The Grace of God

The Grace of God

The grace of God, divine favor, is a dominant theme in His dealings with man.  Seeing grace as “unmerited” favor, the mind’s eye goes back to earlier times, things like a rock bringing forth water (Exodus 17); the walls of a city falling (Joshua 6); or leprosy cleansed (II Kings 5).  These results occurred due to works that, reasonably, could not make them happen.  These things were not “caused” by the actions involved – hitting the rock?  marching around Jericho?  dipping in the Jordan?  How?

The answer, of course, is God and His grace. Obviously, the actions of the people involved were not the causes that produced these effects.  Whacking a rock does NOT produce water.  That involves digging a well.  Dipping in a river does not cure disease; medical attention is prescribed.  Grace is more than the favor extended in becoming a child of God; it is the power by which the saved continue to grow, in sanctification.  The Macedonians’ generosity to brethren in need is described as “an act of grace”, II Corinthians 8:6, 7.  Giving our money – grace! 

Grace, which brings salvation for all people (Titus 2:11), is susceptible to abuse.  Paul looks at one of these potential abuses, saying “Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?” (Romans 6:1 -- with his rebuttal in verse 2, “By no means!”).   Jude speaks of “ungodly people, who pervert the grace of God … “(verse 4).  Modern-day counterparts speak of salvation as “wholly of grace”, and are indifferent to Scriptures which relate grace to faith,

Ephesians 2:8. They ignore warnings about falling from grace, Galatians 5:4.

ROMANS 5:1, 2. “Therefore since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Through him we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”  This statement of the way of entrance into the grace of God is plain:  access (entrance) by faith into grace.  Just as Moses, the Israelites and Naaman entered into the blessing of God (grace) by doing what God told them to do (faith), so we today are saved (grace) by doing what Jesus told us to do, (faith), because Jesus is “the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,” Hebrews 5:9.  

Some apparently think they need to “tidy up” after, or correct, God Who did not know of man’s boastful tendencies (?!).   The truth of the matter is, He told Gideon that Israel “might boast over me saying my own hand has saved me” (Judges 7:2).  For this reason, He reduced Gideon’s army, from 32000 to 10000 to 300 soldiers.   Going against a numerically greater adversary, the three hundred men God left Gideon were victorious – access by faith into grace!

EPHESIANS 2:8, 9. “For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  This, again, states plainly the way of entrance into the grace of God: through faith.  They were saved by grace (the gift of God) through faith.  Paul is writing the Ephesians about their conversion (“you have been saved”), and that conversion is recorded in Acts 19:4, 5.  Paul reminds them that John told the people “to believe in the one who was to come after him that is, Jesus.  On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”  When they heard they should believe in Jesus, they were baptized.   The “something” no one might boast about, was baptism; so they could be saved by grace. 

Why were the Ephesians baptized?  Well, obviously, because Jesus said they should be, and they believed Jesus, Mark 16:16.  They “received” the word, Acts 2:41, “…. those who received his word were baptized …”  Another passage shedding light on our question is I Peter 3:21, “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”   What is baptism?  An immersion in water, certainly; but more than that.  It is …

AN APPEAL TO GOD   Peter said, baptism “is an appeal to God for a good conscience.”  When I was in the fifth grade in Del Rio, I had a teacher, Mrs. Christian, who told us that, when we needed to go to the restroom, we should not speak, we should just hold up our hand.  If she nodded yes, we could go; if no, we could not go.  Raising our hand was the assigned appeal.  Nothing else worked: no verbal plea, no running to her desk for permission – just, raise your hand to ask (appeal) for permission.  And, you know, we understood her; and no substitution of other actions, was ever offered.     The appeal she required was hers to reveal – and ours to obey, IF we wanted the release.

So baptism, an act of faith, is the appeal for grace God accepts.

”And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”  Acts 20:32. The grace of God – communicated through “the word of his grace”; embraced through faith.                                                 

Pat