Grace and Faith...
- White Stone
- 7 hours ago
- 16 min read
Let us pray. Now let us consider the answer to our prayer. God answers yes
to give us confidence. He answers no to avert error. He withholds an answer
to help us grow in faith through Him and to assume our own responsibility of
making our own decisions using the truths we've learned. But sometimes
God wants to use our prayer to bring us to a right place to know that prayer
itself is a means of grace. He will expose us to what is right for us. Prayer is
our response to the grace we receive from God’s Word. So, the answer is
found in these questions; how are we to know what God’s answer means
and is God’s answer sufficient? The answer is grace. Trusting in God’s grace
is allowing His love and power to flow through us to inform our free will and
our intentions of His purpose. Whatever comes from God is divine. Grace
activates us according to the principles of God. With grace sin has no
dominion over us for we are not under the law, but under grace, not under
the law of sin and death, but under the law of the spirit of life, which is in
Christ Jesus. Under grace is all about what Jesus has already done and our
having faith in the finished works of Jesus Christ.
We thank God for giving us the ability to do something which is humanly
impossible for us to do. It is only by God's grace that we who remain faithful
can experience eternal life, and it is only by God's gifted faith that we have
the ability to live for the Lord. There is this great plague that is inflicting
deathly harm upon the world…the plague of sin. And it is ravaging the souls
of many whom Christ died for. Except for the blessings of an all-powerful, all-
knowing, and supremely loving Deity all would succumb to the devastation
of inherited affliction of the flood of ungodliness…the very sorrowfulness of
the grave.
If not for grace…the “favor of God” which is His divine kindness, His act of
true compassion toward undeserving human recipients. And it is because we
cannot save ourselves that we are wholly dependent upon God’s grace and
faith. For by grace we are saved through faith. We have the promise of life
as we by grace and through faith are in Jesus Christ. It is this faith that gives
us access to grace. We, as beneficiaries of Christ, believe that God’s grace
gives us the ability, the strength to do something we are humanly incapable
of doing. We can cease to sin altogether. We must come to understand the
incredible and supernatural resources of heaven that broadens our path to
salvation. We are the spectacle of why and how God determined and
purposed this drama to secure eternity for His election. God delights in us.
He supplies us with His favor or grace and faith totally at His initiative and
only because of His love for us. God’s love is the greatest gift. God loves us
because it is in His character to love. He does it because He wants to.
Grace existed before ever we came to be. Grace is God’s part. Faith is
that measure of first accepting and knowing who He is by His word and being a
positive response to what God has already provided by grace – the power of
choice. In other words, faith is our positive response to God’s grace, and
our faith only appropriates what God has already provided for us.
Therefore, faith in Jesus is our part in the drama. Grace and faith work
together, and they must be in balance. Understand the formula.
Grace is the power not to sin and the faith in and of Jesus justifies us to be the
righteousness of God. This qualifies us as the children of God and the faith
given us works by love to the keeping of every word of God. The grace of
God and the faith of Jesus brings us to the worthiness of all acceptation. By
faith we are of God's elect, and by grace is our acknowledging of the truth
after godliness. Our every doing in life, every communication, every thought
is by faith. This is the effectual grace, the effectual calling applied to those
whom God has determined to save, the elect, and, in God's timing,
overcomes all resistance to obeying God. We come to reason through the
teaching of the Spirit that the offer of salvation through grace does not act
overpoweringly in a purely cause-effect, deterministic method, but rather in
an influence-and-response fashion that can be both freely accepted and
freely denied because of the choice that God graces us with. This choice is
the act of drawing, it is an act of power, yet not of force; God’s grace in the
drawing of unwilling, makes willing in the day of His power: He enlightens
our understanding that bows the will, gives an heart of flesh, allured by the
power of His grace, and engages the soul to come to Christ, and give up
itself to Him; He draws with lovingkindness. This drawing, though it supposes
power and influence, yet not force but coaction as does music to the ear,
love to the heart, and pleasure to the mind. Adam and Eve were free to
choose between right and wrong. We are able, as a result of the grace of
God through Jesus Christ, to choose to turn from sin to righteousness and
believe on Jesus Christ who draws all of humanity to himself. In this view,
God's dispensation of grace to us, the will of man, which was formerly both
adverse and averse to God, and unable to obey, can now choose to obey
through the work of Christ; and although God's grace is a strong initial
catalyst to effect salvation, it is not irresistible but may be ultimately resisted
and rejected by a human being. Herein is the sovereignty of God bound up;
God can allow individuals to accept or reject His grace and yet remain
sovereign. Sufficient grace does not become efficacious or effective from the
cooperation of the human will, but because of the purpose of God. Without it
we remain in a state of depravity. Without it we have not the capability to
believe or to repent. God's election does not depend upon any human
response. The Word and will of God awakens us from the death of sin,
enlightens and renews us. What a purpose that the preaching of the word by
which faih comes is a means of grace by which God offers salvation. The
outward call to salvation given to all who hear the gospel becomes an inward
work by the Holy Spirit. And by faith we embrace the grace offered and
conveyed by it. Once inwardly revived, we freely follow God and His ways
as not only the obligatory but the preferable good, and so that special
restoring grace is always effective as the outward working of the Holy Spirit
converts the life. This is the confirmation that those whom God effectually
calls necessarily come to full salvation. Of course, this confirmation depends
upon the faith that when God elected certain individuals for His purpose of
salvation, He knew who would respond and obey, according to the
foreknowledge of God as the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto
obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.
