Grace is the amazing message that God has done all that is necessary in and through the Lord Jesus Christ to save sinners. The grace of God is the most thrilling concept that can occupy the mind of a Christian, and when it occupies the mind it will soon flood the heart with praise to God that such a thing exists. Without grace there is no hope for any of us. The only alternative to grace is salvation by our own efforts. This is a non-starter because God will not accept it. The New Testament makes that abundantly clears
If salvation is to be effective it has to be acceptable to God. This is why grace is the key word in the gospel, because it delights in the Lord Jesus Christ as the sacrifice which God himself has provided. If we do not understand the New Testament meaning of the word grace, we will never understand the gospel, because grace is the key to understanding the substance and heart of its message, which is salvation through Christ alone.
A few years ago I received an invitation to preach in California. As the time drew near for my departure I grew somewhat concerned because I had not received a ticket from the churches who had invited me to preach. But they were soon on the ‘phone telling me not to worry because I did not need a ticket. This did not relieve my concern, rather it deepened it. Of course I needed a ticket. Everyone knows you cannot fly without a ticket. What on earth were those folk in California on about?
They then started to explain to me something called electronic ticketing. Apparently all I had to do was to present myself at the airlines desk at Heathrow Airport, tell them who I was, show them my passport and they would then give me a ticket.
I had never heard of this before and I was rather dubious. I wanted the comfort of a ticket in my hand before I left home. They again had to reassure me that it would be all right. ‘Its all been taken care of at this end,’ they said.
Of course, all my fears were unfounded. It had all been taken care of at the other end, the folk inviting me knew it, and the airline knew it, even if I was a bit uncertain.
The grace of God is something like that – it has all been taken care of at the other end.
One day I will set out on the most important journey any one can take – from this life to the next. I will have to stand before God and he will say, ‘ who are you?’
I will answer by giving him my name.
‘O, yes,’ God will reply, ‘you are the one my Son died for and paid the debt for your sins; you are the one Jesus loved and saved. Come on into heaven, you are welcome because of what Jesus has done for you.’
Salvation is all taken care of by Jesus the Saviour. This is a great comfort to a sinner like myself who is always full of doubts and uncertainties.
Has Jesus taken care of your salvation?
When God planned the salvation of sinners he did it in such a way as to take into account our doubts and fears. Electronic ticketing was new to me, and this was why I was uncertain, but it did mean that I could never lose my ticket. All I had to do was to turn up and it was waiting for me. Salvation by grace means that we can never lose our salvation. Because it has all been taken care of at the other end, and because Jesus has done it all there is no possibility of us ever losing it.
What is grace?
Grace is needed because of both the character of man and the character of God. Though man was created in the image of God, able to know and enjoy him, when man sinned he was separated from God, and sin has since dominated all his actions. He is now alien to God his Maker and, because of his sinful character, he can do nothing about it. God’s character on the other hand is such that he cannot condone or overlook sin. His holiness, truth and justice demand that man must be dealt with as he is, and that sin must be punished.
These two factors, taken on their own, would condemn all men to an eternity in hell. But God’s character is also such that, though he hates sin, he loves the guilty sinner who deserves his judgement. Divine love therefore plans salvation, and divine grace provides salvation. Grace is the free, unmerited, undeserved favour of God to sinners.
How grace works
In Ephesians 2:4-5 we find three great gospel words — love, mercy and grace . Out of God’s love and mercy flows grace. Grace is not some abstract idea; it is God working. Grace is God loving the unlovely, pardoning the guilty and saving the lost. Grace is the unique work of God. We do not deserve grace because our sin is our own fault. What we deserve is hell, but in Christ we receive grace and every blessing and benefit that flows from it. Salvation by grace is an eternal salvation. It depends upon the merit of Christ, not our merit; therefore it never fails or loses its power.
