The truth about Grace

Notice about Speed Reading and Skimming before reading about 'Grace'

Please do not ‘skim’ read the following article. Each word was given thought, and carefully written. Each sentence is often a statement unto itself that leads into the understanding of sentence following it. To skip a sentence through quickly glancing through the article will most definitely result in a lack of understanding and lead to a wrong conclusion of what is being said. If the reader is pressed for time, I ask that you set the article aside until more time can be allowed, or do not read it at all. Thanks.

Grace

A prime example of false doctrine is the corruption of the understanding of
Ephesians 2:8;

“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.”

Many, many churches teach these passages of text…but the corruption of this verse is one of understanding, or should I say, misunderstanding. Their so called ‘plan of salvation’ stops right there, with grace. I’ve heard it time and time again; “Well, we’re all sinners, saved by grace…there’s nothing more to be done brother, Jesus paid it all, praise God…..just accept it.” Those that teach and preach that we are saved by grace and grace alone (and that being the end of story…) are who Jude wrote about in his New Testament letter. These are men who through their false teaching actually give license to sin by their acceptance of the “well, we’re all sinners after all…saved by grace” attitude, while at the same time failing to teach the consequences of sin within the ‘believer.’

These errors promote lasciviousness (immoral license). This kind of preaching/teaching attracts great numbers, (and great amounts of money for those who proclaim such falsehoods)…In the epistle of St. Jude, he warns:

3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. 5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. 6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever 14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage. 17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Grace: what it is and what it does.

In Genesis chapter 6 verse 8 it says that Noah found grace in the sight of the Lord. The whole world was found to be in sin…but Noah found grace in God’s sight. Grace, here, means ‘favor.’ Did grace save Noah? No. It was God’s grace that showed Noah the plan for his salvation from the coming wrath. It was God’s grace, the showing of God’s favor for Noah…that God told Noah to build the ark. Noah then, believed God (faith), which resulted in his putting that faith into action (works) by doing what God said to do! Grace, and faith resulting in taking the correct course of action (building the ark) saved Noah and his family. Noah still had to build the ark…amidst all the doubters. Noah, because of God’s grace, was given a way out. But it didn’t end there. Noah had to act upon that grace, Noah had to believe God (faith), build the ark and then get in it! Would grace alone have saved Noah? No. Would faith that God would do what he said he would do save Noah? No. Noah had to act upon that grace, act upon that faith, and build the ark. It was Noah’s obedience to that grace, that plan of salvation, that saved Noah. In the days of Sodom, Lot found grace also in the sight of the Lord ( Genesis chapter 19). Divine favor, for Lot, brought the plan of salvation to Lot…and told Lot to ‘get out of town!’ Did grace save Lot? No. That grace had to be acted upon. Grace, followed by a faith that resulted in obedience…saved Lot. His wife was under the same grace…the same faith, but without obedience she perished.

In Titus 2:11, the Apostle Paul writes:
“ For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.”

Grace itself is not salvation…grace brings salvation.

Grace, brought God’s plan of salvation for all mankind, to man. In the verse we just read, it also says this grace appeared to all men, but are all men saved? No, of course not, but the plan is for all men.

Grace, brought the plan. Grace… unmerited favor, meaning that man himself did nothing to deserve this plan of salvation from God. God’s grace is not given because of good works… lest any man should boast. It is purely, the grace of God. Grace, is a gift of God to undeserving man. Grace brought the plan, but grace is not the plan itself! Always, in the old and new testament, grace, brings a way out of our sins, out of our shortcomings, but such grace must be followed on our part by faith, resulting in taking the proper action. Just like it did for Noah and Lot.

Were salvation a matter of grace alone…we could literally through out the rest of the bible (which, doctrinally, most churches today do!!) There would be no need to overcome sin…as it says in Revelation 3:5;

“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life.”

Did you catch that? These people Jesus was referring to were already in the book of life…yet they would be blotted out of that book if they didn’t overcome (sin). Did Jesus say, “Oh, well, you’re under grace now…come on into my heaven?” No.

In the verse below, we wouldn’t be required to bear fruit would we? Not if grace were the ‘end of the story’. Luke 13:9 says:

“And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.”

Cut down? Wait a minute. It’s already a branch then…did grace alone save this unfruitful branch? No.

And why bother being salt of the earth, if grace was all inclusive?

