Salvation and calling are not on the basis of God’s purpose only but on the basis of grace. Grace is free and unmerited favor manifested by the sovereign God on those He purposed to save. This word for grace is appropriate to designate the relationship and conduct of the sovereign God toward the elect through Jesus Christ. The grace of God has appeared:
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men” (Titus 2:11 NASB). In another translation it reads, “For the grace of God’s saving appeared to all men.” It is doubtful whether it is correct to attach the statement “to all men” to the verb, thus asserting the universality of the manifestation. Bringing salvation to all men must be understood in the sense of all classes of men. The appearance of the grace of God refers to the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Justification is by God’s grace: “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24). Grace can flow to us only through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.
If grace were dependent on man’s faith, it would come through the mere offer of Jesus Christ or the gospel. If it gave a free offer, grace could not reign: “…sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal righteousness by Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom..5:2l). Grace reigns in election, because it was given the elect in Christ before the world began. Grace reigns in redemption. It brought Jesus Christ into the world to die for the elect. Grace reigns in regeneration. By grace, the elect are born of the Spirit. Grace reigns in sanctification. By grace, the elected, redeemed, regenerated person embraces Jesus Christ as Lord by faith. Grace reigns in glorification. The elected, redeemed, regenerated, converted person will be glorified.
We rejoice in what God has done for us, but we also rejoice in the results of what He has done for us. Thanking God for what He has done for us is a manifestation of grace. Gracious ness toward others is a manifestation of the grace of God that has been wrought in one’s heart by the Holy Spirit, called “the Spirit of grace.” Liberality, which is another translation of the Greek word for grace, demonstrates God’s grace within (1Cor 16:3). Self-centeredness does not manifest grace. But liberality, graciousness, thankfulness, and pleasure in the things of God are manifestations of grace having been wrought in our hearts.
The Greek word for grace is also translated “benefit” in II Corinthians 1:15. This verse does not teach what the Charismatics say about it. Paul was talking about the benefits of his oral and written teaching. There is no substitute for the oral ministry and teaching of God’s word at God’s appointed time in God’s appointed place by God’s appointed man. The gift of II Corinthians 8:4 comes from the same Greek word for grace. Among the different translations of the Greek word charis, “grace” is the most outstanding. Grace signifies what God has purposed to do and what God does do in time in the heart of every person He purposed to save by His unmerited favor. The other translations are simply the fruit of the grace of God having been wrought in our hearts. Absence of fruit indicates that there is no grace.
Grace is an appropriate designation of the relationship and conduct of God toward the elect through Jesus Christ. Election is the first moving of God’s grace looking toward salvation. God’s purpose and grace were given to the elect in Christ Jesus before the world began (Eph. 1:4). The sheep were in God’s eternal covenant, and they are Christ’s by gift (John 6:37) and purchase (John 10:11,15). The grace of God will search and find all who have been elected to salvation until the last one is brought into the ark of safety (John 6:37). The grace of God brings salvation planned by the Father, purchased by the Son, and applied by the Spirit.
Grace is an act of favor wherein no mention can ever be made of obligation. This element of spontaneoU5l is not prominent in the classical use of the word charis, although it is traceable even in classical Greek. However, in the New Testament, the element especially emphasized is God’s dealing with His chosen ones that He purposed to save by His grace. We are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8). We believe through grace (Acts 18:27). One does not believe in order to get grace; but having already received grace, he is enabled by this grace to embrace Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
The apostle Paul set grace in contrast with debt (Rom. 4:4,16), works (Rom. 11:6), and law (Rom. 4:13-16). Grace has been manifested by the appearing of Jesus Christ (11 Tim. 1:10). He is full of grace and truth for the benefit of those the Father gave Him in the covenant of redemption (John 1: 14,16).
A person cannot believe in grace without believing in Divine election (Rom. 11:5). The statement “a remnant ac cording to the election of grace” means the choice of grace proves that salvation is in the purpose of God and not in the determination proceeding from the so-called will of man. Salvation, therefore, is not man’s choice of God, but it is God’s choice of man. If man were left in the enmity of his depraved nature, he would not and could never choose Jesus Christ. A message on grace may be tolerated in any congregation, but the depraved heart is always enraged at grace illustrated. As man has the right to choose the woman he desires as his wife without being arbitrary in his choice, God has the right to choose the objects of His love to be His bride without being arbitrary in His selection.
The activity and purpose of grace are demonstrated in the first chapter of John. The Lord Jesus Christ came not merely to expose the world’s d but to reveal the Father: “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (John 1.18). Since there is no capacity in man to receive light from God, the ability comes from the grace of the sovereign God. Therefore, the Lord Jesus was at home even while He was in the world, since there were some in whom He abode. Al though He is now at the right hand of the Father, there are some on earth in whom the grace of God dwells who constitute the abode of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is a total stranger to the world. The little company of John, Andrew, and Peter of John 1:37-51 demonstrate what the Lord Jesus Christ is now doing by the work of the Holy Spirit, as the chosen of God are being called out of this world. John illustrates affection, Andrew illustrates testimony and service, and Peter illustrates the structure of living stones. Such is the company that is now being gathered out of the world by the grace of God. They constitute the abode of Jesus Christ in the world (Matt. 18:19,20).
