Grace

Grace

I’ve heard folks talk bad about Baptists, because of the emphasis they put on grace. 

They’ll say things like:

·         Those Baptists love to play the “grace card”.

·         They think “Oh, I’m saved by grace, so I can live however I want to.”

To me, this line of thinking shows an incomplete understanding of “Grace”.

True, the Bible teaches that we are saved by grace alone.  That is strikingly clear in Ephesians 2:8-9.  But let us look at what Grace is:

• ·         Grace is an undeserved free gift.
• ·         Grace is unmerited favor.
• ·         Grace is receiving the opposite of what we deserve.
• ·         Grace is “the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man” (Titus 3:4)

And it is only on this basis that we can expect God to save us.

But grace has a TWOFOLD manifestation:

1.        In Salvation (Eph. 2:8-9, Romans 3:24)

2.       In the walk and service of the saved (Romans 6:15)

You’ve got to look at BOTH manifestations of grace.  Not only as a method of divine dealing in salvation, but also as the method of God in the believer’s life and service.  As saved, the believer is not under the law, but under grace (Romans 6:14).   Having by grace brought the believer into the highest conceivable position (Eph. 1:6), God ceaselessly works through grace, to impart to, and perfect in the believer, corresponding graces (John 15:4-5, Gal. 5:22-23). 

Grace, therefore, stands connected with:

1.        Service –

a.       Romans 12:6, 15:15-16,

b.      1 Corinthians 1:3-7, 3:10, 15:10

c.       2 Corinthians 12:9-10

d.      Galatians 2:9

e.      Ephesians 3:7-8, 4:7

f.        Philemon 1:7

g.       2 Timothy 2:1-2

h.      1 Peter 4:10

2.       Christian Growth

a.       2 Corinthians 1:12

b.      Ephesians 4:29

c.       Colossians 3:16, 4:6

d.      2 Thessalonians 1:12

e.      Hebrews 4:16, 12:28-29, 13:9

f.        James 4:6

g.       1 Peter 2:9, 3:7, 5:5 & 10

h.      2 Peter 3:18

i.         Jude 1:4

3.       Giving

a.       2 Corinthians 4:15

b.      2 Corinthians 8:1, 6, 7, 19

c.       2 Corinthians 9:14

Going back to our passage in Ephesians, after the Apostle Paul declares that salvation is by grace alone in verses 8-9, he says in the next verse that, "We are [God's] workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."  Good works do not lead to salvation, but rather salvation leads to good works. When we are saved by grace, we are made new in Christ and good works will follow. But these are never performed as an effort to gain salvation. They are always the fruit of salvation that is given freely to us in Christ.

The evidence of true Christian faith is not a momentary decision, but rather the fruit of a faithful life.

Abiding in Christ

What does it mean to “abide in Christ”?  Abiding in Christ is discussed in John chapter 15.

To abide in Christ is, on the one hand, to have no known sin unjudged and unconfessed, no interest into which He is not brought, and no life which He cannot share.  On the other hand, the abiding one takes all burdens to Him, and draws all wisdom, life and strength from Him.  It is not unceasing consciousness of these things, and of Him, but that nothing is allowed in the life which separates from Him. 

To better understand “Abiding in Christ”, let’s look at “Fellowship with Christ” as discussed in 1 John chapter 1.

^“3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

⁴ And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”

The conditions of fellowship

1.        To walk in the light

⁵ This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

2.        The fact of indwelling sin admitted

⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

3.        Sins confessed, forgiven and cleansed

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.

What it is to “walk in the light” is explained in verses 8-10.  “All things . . . are made manifest in the light” (Ephesians 5:13).  The presence of God bring the consciousness of sin in the nature (v. 8), and sins in the life (v. 9, 10).  To walk in the light is to frankly confess both.  The blood of Christ is the divine provision.  In the Cross “sin” was condemned (Romans 8:3), and “sins” put away (Hebrews 9:26).  “In the light” means acknowledgement of these facts, and belief in Christ crucified as the remedy.

Bearing Fruit

Bearing Fruit (John 15)

Three conditions of the fruitful life: Cleanliness, Abiding and Obedience.

1. 1) Cleanliness (verses 2, 3)
1. a) Every branch in me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. (v. 2)
2. b) Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. (v. 3)
2. 2) Abiding (verse 4)
1. a) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (v. 4)
3. 3) Obedience (verses 10,12)
1. a) If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. (v. 10)
2. b) This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. (v.12)

Three degrees in fruit bearing: Fruit, More Fruit and Much Fruit.

1. 1) Fruit (v. 2) 
1. a) Every branch in me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. (v. 2) 
2. 2) More Fruit (v. 2) 
1. a) Every branch in me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. (v. 2) 
3. 3) Much Fruit (v. 5, 8) 
1. a) I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (v. 5) 
1. b) Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. (v. 8) 

As we bear “much fruit” the Father is glorified in us. The minor moralities and graces of Christianity are often imitated, but never the ninefold “fruit” of Galatians 5:22 & 23. Where such fruit is, the Father is glorified. The Pharisees were moral and intensely “religious”, but not one of them could say with Christ, “I have glorified thee on the earth” (see John 17:4)