Luke 14:34 says:

“Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

The following passages of text…are not written to the non-believers, but to the church. They speak of ‘staying the course’ of a Christian life, of not backsliding, but what they do not do is give license to sin…they do NOT say, “well, if you sin it’s okay, we’re all saved by grace.” Let me say here and now…that those same preachers that promote lasciviousness (license to sin) because of grace are also the first ones to point out their own brand of corruption of the verse found in Romans 3:23:

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”

But this verse refers to “all men”…it is prior to the salvation commitment and experience. It refers to those who claim not to need a saviour because they have not sinned. These so-called ministers of the gospel want to include all, both in and out of the body of Christ, sinner and Christian alike…as sinners (but we‘ve already covered the truth of Romans 3:23). Once again, this violates all scriptures pertaining to holiness, godliness, overcoming the world and all of the guidelines for living for God in a manner that is pleasing to Him.

Other verses pertaining to the impossibility of ‘grace alone’ being all that is necessary for salvation…or for that matter the whole concept that some churches have about ‘once a person is saved that they cannot lose their salvation”:

John 15:6 “If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”

Romans 11:21 “For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.”

Romans 11:22 “Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.”

Romans 8:13 “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”

1 Corinthians 15:2 “By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.”

Salvation…a life-long journey

Galatians 6:9 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

1 Thessalonians 3:8 “For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.”

If…If…If…

Hebrews 3:14 “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;”

Hebrews 6:6 “If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”

Hebrews 10:26 “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins”,

Hebrews 10:38 “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him”.

The prophet Jeremiah was told to go and deliver a message from God to those who, like so many self-professing Christians in today’s world, thought that since “God was on their side” (or so they wanted to think) that they could live any way they desired to and that God would still be pleased with them. Jeremiah Chapter 7, verses 8-10 says:

“Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and wear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered (saved) to do all these abominations?”

How totally ridiculous…and yet the Apostle Paul faced the same thing! Look what he wrote to the roman believers, in his letter, chapter 6: 15-16;:

What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. (In other words, NO!).

“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”

And look at the last part, of the above sentence, “his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death”…it’s almost a re-statement of ‘the wages of sin is death”…and once again, it’s written to the CHURCH. The wages of sin, is death. It’s written to the believer. Paul is saying, “grace won’t cover you.”

Okay, I have to say it again; grace in itself is not salvation, grace brought the plan of salvation. Titus 2:11, “for the grace of God that bringeth salvation…“ That plan, first of all must be believed (faith), resulting in the fulfillment of that plan (salvation). Millions of people, are deceived by the doctrine of salvation based solely on ‘grace’. They have been lied to by a false doctrine and those that teach it. A false doctrine based upon a corruption of truth. They cling to the idea of ‘grace alone’ and go about their lives in blissful ignorance. But on the Day of Judgment, however, ‘grace’ alone won’t go very far…Jesus said, in Matthew 7:21-23:

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

The people in the above text that came to Jesus thought they had been following Him, but they had been deceived. They prayed to Him, and prayed in His name. They were ‘believers’, and cast out devils in His name.

They did many wonderful works in His name. They had put forth effort, prayer, and in doing many wonderful works probably spent a lot of money.

Jesus said MANY would come to Him on the day of judgment and make these statements…and the statements would be true. Jesus didn’t call them liars, He didn’t deny the statements. (Gee, what about grace?). Jesus simply said he never knew them, commanded them to depart (guess where they went?) and called them workers of iniquity (sin).

Jesus said he never knew them… but we know that God knows everyone that was ever born…but the ‘knowing’ in this instance refers to an intimate knowing, such as in the book of Genesis where it says, “and Adam ‘knew’ his wife, and she bare a son and called his name Abel. And again Adam ‘knew’ his wife and she bare another son, Cain.

In the Old Testament, that kind of knowing spoke of sex…but it’s an intimacy. It’s an indwelling. Since the day of Pentecost as recorded in the New Testament this spiritual intimacy is known as the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Jesus foretold his followers of this, recorded in John 14: 15-18:

“If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”

Many will come to Jesus on the Day of Judgment…and Jesus will say he never ‘knew’ them. Even with their beliefs, faith, prayers, their wonderful works…did ‘grace alone’ save them? No. For once again, grace brought the plan of salvation…but obviously that plan was never followed to its intended end; which was the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, brought about by the baptism of that
spirit.

Ephesians 2:8:

“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.”