christ paying the price for our sins etc.) and man does his part (choosing to trust Christ, bringing himself to the Lord, and then reforming his life after salvation etc, etc.) . If this was the case, man could justly say, "I have two beings to thank for my salvation, my God who did the work, and also myself for making the right choices in my life".

What are the actual facts concerning our salvation? Our Lord did it all! He chose to save us, He paid the price for our sins on the cross, He touched our sin hardened hearts and showed us our need to be saved. Then, He brought us to Himself, He gave us the faith we needed to trust in Him, and then from that point forward, He inhabited our hearts and minds enabling us to serve Him.
What a difference it makes in our perception of our salvation experience!

For myself, and others who have been given the understanding of His grace, it motivates us to serve Him in greater ways.... after all He has done for us, how can we not serve Him? Since God has eternally secured the salvation of His people, what a blessing it is to be able to have a part of His eternal workings! By taking the gospel to all the lost, we are then shown to have been a part of His eternal plan to save His people. As we take His Word to the lost, we can then watch as He calls out His elect and saves them! What a privilege it is to be included in His plans!

Secondly, for those who are lost, the declaration of grace is also of great benefit.
Please keep in mind, that it is an absolute necessity for sinful man to come to Christ in total reliance upon Him. What better way to cultivate an attitude of absolute trust than through the doctrines of grace? Through the doctrines of grace a lost person comes to the conclusion that without Christ's intervention in his life, he is absolutely helpless. He cannot trust Christ nor choose Him of his own abilities. All he can do is throw himself upon Christ's mercies for his salvation. Coming to an understanding of deserving eternal punishment and complete helplessness to save oneself is what being humbled is all about. This is the perfect attitude that is needed for a lost man to sincerely trust Christ and Christ alone.

In today's society where the lost are told to "be baptized" or "join a church" or "walk down an isle" or "say the sinner's prayer", what a difference to be told, "you must totally throw yourself on Christ's mercy because you can do nothing to gain your own salvation". Also, "You must look to Christ totally for your salvation, you cannot trust your own works or abilities. Without Him ye can do nothing, but, You can do all things through Christ who gives you the strength". What a blessing it is to point the lost to Christ and Him alone. How sad when the lost are pointed to a work of baptism , prayer, or even a fleshly intellectual decision apart from Christ's intervention in their lives. I'm afraid many have a false sense of security, believing their fleshly work has brought salvation to their souls. In the last days, I truly believe the Lord will say to many, "Depart from me I never knew you..."

Thirdly, but just as importantly, "Why declare grace to all?" Because we are commanded to teach God's complete Word to the world. This total teaching of the Scriptures results in Him being glorified to the greatest extent.
Yes, we are to use our wisdom in giving milk to those who are babes and meat to those who are fully grown. However, during the course of my ministry, I have come to understand that the doctrines of grace are only the basics of God's workings among us. I believe the doctrines of grace are basic, fundamental truths of Scripture (the milk of the Word) that should be taught to all. By doing this, we are just beginning to glorify and honor Him in a manner in which He deserves. Apart from a full understanding of grace, no one can come to a knowledge of His majesty, His power and His love and mercy He has shown to His people.