GRACE
"By grace are ye saved, through faith" (Ephesians 2:8), is a passage of Scripture that is quoted many times by many people. But to one it means one thing and to another it means something else. This ought not to be so. We should all understand the Bible in the same way. In fact, if we truly understand it, we will all agree as to what it says because the Bible does not contradict itself.
To some, "by grace, through faith," simply means that a person is saved when he believes that God is able to save him through the grace of God. This however does not coincide with the teachings of the Scriptures on the subject. There must be more understanding and more done on the part of the sinner before he is saved.
Grace is defined as "unmerited favour", something for nothing. It is definitely true that salvation and the many blessings we have in Christ are through grace or unmerited favour. Nothing we have ever done or could do would merit the exceedingly precious promises and blessings of God. Therefore, it is true that all we have been given from God is an act of grace.
On the other hand, let us not forget that salvation is conditional, as in the passage of Scripture, shown by the statement, "through faith". So, we observe that man must have faith and exercise it if we want to be saved through grace.
Grace is what God has shown; faith is what man shows in order to receive that which has been provided. Grace, then, is God's provision which faith is man's part in the matter. Though God has extended his grace, man cannot be saved unless he believes in God and does what God wants him to do.
With this in mind, let us enter into a study of this subject very carefully, and see how a person is saved by grace.
To say that a person is saved by grace does not give the full picture of the matter. Actually the Bible teaches that we are saved by several different ways. Yet all of these are but expressions of the grace of God and therefore we must understand them and be willing to accept His grace.
The Bible Teaches That - 1. WE ARE SAVED BY GOD. "For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those that believe." 1 Timothy 4:10.
The Bible Teaches That - 2. WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE. As we have already noted, we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). It is not by grace alone, any more than we are saved by faith alone, but faith has a part in the salvation of the soul.
The Bible Teaches That - 3. WE ARE SAVED BY LOVE. In John 3:16 we have the words: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Had it not been for the love of God we would have no opportunity of salvation whatsoever.
The Bible Teaches That - 4. WE ARE SAVED BY MERCY. Paul wrote to Titus and said: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost" Titus 3:5. Again we see something else that contributes to our salvation.
The Bible Teaches That - 5. WE ARE SAVED BY JESUS. In Matthew 1:21 we read: "And she shall bring forth a Son and thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins." Here the angle pointed out that Jesus was to be the Saviour.
The Bible Teaches That - 6. WE ARE SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. Jesus said in Matthew 28:28: "This is My blood of the new testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins." So we are saved by the blood of Christ.
The Bible Teaches That - 7. WE ARE SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation unto the Jew first and also to the Greek" Romans 1:16. In this passage Paul wrote to the Romans and told them that the gospel was the power of God unto salvation. So it is today. As we go out and tell people the good news of Christ we are preaching the gospel. When they hear and obey they are saved.
In each of these foregoing points we have noticed that each of these things have been provided by the grace of God. However, we have studied only a part of the lesson for we must also realize that the Bible teaches that we are saved by grace through faith. Therefore, faith has a definite part in the matter.
The Bible is not contradictory but we must put it all together in order to get the complete picture. In the realm of grace, we have seen the many things God has provided for us through His grace. Now we want to see what man's faith has to do with it. Faith is definitely upon man's part. He must believe the gospel and believe in the grace of God or he will not be able to obey and be saved.
The Bible Teaches That - 8. WE ARE TO SAVE OURSELVES. It is not contradictory to say God saves and also say that we save ourselves. Take for example a man in the sea drowning. If we throw him a rope, and he takes hold if it, he is saved. We have saved him, but he has also saved himself. If he had not the chance to get the rope he would be drowned. So it is in the realm of serving God. By mercy God has given us a way. By faith we believe and obey His plan and thus receive remission of sins.
The Bible Teaches That - 9. WE ARE SAVED BY FAITH. We are saved by faith but not by faith alone. Take for example the case of the jailer at Philipppi (Acts 16:25-34). There he was told by Paul and Silas, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." Verses 32 and 33 say, "Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household." Thus his faith through obedience saved him. Some feel that when they believe they are immediately saved, but the Bible teaches that we must also obey the commands of the gospel. Peter commanded, "Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins…" (Acts 2:38).
Jesus said; "He who believes and is baptized will be saved" (Mark 16:16).
So we concluded from our observations that the Bible teaches that we are saved by grace. God in His kindness has extended unto us a plan whereby we may be saved. If we are willing to receive of His grace by repenting and being baptized into Christ, we shall be saved and added to the church (Acts 2:47) and may then go on unto perfection, serving God through the rest of our lives.
Let us be thankful for the grace of God and save ourselves by being obedient to every commandment of God.
Section 1 - Fill in the blanks.
Question 1 "By _____ are ye saved through _____, and that not of yourselves; it is the ______." (Ephesians 2:8).
Question 2 Grace is defined as: ____________.
Question 3 We must exercise _______if we expect to be saved through grace.
Question 4 … because we trust in the ______ God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of them that ________.
Question 5 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever _____ in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
Section 2 LIST BELOW FIVE WAYS BY WHICH WE ARE SAVED
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2.
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Section 3 - True or False
Question 1 We are saved by the blood of Christ ONLY. TrueFalse
Question 2 We are saved by faith ONLY. TrueFalse
Question 3 We are saved by grace ONLY. TrueFalse
Question 4 We must believe and obey the commands of the gospel in order to be saved. TrueFalse
Question 5 The Bible is not contradictory. TrueFalse
Question 6 We must repent and be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). TrueFalse
Question 7 He who believes and is baptized will be saved (Mark 16:16) TrueFalse
Question 8 The saved are added to the church (Acts 2:47). TrueFalse
Question 9 If we refuse the grace of God we will be lost. TrueFalse
Question 10 If we fail to believe and obey God we will be lost. TrueFalse
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