By Rev. Joshua Gravett
Taken from Grace and Truth Magazine 1923
Grace!" This precious word is one of the least understood of all the great words of our Christian
vocabulary. It is not one of the least used,
for, on every hand, men lustily sing, "Saved by Grace." Yet, when we press for an illustration of how men are saved, the answers too often reveal a woeful ignorance
of God's plan of salvation.
Early in Church History this question was earnestly
discussed, and under the direction of the Holy Spirit the truth was established. We find ourselves in a similar conflict in these days. Men on every hand are teaching that works must be added to
faith, or Christ crucified, before one
can procure salvation. God's Word makes much of works when they are the outcome of gratitude;
but it warns constantly against
trusting such for salvation from
wrath. Grace Defined
The Apostle Paul lays the axe at
the root of this Christ dishonoring doctrine by
spying: "I do not make void the grace of God; for
if righteousness is through the law then Christ died
for naught" (Gal. 2 -21 R.
V.). The law, to which the Apostle
referred, was the law given as "a covenant" to the
Children of Israel at Sinai (Deut. 5:23). It included the
so-called "ceremonial" and "moral" law. Many of the
Jewish converts believed that only those who kept the law
could be saved. Such sticklers were they that they
refused to eat with uncircumcised Gentile believers. Paul
saw that such teaching perverted the Gospel. Therefore,
when Peter came to Antioch he "withstood him to his
face, because he was to be blamed" (Gal. 2:11). In refusing
to eat with the uncircumcised Christians Peter was
guilty of adding works to the gift of grace.
It seemed but a little thing to
ask Christianity to incorporate a t'me honored Jewish
custom. But it was not the custom which Paul feared, it
was the why of the custom. He saw that its addition
under their terms entirely changed the principle of
God's dealings with men. They said,
"Except ye be circumcised after
the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved" (Acts
15:1).
But God had already revealed in
the Old Testament that salvation was by Grace.
"And if by grace, then it is no
more works: o.herwise grace is no more grace"
(Rom. 11:6).
Paul points out, by quotations
from the Old Testament, the diverse
principles of grace
and law.
"Now that no man is justified by the law it is evident; for, 'The just shall live by faith.' And the law is not of faith: but, 'The man that doeth them shall live in them' " (Gal. 3:11 12).
It is foolish to attempt uniting what God has divided. Law thunders, "Do and you shall live," whilst grace sings, "Live
and you will do." Law offers life to the godly, whilst grace proffers eternal life to the ungodly. The dominant word of the former is "works"; whilst the latter magnifies "faith." At Sinai 3,000
were slain. At Pentecost 3,000 were converted. The Holy Spirit directs us to the covenant with
Abraham as illustrating the manner
of His dealings with us. The covenant with Abraham (read Rom. 4:9-16; Gal. 3:13-29) was "by faith, that it might be by
grace" (Rom. 4:16). It was (a)
Unconditional (Rom. 11:29); (b) Christ centered (II Cor.
1:20); (c) Oath-bound (Heb. 7:21); and (d) Perpetual (Jer.
31:35-37). Whilst the Sinaitic covenant was
(a) Conditional (Gal. 3:12); (b) Temporary (Heb.
7:12). We are taught to compare our condition to
Abraham's and to contrast it with Israel's under law.
Had Paul refrained from
contending for the faith "once for all delivered to the
saints," we should not now possess the Gospel. He said he
gave subjection, "No, not for an hour; that the truth of
the Gospel might continue with you" (Gal. 2:5).
Thank God for such men as Paul! Had he not resisted, it
would, regarding the Gospel, have been like the fable
in which the came! after craving
protection from the
elements pushed the obliging cobbler from his little shop.
Jesus said, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees." Truth
always needed defenders. Being the truth, it is
always the object of Satan's attacks. We are urged in the
epistle to the Ephesians to put on the whole armour of God
and fight the good fight of faith.
Grace Providing
Let us still further study this FACT
OF GRACE: Grace says, "To him that
worketh not but believeth on Him that justifieth
the ungodly, his faith is counted for
righteousness" (Rom. 4:5).
Again,
"Therefore it is of faith, that
it might be by grace" (Rom. 4:16).
The Scriptures affirm that we
are "justified freely (i. e.,
without cause) by His grace through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:34) The Greek word rendered "freely"
is translated "without a cause" in John 15:25.
Jesus was hated "without a cause," for there was no evil in
Him to merit hatred. We are justified "without a cause,"
for there is no goodness in us to merit justification.
The atoning blood of Jesus Christ is declared the procuring
cause of our salvation. Faith rests upon God's Word
about Christ's glorious redemption. I like that old
phrase, "recumbent faith." Such faith just reclines upon
God's Word about Jesus crucified. It finds rest in such
declarations as,
"The Lord hath laid on Him the
iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:6).
