BASIC BIBLE STUDIES
# 020
Saved by Grace
"And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved" (Acts
2:47). "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we
(Jews) shall be saved in the same manner as they (Gentiles)" (Acts 15:11).
In our previous Study we learned that all that God had been preparing mankind
for prior to the coming of Christ, all that the Old Testament prophets had
been foretelling, all that Christ came into the world to accomplish reached
its fruition in the establishment of the church, the body of people that has
been redeemed from sin by the blood of Christ. We are now ready to move into
a series of studies that is designed to set forth God's wonderful plan of
salvation, of how a person--any person anywhere--can enter into a spiritual
relationship with God and be a part of the church, that body of people to whom
the Lord adds those who have been saved from their sins (Acts 2:47).
The New Testament book of Romans, particularly chapters 1 through 8, sets
forth in magnificent tones the wonderful, amazing grace of God toward sinful
humanity. By His grace, God made provisions for mankind's redemption through
the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Consider for example the tremendous
statement found in Romans 5:6-8: "For when we were still without strength (to
save ourselves, hf), in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely
for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would
dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we
were still sinners, Christ died for us." This is grace--God's unmerited,
undeserved love and favor toward sinful humanity in taking the initiative to
save us by means of the propitiation/atonement offered by Christ for us on the
cross (Romans 3:25).
The reality of salvation by grace runs throughout the gospel. In fact, the
gospel is the message of God's grace toward us, the good news that "Christ
died for our sins according to the Scriptures..." (I Corinthians 15:3). The
apostle Paul speaks with great appreciation of "the gospel of the grace of
God" (Acts 20:24). Throughout the New Testament emphasis is given to the
exhilarating truth that we are saved by grace. Consider a few of the passages
setting forth this fact.
Romans 3:24: "...being justified freely by His grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."
Romans 5:20: "But where sin abounded, grace abounded
much more..."
I Corinthians 15:10: "But by the grace of God I am
what I am..."
II Corinthians 8:9: "For you know the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich (referring to His pre-fleshly
existence with God, Philippians 2:5-6), yet for your sakes He became poor (by
coming to earth as a man and dying for our sins, Philippians 2:7-8), that you
through His poverty might become rich (in spiritual blessings, Ephesians
1:3)."
Ephesians 1:7: "In Him (Christ) we have redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His
grace."
Ephesians 2:8-9: "For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of
works, lest anyone should boast."
II Timothy 1:9: "...who (God) has saved us and called
us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own
purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began."
Titus 3:5-7: "...not by works of righteousness which
we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of
regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit...that having been justified by
His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
Hebrews 2:9: "But we see Jesus, who was made a little
lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and
honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone."
On we could go, submitting passage after passage of Sacred Scripture affirming
the truth that salvation is possible only because of the grace, the unmerited
love and favor of God toward man as demonstrated in the death of Christ for
all mankind. Truly, "the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to
all men" (Titus 2:11).
In the light of the above, some may wonder why everyone will not be saved.
Some may wonder why Christ, in His Sermon on Mount, urged people to "enter in
at the narrow gate," and then warned: "for wide is the gate and broad is the
way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it" (Matthew
7:13). Some may wonder why, as Christ came to the end of that great
sermon, He cautioned: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter
the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in
heaven" (Matthew 7:21). While no one deserves God's grace and while
salvation can never be earned, is there something a person must do to accept
God's grace? Is there any validity to the question often raised in the Acts
of the Apostles: "What must I do to be saved?"
In the next several lessons we shall give careful attention to the response
that one must make to God's amazing grace in order to be saved and
incorporated into the church, the people who are now God's "holy nation,
His own special people" (I Peter 1:9-10).
If this essay has blessed your life, feel free to forward it to others who may
benefit from it.
Hugh Fulford