We must not be so familiar with the word of God that we take for granted
what God purposes it to say. God inspires profound truth to be declared
through reasoning with Him by the Spirit. Being saved by grace through faith,
does not say one or the other. Salvation is not dependent on grace alone. If
it were, everyone would be saved and going to heaven, for God’s grace that
brings salvation has appeared to all men. He has already given the gift of
salvation to everyone through Jesus. Now, it is predicated upon the individual
to receive what was done by faith. It is essential that we understand what the
spirit says rather than simply consider the words. The purpose of God must
be distinctly understood in the light of the predestination and the election.
Predestination is God's sovereign ordaining, while election is the specific
purpose of God choosing us in Christ before the foundation of the world. And
yet, both refer to God’s grace decreed for eternal life. Predestination is the
broader grace of which faith in His election is the sealed sum. In the counsel
of determination, God’s eternal decree, by which He compacted with Himself
was what He willed to become of each person. Election implies eternal life.
Predestination is according to purpose. It is God’s plan taking place. God
saw us unperfect and wrote it in His book when as yet there was none of us.
Eternal wisdom formed the plan, and by God’s power the structure was
brought forth. How can this be described being so far out of sight of our
sense? He who saw our substance when it was unfashioned sees it now that
it is fashioned. Every person has existed in the mind of God eternally. This
does not negate the paradoxical truth that He holds of choices and forked
paths before us. He tests us. He calls to us and awaits our response. But it
is true that He has ordained our lives. For we are God’s handiwork, created
in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to
do. The question is: how do we come to know what the works are that God
prepared in advance for us to do? The answer is that we must abide in Christ
and that makes us a reality in the mind of God. God the Father is a spirit. He
sees spiritually beyond what is and on to what will be. For Him to think is to
create. He sees us in nothingness and His thoughts toward us create a
substance full of potential. He shapes and brings life to it. Now, with your
patience let’s return to reason with what the spirit says rather than simply
consider the words as stated earlier. Most believe that in order to be saved,
people need to ask God to forgive them of their sins, but that isn’t what the
bible teaches. The bible states that Jesus was the propitiating atoning
sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole
world. Jesus didn’t just die for those he knew would accept him; he died for
every sinner who has ever lived on this earth. And he died before they, you
or I ever committed a single sin…his death was in reality accomplished
before any of us were. Here is a radical truth that even some of you may
frown at. Sin is not an issue with God! Because He knows the sufficiency of
His grace and He knows our faith in His word to confess our sins. Does not
the scripture read, “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are
forgiven you for his name's sake.” Because of the name of Jesus, the life of
Jesus, the death of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, the heavenly ministry
of Jesus…the sins of the entire world…God does His part; He gives us grace
to receive the truth by faith and make it a reality in our life. We are to be
convinced of sin, righteousness, and judgment. We can sum these up in the
receiving of Jesus Christ sending the Holy Spirit to convict us of lacking faith
in him.
We must have faith to trust God’s grace. Do we believe that God wants to
save us? Grace can reverse the deep effects of sin. Our response to grace
is faith in Jesus. It is this faith that carries us to salvation. It’s the gift of God,
not a work we do. Jesus says, “thy faith hath saved thee.” But it is according
to God’s own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before
the world began. He provides faith through grace for us to be brought from
death to life. It’s the work of God alone that we can receive His grace through
faith. God gives the grace, the faith, and the salvation. This is His
purpose…what did we do. So, why does God give both grace and faith? That
none of us may boast. That is grace from God to keep us from pride. God
knows the human tendency for pride. Salvation is a divine work of God that
cannot be earned through any human actions. It can’t be passed down from
our parents as some believe. If we had anything to do with our salvation, we
would think to take credit about what we had accomplished. Since salvation
is a work of God alone, we by faith can boast about God alone. Please get
this…from the beginning, God knew of the fall that would bring separation.