Archibald Brown said, "Put your
faith where God put your sins." That was saving
advice. Paul, the Apostle, teaches that
the law of works — any work before or after
regeneration — has noth'ng
whatever to do with salvation from wrath.
He often omits the definite article before law,
thus excluding all works (Gal. 2:16, 21; 3:11). Works, I
repeat, — before or after regeneration, — are excluded. But
a "law of faith" remains (Rom. 3:27, 28). Being under the
"law of faith" we are constrained to put faith in
Christ or be condemned because of frustrating grace. Because
Christ has died and salvation is freely offered, if I do
not believe I am lost. The whole world is under the law of
faith.
"He that believeth on Him is not
condemned; but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of
the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:18).
"If ye believe not that I am He,
ye shall d'e in your sins" (John 8:2.- ).
"This is the
work of God, that
ye believe on Him whom He hath sent" (John 6:29).
Jesus used the word "work" in
this last passage, to make plain that
God demands but one thing from the
sinner. Faith, the thing demanded,
is instrumental, not procreative.
Grace provides salvation, faith
appropriates it (Rom. 6:23). Dr. A. T. Pierson says, "Believing is the
most simple act of which we are
capable. It is simple reception * * * and
reception is so simple that it can
scarcely be defined; it would lose its simplicity in definition."
Grace Defined
Whilst we must believe, no merit can be attached to belief. "And if by grace, then no more of works, otherwise is no more grace" (Rom. 11:16). Is there any merit in my
permitting, if I am a pauper, a
kind benefactor pouring abundant
treasure into my bosom? Do I earn my
host's dinner by eating it? Or, to use
another figure, is there any merit
in a liar's believing the good word
of one who cannot lie?
Grace is unmerited favor; or, as John Currie puts it, "God's gift
to paupers." It is even greater
than a gift to a pauper: it is a
gracious pardon to an enemy.
Let me further illustrate this
principle of grace. A jeweler offers a
$20,000 jewel
at the ridiculously small price of twenty-five cents. If I
do not possess the quarter I cannot obtain the jewel; but,
if I do and offer it to the jeweler, I become a purchaser of
the gem. I grant you that I would secure a bargain.
But God is not selling bargains; He is offering
unspeakable gifts, gifts
purchased in the open market at full cost
by our precious Redeemer.
A little girl, whose mother was
sick with fever, came to the gardener of a king with
her small store of pennies. She asked him to sell her some
of the luscious grapes for the parched lips of her mother.
He said he could not. A little princess heard the
request and refusal, and immediately ran to her papa asking
permission to give the little girl some grapes. He
granted her the petition and soon the gardener, under the
little princess' direction, was filling a basket with rich
grapes. Upon receiving the grapes, the poor child offered
her few pennies to the king's daughter, as a price for the
grapes. The princess quickly
repelled the little girl,
saying, "My papa is a king, he doesn't sell grapes, he gives
grapes." Friend, God is the glorious Giver. Do not frustrate
His grace by offering your imperfect works as the
price for your salvation.
Grace Needed
I fancy that I can hear some one
say, "Why does God save by grace alone? I
believe the question is plainly answered by Paul when he
says,
"All have sinned and come short
of the glory of God" (Rom. 3 123).
Our condition is such that we
cannot give God the necessary obedience. Being born
in sin, we are sinners by nature
and act. We may consent to God's demands that they are good, but we
cannot meet them. The giving of the law made the offense to abound. The law more clearly reveals our
sinful nature than does the darkened
conscience; but it cannot remove
the stain or remit the penalty.
The work of law (either conscience, Sinaitic or the Sermon
on the Mount) is to condemn; Paul says
it ministers death (II Cor. 3:7).
Law can know no mercy. It must judge impartially. The blindfolded
goddess fitly illustrates its
attitude toward all.
Friend, God's answer to your question is your inability,
proven by your disobedience to His
revealed will. Our conditon is
such that God must deal with us
purely in grace if He would save us. We are born
in sin, so that out of our hearts
proceed corrupt thoughts, adulteries,
thefts. Jesus said,
"All these things come from within and defile the man" (Mark 7:23).
We sin because we are sinful by
nature. The ball receives its
curve in
the hand of the pitcher. We
receive our sin in the bodies of our parents. David cast no
reflection on his mother as a wife when he said,
"In sin did my mother conceive
me" (Psa. 51:5).
He briefly states what Jesus
described in Mark 7:21-23.
If I saw two rattlesnakes
approach my child, one of which had bitten a number of
people, whilst the other had never bitten a person, I
would warn my child to flee from both because of their
natures. I would not warn it merely to be afraid of the
one with a bad record. So man is declared a sinner because
of his natural condition.
"Sin is lawlessness" (I John
3:4, R. V.)
How can the clean thing holiness
come from an unclean heart? Do not charge too much to
Satan. When" he is bound for a thousand years, men
will still sin.
I cannot plane a board smooth
with a jagged plane-iron. I say it reverently, — God
was limited to grace, for even He, the Master-workman,
could not through fallen man work out a perfect holiness.
