What is Grace? It is the undeserved favor of a loving God freely given to sinful people who did nothing to earn it. It is mercy instead of judgment, loving-kindness instead of wrath. It is the positive activity of God our Creator toward us, Who, instead of giving us what we deserve, kindly gives us what we do not deserve and could never earn.
Graciousness from the hand of a loving God is the operative principle of the Christian life.
The Bible Contrasts Man’s Good Works and God’s Grace.
|
Salvation is
NOT BY WORKS |
Salvation is
UNTO GOOD WORKS |
Good works are not the MEANS of salvation (Titus 3:5). |
Good works are the RESULT of salvation (Titus 3:8). |
Good works are not the CAUSE of salvation. |
Good works are the CONSEQUENCE of salvation. |
Good works are not what a person must do to get saved. God’s undeserved favor. "But to him that WORKETH NOT, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom. 4:5). |
A saved person does good works because he is saved. God’s Undeserved Favor. "This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works" (Titus 3:8). |
The unsaved person does good works trying to earn God's favor. |
What is Undeserved Favor? The saved person does good works because he already has God's favor (Titus 2:11-14). |
Why do Christians do good works? What is Grace? Christians do not work in order to get saved. |
Christians work because they are already saved. |
FLESHLY WORKS: what an unsaved person does, trying to earn salvation. |
FAITH WORKS: what God produces in a saved person by God’s grace. (Heb. 13:21). |
FLESHLY WORKS can never please God (Romans 8:8). |
What is grace? FAITH WORKS are pleasing to God because He produced them by His undeserved favor (Hebrews 11:6; 1 Thess. 1:3). |
The unsaved boaster: "Look at my good works." (see Matt. 23:5 - "to be seen of men"). |
The saved person: "Thank you Lord for what You are doing in me" by Your undeserved favor (Phil. 2:13). |
The works of an unsaved person are cause for boasting. "For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory [boast]; but not before God" (Romans 4:2). |
What is grace? The works of a saved person cause praise for God’s grace. "Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God" (Philippians 1:11). |
DEAD WORKS (Heb. 6:1; 9:14; Eph. 5:11) Working to earn salvation only produces false fruit, false works (Gal. 5:19-21) |
What is grace? FRUITFUL WORKS (Col. 1:10) Fruitful works flow from your saving relationship with Jesus Christ, by God’s grace. |
The unsaved person boasts in SELF ("I") (Luke 18:11-12). |
The saved person boasts in God’s grace (1 Corinthians 1:29-31). |
No one can WORK to earn salvation (Romans 4:5). |
A saved person will WORK OUT the salvation already freely given to him by God’s grace (Phil 2:12). |
EMPTY: |
FULL: "that ye may abound to every good work" (2 Cor. 9:8; 1 Cor. 15:58) |
What is Grace? Getting saved is by grace, through faith alone (Rom 3:28). |
Paradoxically, the faith that saves is not alone (James 2:14,20,22,26). |
Paul corrected an error in Romans 3-4: Error: ”SALVATION IS BY WORKS.” This is the error of Legalism. |
James corrected an error in James 2: Error: ”Works are unnecessary after salvation.” This is the error of Antinomianism. |
What is grace? You cannot be saved by works (Romans 3:28; 4:6; 2 Tim. 1:9). |
What is grace? You cannot show you are saved without works (James 2:18). |
How can I get saved? ONLY BY FAITH through God’s undeserved favor (Eph. 2:8; Gal. 2:16). |
How can I show that I am saved? ONLY BY WORKS through God’s undeserved, unearned favor (James 2:14- 26). |
Faith without works is the only way God will save you (Galatians 2:16). |
Once you are saved by faith, by God’s grace, your works testify of your salvation(James 2:26). |
What is grace? Faith is the ROOT (Galatians 5:6). |
What is undeserved favor? LOVE expressed by good works, is the FRUIT (Galatians 5:6,22; Heb. 10:24), by God’s grace. |
Faith cannot be seen. |
Works are visible (Matt. 5:16). What is grace? Invisible faith produces visible works (James 2:18). |
What is grace? Good works are REJECTED as a way of salvation (Matthew 7:22-23). |
What is grace? Good works are REMEMBERED as an indication of salvation (Hebrews 6:10). |
The works of an unsaved person will be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). |
The works of a saved person will be judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ (for rewards, not to determine salvation) (2 Cor 5:10; 1 Cor 3:11-15). |
God's grace message to the unsaved: What is grace? "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent" (John 6:29). |
God's grace message to the saved: What is grace? “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world... zealous of good works" (Titus 2:11-14). |
Impossible requirements for the unsaved:
"The law commands but gives
me neither feet nor hands... |
Supernatural enabling for the saved: “Far grander news the Gospel brings, It bids me fly and gives me wings. -John Bunyan |
Lordship Salvation Error: Adds requirements to saving faith. Says to be saved you must 1. submit, 2. obey, 3. surrender to Christ's Lordship, 4. fulfill conditions of discipleship... |
Error of some Grace believers: The teaching that a true believer can be entirely without good works, can reject faith and deny Christ. That is not God’s grace. |
I do not work my soul to save- For that, my Lord has done... |
My works spring from the life He gave And love of God's dear Son. |
"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me;
I once was lost but now I'm found,
Was blind but now I see."
The Bible tells us precisely how to get saved.
We show grace by Loving Strangers.
From, What is grace
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