Grace and gift are distinct. The grace of God and the gift of grace prove the distinction: “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many” (Rom. 5:15). Grace came from the infinite love of His heart when the sovereign God of the universe stepped down from His throne to save those He purposed to save. To save them, He must satisfy Divine justice. Since God has satisfied His own justice, we are justified freely by grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Therefore, He can be just in justifying the ungodly. He maintained Divine government and He made it possible to save those He elected to save. Conclusively, we can say the Greek word charis includes Divine election, redemption, regeneration sanctification and glorification.
Grace is conferred freely with no expectation of return. It finds its only motive in the bounty and freehearted of the giver. Grace is both unearned and unmerited. It 15, in its highest sense, God working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. It is the freely-given presence of the Holy Spirit of God in man, thus applying Christ to him and manifesting Christ in and through him.
Grace and mercy are distinguishable: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). In the Divine order of salvation, mercy precedes grace (Luke 1:78,79; Eph. 2:4,5). However, in the order of the manifestation of God’s purpose of salvation, grace must go before and make way for mercy. Grace gives man what he does not deserve. When God sought to bestow grace, He did not see some worthiness in someone and then decide to bestow grace on him. Mercy is forgiving man for what he deserves in the way of punishment. Grace is obtained, giving one the blessed privilege of having his sins forgiven.
Grace, unlike justice, is not a necessary attribute of God. Since it is optional, it includes an eternal choice. Justice is different. God is just, and He deals justly with all, even those He forgives. Jesus Christ satisfied justice, making it possible for God to justify the elect sinner and remain just in so doing (Rom. 3:24-26). God chose whom He desired out of His own good pleasure. Grace finds nothing iii the best to attract and nothing in the basest to hinder God from making such a choice. Had God not chosen some and treated men as He did the fallen angels, He would have manifested justice but not grace. Had God saved all men, there would have been no display of Divine justice. But justice and mercy combined at Calvary. According to God’s justice, all deserve to die. How ever, some are saved to the praise and glory of grace while others perish in theft sins to the vindication of Divine justice. This is God’s good pleasure, and it cannot be questioned.
Grace and love are very much alike, but there is one main point of difference. Grace is love manifesting itself and operating under certain circumstances. Love, however, has no limit or law such as grace possesses. Love may exist between equals. There is equality of love between the three Persons in the Godhead. This is love manifesting itself between equals. Love may rise to those above and descend to those beneath. Since we are recipients of God’s love, we manifest love by loving Him who is above us. But this love can also be manifested by loving persons who might be denoted as being beneath us. A king may love his equals and also his servants. He can love God who is above him, those equal to him, and his servants beneath him. Therefore, love can be extended upward, and it can flow downward. But that is not true with grace. Grace flows in only one direction—downward. Grace has appeared bringing salvation. By grace we are saved through faith. We believe through grace. The grace of the sovereign God that has flowed down to us enables us to manifest love upward to God and downward to men.
Grace transcends law, mercy, and majesty. Grace is love which passes all claims of love. After fulfilling the obligations imposed by law, grace has an inexhaustible wealth of kind ness. Mercy forgives and rescues the sinner; but grace floods the sinner, who deserves wrath, with affection. Eternal righteousness is that which constitutes dignity and majesty, but grace adds dignity, ineffable charm, and affection. God in grace resolves that the elect will not perish. We are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.
Where sin abounds, grace super abounds “…the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 5:20,21). The law entered to make sin manifest itself— to develop sin. But where sin abounds, grace overflows.
Historically, the exposition of the entrance of the law b preceded with the discussion of the entrance of sin. The word “entered” (pareiselthen, aorist active indicative of pareiserchomai) in Romans 5:20 does not come from the same Greek word as “entered” (eiselthen aorist active indicative of eiserchomao) in Romans 5:12. The word is connected with sin in verse 12. It is a compound word in verse 20, which means alongside of. The entrance of sin with Adam does not indicate that sin had its beginning with Adam, but sin entered the human family in Adam. This indicates that sin existed before it entered. Sin originated with Lucifer (Is. 14:12-15; Ezek. 28:12-18). Adam and Eve entered the world creatively upright. Sin entered. Adam fell, and we all fell in him. Death entered by means of sin. The law entered alongside of sin and death to develop sin and show its heinousness. Christ entered to pay sin’s debt. Grace entered to save all for whom Christ died. The recipients of this grace shall enter into the kingdom of glory.