This was proven under law, for He dwelt by His Spirit
among the Children of Israel to help them keep His
Word. Grace Exalted
NOT ONLY THE INABILITY OF MAN, BUT THE INTENTIONS OF GOD DEMAND THAT HE DEAL GRACE.
He is not improving man, but is
now doing a new work.
"If any man be in Christ, he is
a new creation" (II Cor. 5:17).
"We are His workmanship,
created
in Christ Jesus unto (not because of) good
works" (Eph. 2;ioK
We are not placed back where
Adam stood, but we stand complete in the glorified
Christ. We are made partakers of the "divine nature" (II Peter
1:4).
"Where sin abounded, grace did
much more abound" (Rom. 5:20).
What a wonderful salvation!
"Beloved, now are we the sons of
God; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be;
but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall
be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is" (I John
3:2).
When speaking on "assurance" in
a certain place, a brother said, "Brother Gravett,
if salvation is a gift, can I not return it to God, even if
others cannot take it from me?" I quickly answered him by
asking him the question, "Can you give your life back to
your parents?" He rejoiced in the new light. Let us
rejoice that we are "born not of the will of the flesh * *
* but of God."
Grace Disciplining
Some Christians are troubled
about their sins, fearing that sin will cause them
to be lost. Before faith God deals with us as subjects,
but after faith as sons. God will punish believers in
this life for their sins. After God's covenant of grace with
Abraham he twice lied regarding his wife. Jacob after
the covenant at Bethel cheated his father-in-law again
and again. David after the covenant recorded in II Sam.
7:8-17 committed adultery and murder. These sins were
doubly hated by God because they were wrought by His
children, and each is punished. Read Nathan's rebuke
and judgment against David. God could chastise David
but His covenant of grace could not change. He had
said:
"If they break my statutes and
keep not my commandments, then will I visit
their transgressions with the rod, and their iniquity with
stripes. Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not
utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that
has gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness
that I will not lie unto David" (Psa. 89:31-35).
Paul referred to these "sure
mercies" when he said,
"I will give you the sure
mercies of David" (Acts 13:34) We are sure of both salvation
and chastisement if we trust the crucified and risen Lord. It
could not be sure if it depended upon our faithfulness.
But we are trusting His faithfulness Who hath promised.
God covenants with the believer that He will save
him. Concerning the purposes of His grace God never
says "if" to the subject of His grace. Remember that God
swears by Himself that He will save. He has not made it
to depend upon a second person's faithfulness. He
says, "Surely, blessing I will bless."
"This is the will (covenant) of
Him that sent me, that every one which seeth the
Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life,
and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:40). But He has said "if" concerning
the believer's walk.
"When we are judged we are
chastened of the Lord, that we should not be
condemned with the world" (I Cor. 11:32).
We may lose our rewards, but we
cannot lose our life.
"Your life is hid with Christ in
God" (Col. 3:3).
A few years ago in this city, a
woman sought to recover a piano from her
disobedient daughter. The judge quickly dismissed the case when
she said she had given the piano to her child.
Friend, I urge you to thank God
immediately for grace, and trust, as a needy
sinner, in His glorious provision for all who obey His Word
about the blood.
"How calm the judgment hour
shall pass
To all who do obey
The Word of God about the blood
And make that Word their stay."
Do not despise God's grace by
neglect, or by substituting your work for Christ's
sacrifice. He bore the wrath of God for sinners. Christ
honored God's law by fulfilling every "jot and tittle"
of its demands, and by bearing the penalty of our
disobedience. But all will be in vain unless you trust in God's
mercy. Cast yourself as a grateful sinner upon His
grace.
"The wrath of God that was our
due
Upon the Lamb was laid;
And by the shedding of His blood
The debt for us was paid."
This latter principle of
substitution is well illustrated by an
incident in the life of
Judge Lowrey of Mississippi: "A boy, the son of a worthless
father, was brought before the judge charged with a certain
offense. He was found guilty and fined. The mother
pleaded with the judge that he remit the fine; she said
that she would have to earn the money to pay the fine:
but her prayer was not granted. The judge, whilst
waiting at New Albany, wrote a letter to the mother, an
old friend of the Lowreys,
saying, 'As Judge Lowrey
I was compelled to execute the law; but as your
friend, I send you my personal check to pay the fine'."
As Judge, Jesus passed the
sentence of death upon the sinner; but, as a Friend "Who
sticketh closer than a brother," He gave His life a
ransom for sin. He is in very deed a "just God and a
Saviour" (Isa. 45:21).
The mother could reject the
loving provision of a friend, and we may reject God's
loving provision for our
redemption. With heartfelt
thanks accept His grace and manifest your gratitude by a
life devoted to publishing this good news to all mankind.
"Grace there is my every debt to
pay,
Blood to wash my every sin away,
Power to keep me spotless day by
day,
In Christ for me."
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