He purposed this to secure eternity for those who would come to Him. God
had a plan to bring creation back to Himself and that was through Jesus.
Jesus came to live the perfect life that we couldn’t and then died the death
that only we deserved, but that’s not all of it. Jesus rose, defeating death, so
that we too would experience resurrection of life. The Word of God made
grace possible and by that Word God made salvation possible through faith.
God, in His providence, extends both grace and faith to us. Without grace,
faith cannot function; and without faith, grace cannot be retained. Grace is
the power, faith is the “on” switch within our spirit that enables us to receive
grace. Faith is essential for us to see and to know God. Without this faith in
its continual growth the righteousness of God cannot be unveiled. Without
this we would have no life. That’s why faith is the underlying basis of our
relationship with God, and the means by which we can apprehend God’s
grace. There is this divinely powerful truth that sets us free from the penalty
and the power of sin: by our faith in the grace of Christ’s death. Application
of this grace and truth of the cross by faith each day gives us the putting on
of Christ. His mind, his doing. This is the way by God’s grace we overcome
sin in our sanctification. Having the mind of Christ gives us the heart of the
humility of Christ making it possible to have true faith required to receive
God’s grace for God giveth grace to the humble. This is God safeguarding
eternity. Faith acts on the truth of God’s word and this shows the effect of
grace in the life. Grace and faith are pictured in God’s hand reaching down
to touch us and we reach upward to take hold of Him. And it is as we envision
God’s hand of grace and our hand of faith joining together to form an
interlocking handshake that our divine relationship and friendship is
complete and inseparable.
Consider how faith so pleases God. Faith is so powerful that it can give
conditional exception to our standing with God. How so? Believing what God
says to us is true; even if we don’t see it happen right away. But there is a
word written with purpose. The experience of the repentant thief is a perfect
illustration of the biblical truth that salvation is a gift of God’s grace that we
receive through faith and not by works. The repentant thief had already
received a death sentence for his wrongdoing. All we know about his sin is
that the scriptures call him a thief and a criminal. This sin, according to the
world, deserved death. However, according to Jesus, it was forgivable. If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness. This is proof that God will show grace and
forgive the sins of all those who have faith in Him, even in their last moment.
Whatever goodness faith sees, it sees as the fruit of grace.
Eternal destiny changed by a faith that recognized Jesus as the Savior. Our
faith is the demand we place on the power of God. Our faith is the receiver
of grace; it is the receiver of the power of God. Our faith is ours when we
believe and act on the Word of God. Just reach out and touch the H, I, M.
Grace will in no way excuse sin. God will by no means clear the guilty. Every
one shall die for his own iniquity. God reserveth wrath for his enemies. He is
of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity. It was Jesus
who by the grace of God should taste death for every man. What an amazing
thought! Jesus Christ, our perfect and sinless substitute, tasted death for
everyone. The bible even says how he did it: by God’s grace. It was God’s
love, compassion, and mercy for us that not only sent Jesus to the cross but
enabled him to endure it. Jesus was no helpless victim of hatred or
persecution. He voluntarily surrendered himself. This was purposed in the
grace of God. To embrace this truth, the idea that everyone could be saved
based upon grace must be received by faith by the individual. This grace and
this saving faith express God’s omnipotent plan for our lives, purposed to
bring glory to His name through Christ Jesus. Faith is the act of our soul that
turns away from our own insufficiency to the free and all-sufficient resources
of God’s grace. The grace in God’s plan is so purposed that no one is required
to work to earn it. And our faith is the mark of being chosen for God’s election.
We are found in the favor of God for our salvation is through faith, not as a
cause or condition of salvation, or as what adds anything to the blessing itself; but it
is the way, or means, or instrument, which God has appointed, has purposed,
for the receiving and enjoying it, that so it might appear to be all of grace;
and this faith is not the produce of our free will and power, but it is the free
gift of God...it is not of our desiring nor of our deserving, nor of our
performing, but is of the free grace of God.
Faith fueled by grace authenticates our obedience to God. By it we
understand God’s call and our identity. Grace is highlighted through our faith.
Both are of our divine Father in heaven, and sacrificial offering of our Savior
Jesus Christ. Hearing and discerning which voices speak wisdom and truth
for God today requires a grace that overarches the source of our faith. There
will be storms, hardships, trials, persecutions. By faith in the grace of God’s
promise we take courage to endure. God’s grace is not an abstract concept
or a thing. God’s grace is a person. Jesus Christ is God’s grace personified.
