Words escape us when we attempt to explain the concept of grace. An oft-sung hymn is about as good as one can do: “Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt! Yonder on Calvary’s mount out-poured, there where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.”
As do many believers, I began reading through the Bible in January and am now just about through with the Penteteuch—the books penned by Moses under the direction of God, books that major on the Law given by God to govern the ways, work, and worship of His chosen people before Christ’s first advent.
I often remind myself that the Law is “holy, just, and good.” (Romans 7:12). Paul told the Galatians that it was given as a “school master” to bring us to Christ. It reveals the sinfulness of man and the holiness of God. Old Testament believers never had to wonder whether something was “right” or “wrong” because a law governed every aspect of life—from diet, dress, and deportment to work and worship. One could not live under that economy without coming to the realization, eventually, that Paul came to when, in spiritual exhaustion, he exclaimed: “Oh wretched man that I am!” The law condemned; the law convicted.
But “marvelous, infinite, matchless grace—freely bestowed on all who believe! You that are longing to see His face, will you this moment His grace receive?” As John 1:17 says: “The Law was given by Moses, but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ.” Jesus, John declares, was the Word that was “made flesh and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
What a day that was! The reign of the law was about to be fulfilled by the only One Who could keep it, the only begotten Son of God! The reign of grace was about to be initiated by the only One Who was qualified to administer it, God the Son, Grace incarnate.
The following simple outline that God gave me recently will provide some hooks upon which to hang our thoughts on the inexhaustible subject of grace:
- The Word of Grace, Titus 2:11
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.”
➢God’s word of grace for salvation…to all men
➢God’s word of grace for service…teaching us
- The Wonder of Grace, Eph. 2:8,9
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.”
➢Wonder, that Jesus would save, cf. Romans 3:9-20—“They are all gone out of the way…there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
➢Wonder that salvation would be a “gift!”
- The Way of Grace, John 1:14,16,17
➢He giveth grace: “And of His fulness have we all received, and grace for grace.”
➢He giveth more grace, Romans 5:20,21. His grace reservoir is never depleted!
- The Wisdom of Grace, I Cor. 15:10—”But by the grace of God, I am what I am.” Paul, killer of Christians, chief of sinners—now the least of apostles—by the grace of God.
➢The law condemns, grace converts
➢The law sentences, grace saves
➢The law restricts, grace releases
➢The law separates, grace seeks
- The World of Grace, Eph. 3:8: “Unto me, who am the least of all saints, is this grace given….”
➢The world of sinners: sought and saved!
➢The world of saints: sealed and sanctified (“…that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.”)
- The Worth of Grace, Rom.6:6; Acts 20:32
➢It is marvelous. By it the “old man”—the body of sin—is destroyed “that henceforth we should not serve sin.” “I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” WOW!
➢It is matchless, Eph. 2:7: “That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ. For by grace are ye saved through faith.” Take that, Devil!
“O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be! Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to Thee.” (Robert Robinson-“Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”)
“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” (Romans 5:21)
YOU and GOD 