The Grace of God

A failure to understand the grace of God with regard to the salvation of man has been fatal to many persons. There are those who believe that God in His mercy and grace will not permit anyone to be lost; consequently, they feel no need for seeking salvation. It is true that the most joyous thought that a convicted sinner can have is that God has offered to give him salvation. It is necessary, however, for us to understand just how one is saved by the grace of God. By definition, grace is unmerited favor. God looked upon man as he had sinned and as he was without hope in the world. Although man did not deserve it, God formulated a plan whereby man could be saved from his lost condition. Jesus expressed this in these words, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Thus, man has access to the grace of God through Jesus Christ. In Romans 5:1-2, the Apostle Paul declared, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

In order for us to be the recipients of the grace of God which comes through Jesus Christ, it is necessary for us to know exactly how grace saves us. In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul declared, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Here, we learn that in salvation both God and man have a part. God’s part is to provide a way of salvation, or a means whereby man can be saved; this he does by His grace. Man’s part is to accept the salvation which God so freely offers and this is done through faith.

Man believes in God and then accepts the conditions of salvation which are set forth in the scriptures. Faith saves when faith obeys. In Hebrews 11:30, we read, "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days." The walls of Jericho fell by faith because Joshua believed what God said and obeyed his command. In the same way, our faith must cause us to obey what God tells us to do.

It is pointed out, however, that Paul declared in Ephesians 2:9, "not of works, lest anyone should boast." It is true that no man can save himself by his own works, but he must work according to God's plan in order to be saved. We are told in Philippians 2:12 "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." Also, James states in James 2:24, "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only." It is interesting to note that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord according to Genesis 6:8, but that Hebrews 11:7 says "By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith." Noah was saved by the grace of God, through faith on his part which prompted him to obey God's commands. A person may be saved from his sins by the grace of God when he believes what God says and when he obeys the Gospel which is God’s power unto salvation (Romans 1:16). May we all accept God's grace through our faith in His teaching, resulting in our obedience to His will. We can't afford to miss heaven. God certainly has done His part, now we must do ours.