Crucial Questions We Must Ask About the Grace of God

© March 4, 2002 Bernie L. Gillespie All Rights Reserved.

How we answer these questions about grace will show how we believe about the Gospel. Our understanding must agree with the teaching of Scripture.

At the heart of the Gospel is the fact of God's love for all the world. This love of God is expressed by God's incarnation, living, dying and resurrection in Jesus Christ. This all was done because God loved us. It shows His love through His giving Himself for us. This giving is the grace or gift of God. The Cross tells us that God freely gives Himself for our forgiveness. Our forgiveness by Christ restores us to God. Through Him we are right with God. This being right is righteousness distinct from that which we have produced. It is solely and only by Jesus that we are right with God. We should be extremely cautious over trusting in anything other than Christ as our righteousness, and thus our salvation. These questions may help us to clarify whether we have faith in Christ alone or in Christ plus something else.

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT GOD'S GRACE IS ALL SUFFICIENT TO SAVE AND SANCTIFY US?

• You do if you believe that faith is trusting in God's work and not your obedience.

• You do if you understand that holiness is the work of the Spirit and not the work of the believer.

• If not, then God's grace is insufficient to make you righteous.

• If you don't believe it is sufficient, then you have received the grace of God in vain.

  	As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. 2 Co 6:1 1 NIV
  	Also, you have "failed of the grace of God:" See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Heb 12:15 NIV This is written to Christians.

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE SAVED BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU DO OR BECAUSE OF WHAT GOD HAS DONE?

• You do if you believe: 1) God who became human, as Jesus Christ; 2) He demonstrated His magnificent love by dying for your sins on the Cross; 3) He was raised up from the dead to free you from sin and death.

• If not, you may find yourself emphasizing what people have to do to be right with God.

• In addition, If you emphasize what people must do, then Paul says that "Christ died for nothing."

• And you may "frustrate the grace of God":

  • "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" Gal 2:21 NIV

• If Christ's offering for your sins is not sufficient, then you "despise" or "outrage" the Spirit of grace:

  • How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? Heb 10:29

DO YOU LIVE AS THOUGH YOUR SALVATION FOCUSES ON WHAT GOD HAS DONE OR ON WHAT YOU AS A BELIEVER DO?

Only Christ fully obeyed God's commands. By this righteousness perfect righteousness Christ is able to impute righteousness to those who trust in Him.

You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. Gal 5:4 NIV

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT CONTINUED SALVATION IS BASED ON YOUR PERFORMANCE, SUCH AS PRACTICES AND BEHAVIORS CALLED "HOLY OR GODLY LIVING"?

• If salvation is based on your performance, then you make salvation the result of debt.

• This means that God is obligated to save you because you "earned" salvation.

• Rom 4:4-5 points out that "when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness."

• By trusting in your behavior or performance you fall from the grace of God: Gal 5:4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. NIV

• A truly godly life must be lived by all Christians. The purpose is to glorify God. The motive is to thank God for His great grace, rather than as a means to earn continued salvation. Righteous living for salvation is self-centered, while living holy out of thankfulness for a gracious salvation is God-centered.

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE SAVED BY THE KEEPING OF A CODE OF "DOS AN DON'TS" OR BY THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS ON THE CROSS?

• If you believe you are saved by keeping a code or list of commands, then you believe in self-justification and not Christ-justification.

• Attempts to be saved on the basis of commandments does not lead to salvation but  instead, to the "curse."

  • All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them." Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." Gal. 3:10-13 NIV

• It is Christ who ever lives to make intercession for us.

  • Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Heb. 7:25 NIV

• Jesus is the Author and Completer / Perfecter of your faith.

  • Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb. 12:1-2 NIV

• If you live in faith that you are justified by the blood of Jesus Christ you "grow in grace."

  • Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 2 Pe 1:2 NIV

  • But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. 2 Pe 3:18 NIV

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THE RECEPTION OF THE SPIRIT IS A FREE GIFT OR A REWARD FOR BELIEVING, SEEKING, PRAYING, OR ENDURING?

• You believe it is a gift if you realize that there is nothing that the believer does except receive the gift of the Spirit.

• You don't if you use expressions which give credit to the believer's endurance, hunger, praying "hard" or for long hours, fasting, or any other effort.

• You don't if you emphasize the believers performance, behaviors or acts of righteousness as a prerequisite to receiving the Spirit.