When God lived in the tabernacle in the wilderness, the people saw His glory
by the things He did. At that time, God tabernacled in a man-made tent, the
sanctuary. The second time God comes to dwell among His people, He
comes in a tent/tabernacle/temple that is not made with human hands. He
comes in the fleshly body as Jesus Christ. That is why Jesus referred to his
body as “this temple”. Our dwelling in tents in the wilderness was the shadow
of our bodies. So Jesus came in the true temple and he was “full of grace”
and truth. From his fullness we have all received grace. God appeared to us
as Jesus, in a temple that was foreshadowed by the tent or tabernacle in the
Old Testament. In this new tent, unlike the old tabernacle that had the law on
table to stones, this new tabernacle or body prepared Christ was completely
filled with God’s grace. Jesus was walking around as the face of God’s grace
and his flesh was simply a “covering” that was put on that grace so that it
could take shape that is physically visible. The bible says this; 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; looking for that blessed hope, and the
glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave
himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto
himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and
exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. This is a
reference to Jesus whom John describes as God’s only son who left heaven
and came to earth, full of grace and truth, and from his grace we have each
received grace and God’s blessings. Jesus is the grace that saves us as our
faith is in Him.
We see Jesus in his grace as God sees the faith that is in us. To
enlarge…without grace, there would be no salvation, considering our flagrant
disobedience against God’s sovereignty over us within His purpose. We
need to understand grace specifically as seen against the backdrop of God's
justice, that is, what God is fully and absolutely justified in doing to
us. Without it, there would be no calling, no justification, no Holy Spirit given,
and no sanctification—let alone, no salvation. We could go as far as to say
that there would be no creation! In short, in terms of our salvation, grace is
the key element in God's entire purpose. Therefore, at this point in our lives,
we must have the determined mindset to live the rest of our lives by faith,
submitting to God to fulfill our part in His purpose for us. To complete our
course, we will find as we live it that God's grace is supporting and filling our
needs all along the way. From beginning to end, our salvation is by means
of divine benevolence, gifting by God. In no way is grace given because God
is obligated, compelled, forced, or duty bound to us to do so. He gives grace
freely, not by constraint. All He truly owes us is the death we have earned
through sin. He gives grace because that is the way He is; it is His character.
He gives it because of what He is working out in His purpose.
God, the Author, would not
contradict Himself by suddenly giving approval of any work of faith as a
means of salvation. Grace, a merciful gift, preceded our having faith in Him.
Without His gift of grace, we would never have godly faith, the faith, in the
first place. Faith, our trust in God, is a fruit of the grace God freely gives. Our
calling and election by God preceded even the slightest fragment of saving
knowledge of God and thus our having faith in Him. Therefore, we could not
possibly earn any grace of God, even as Jacob could not. As a vivid
illustration for us, God deliberately chose to do this to show us that we
couldn’t possibly do any works pertaining to salvation. An overwhelming
nugget of truth may be gleaned from this gift of God. Because God is
revealing here His purposed pattern which He determined to call those He
has chosen to save at this time, then it shows that our personal calling and
election into His spiritual creation is in no way random but very specific.
When was Jeremiah sanctified and ordained? David’s substance was not
hidden. And what of John the Baptist? Works have an entirely different
purpose than that of saving us. Works are the fruit derived from God's grace.
Even though the grace of God is the foundation for good works, they, by
themselves, do not and cannot earn us grace. The grace of God enables our
works to do spiritual things. Essentially grace is an intervention into the
course of our lives.
Our calling is an act of God's grace, a gifting completely apart from any merit
on our part. We tend to think of grace primarily in regard to justification and
the forgiveness of sin, but that is far, far too limiting. Our relationship with
God through Jesus Christ is a faith connection that supplies us with
a continuous flow of grace, powers, forgiveness, knowledge, understanding,
wisdom, and more through God's loving concern. He is not supplying our
every desire but our every need as His spiritual creation of each of us moves
toward His purposed conclusion. Again, remember that, for this truth to be
more fully appreciated, it must be understood that God does not owe us one
tiny jot or tittle of it. Just as surely as the manna physically appeared to the
unconverted Israelites every morning except Sabbath in the wilderness and
the cloud was in the sky by day and a pillar of fire by night, God is supplying
our every need in relation to His salvation and purpose. It is all freely given
toward His glorification and His purpose of creating us to fill a position, a
place in His eternity.
May it be our prayer that we have seen a firm definition of and foundation for
appreciating the importance of grace and faith to our salvation. Without
either, there would be no salvation to give hope to our lives in Christ. Along
the way, through God's creation of us into the image of Christ, His giving of
God has laid His hand upon our life, and He is going to use
grace and faith becomes the source of power that enables us to overcome
and glorify God. us for His eternal purposes. Our faith gives us the full realization
that grace has already taken care of everything that concerns us.
📖 Applying the Study
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