Grace is free. Not a surprise. But exactly what are the ramifications for a Christian person? How do you receive that which is freely given? The fact that GRACE is freely given – the fact that grace could be defined as, “God’s UNMERITED favor” – this is a fact that literally defines the New Covenant in Christ. It is a Truth that stands at the heart of the good news.
Grace is the New Covenant principle. But grace is also everywhere in the Old Testament. The difference is that the OT emphasis is upon our NEED for grace. All of those terrible dealings of God in the OT that seem so hard and so wrathful! How is that grace? It is grace because all of that was intended to show man the utter futility of redemption through any means except the grace of God in Jesus Christ.
Grace in Christ alone was the greater purpose towards which God was working in the OT. Even the law of God – which exposes ALL of us – is UNTO grace in Christ. Paul writes:
Now we know that what things the law says, it says to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe. (Rom 3:19-22)
here was never any salvation possible except by grace in Christ. Never. Even the Old Covenant revealed that – the very animal sacrifices were a type of Jesus Christ. They were intended to show that salvation was possible only through the death of another. The law itself, as we quoted, was intended to show us our hopeless condition. All of this was intended to show us the essential of the grace of God.
The Old Covenant did not save – rather, it pointed towards the One who does. The OT was a shadow – Jesus Christ is the substance or reality. In Christ alone is the grace of God.
Grace in a Person
GRACE is good news. There was never any other means of restoring man back to God that was possible. Indeed, He sent His only begotten Son to bring and work the possibilities of grace into the human race. John wrote that Jesus was, “full of grace and Truth.” (John 1:14 and 1:17) We also read, from Peter, that God is, “the God of ALL grace.” (I Peter 5:10)
But if we read those verses and seriously consider what they mean, there is a great Truth here about GRACE. We find that grace is not a THING. It is NOT merely some POWER. Indeed, you cannot separate grace from God Himself. Rather, God IS grace – in other words, grace is an extension of His very person, presence, and working. Grace is God’s NATURE and expressed through His character.
Elsewhere we are told that, “God is love.” We are also told that the Lord IS our righteousness. I could go on. But sufficient to say, if you are talking about grace, you are talking about God. Grace is His nature. Grace is carried in all that God does and everything that God IS.
Faith and Grace
Faith comes by hearing the Truth. If you don’t hear and see the Truth you cannot believe. You cannot. Thus, in order for God to get us to the place where we have no faith in ourselves, and all faith in Christ, He has to bring us into the Truth that there is nothing in ourselves in which to trust, and to where we see that Christ alone is trustworthy. We have to come to SEE this – not just accept the doctrine.
What we see here is that faith is actually the outcome of seeing that it is only by the grace of God in Jesus Christ that we stand before God. Faith is dependency upon Christ for all. We aren’t going to depend upon Christ unless we see that there is nothing in ourselves by which to stand, but that all is freely given us in Christ.
You will find that God is continually bringing us to the end of any delusion that there is resource in ourselves. But not as an end unto itself. The goal is to show us that Christ – God’s grace in Him – is the only hope we have. But it is a glorious hope. For then we will gladly put all of our faith upon Him AS our source. Thus, faith rests upon the grace of Jesus Christ.
The Yes and Amen
For all the promises of God in him are yes, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. (2 Cor 1:20)
What does the above verse from II Corinthians mean? Among other things, it means that the reason God is faithful has nothing to do with us. God is faithful because, well, God IS faithful. If there were not a single person who ever believed God or called upon Him, God would still be faithful. His promises would still be true.
This is vital to see. For so often in the Christian life we try to make ourselves worthy for the promises of God. We try to do, or not do, so that God will find reason to be faithful to us. But this is error. We have already seen that much of the work of the Spirit of God is to show us that we can never be worthy. God wants us to stop trying to convince Him that He needs to keep His promises. No. The Yes and Amen are found in God – He is faithful though all of us be untrue.
Jesus Christ is the same today, yesterday, and forever. It is WE who fluctuate as to faith – because our faith is not IN Christ – but in ourselves. If we would simply put ourselves aside, and step outside of ourselves, and put our faith solely in Christ – to the complete disregard of ourselves — we could freely receive what God has freely given. But that IS the problem, isn’t it? We cannot do this.
This is why there must be a work of the Cross. The work of the Cross, usually through various experiences in life, will fully expose us as being empty. And the fact is, it is only when we see that there is nothing in ourselves we can offer God, that we will freely receive what He has freely given. In short, we will see the Truth, and be set free to fellowship with God in the Light.
Perhaps the greatest irony of all is that while we continually try to be worthy enough for God, He is continually trying to show us we can never be worthy. Indeed, God even gave His law to show us as guilty, but we try to use His law to proclaim our own righteousness. How deluded we are. We need the Truth.
The work of the Holy Spirit is to guide us into ALL TRUTH. And at the core is the grace of God in Jesus Christ. God has freely given us all things in Christ. What is freely given on the basis of grace can only be freely received on the basis of Christ. The simple purpose of God is to set us free by this Truth – so that we CAN freely receive what is freely given – and fellowship with God forever in His Son.
David DePra