Saved By Grace

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

No one will question that it is by "grace" that we are saved, but the bible also says that it is by grace "through faith" that we are saved. Both are necessary. This verse is commonly explained in this way; that while we are saved by the "grace of God" is through the faith we employ that the grace arrives. Or you can think of it as the pipeline through which the grace travels. For example, when drinking from a garden hose, no one would say their thirst was quenched by the hose, but by the water it delivers. The hose contributes nothing to the wonderful attributes of the water, yet it is nevertheless required. The concern is always that by saying one needs to exercise faith to experience the grace of God we are adding our works to what God alone can do.

It is important that we understand a certain aspect of faith. It is more than saying "I am in the faith" or "I believe Jesus is the Son of God." Heb. 11 makes it clear that faith is more than something we keep in our hearts to protect and maintain in hope that it will grow. Faith DOES things. Look at the powerful verbs (action words) used in Heb. 11.
Heb 11:33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

God has given us faith so that we may do something. Faith enables us to operate in the spirit realm. Eph 1:3 says that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. There are times we need to call out to heaven for these blessings, times such as sickness, financial need or times when we just need to walk in our spiritual calling. Consider this: If you were to ask me to get you a glass of water, I would walk to the kitchen with my feet and pick up a glass with my hand. It is the same way in our spiritual life. When someone needs a spiritual drink my earthly hands and feet are of no use. Only by faith can we handle spiritual things. I need to call on my (exercised and ready) faith to minister the word of God and allow the grace of God to operate through me.

God has given us faith so that we may do something. But, without Him we can do nothing. This is the mystery of grace.

In The Begining

Gen 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

Rest (H7673 שׁבת shâbath shaw-bath')
A primitive root; to repose, that is, desist from exertion; used in many implied relations (causatively, figuratively or specifically): - (cause to, let, make to) cease, celebrate, cause (make) to fail, keep (sabbath), suffer to be lacking, leave, put away (down), (make to) rest, rid, still, take away.

This is the 1st reference to the Sabbath and the Rest.

· There are three things to summarize here.
1. God was doing something (i.e. working)
2. His work was completed and finished.
3. He stopped working or rested.

I know this seems obvious, but I’m going somewhere with this…

Besides the significance of this reference occurring so early in the scriptures, looking past the amazing prominence of the fact that God “rested”, God goes a step further to declare this rest as holy (i.e. sanctified) and to be observed forever!

Gen 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

He SANCTIFIED it because that in it he RESTED from ALL his WORK!

God went on to establish the sabbath day in Exo 16:23 and Exo 20:8. Again, keeping this simple, there is only one way to break (or pollute as God calls it) the sabbath and that is to do work. The word sabbath actually means "intermission."

Conclusion:
Once God does (makes, creates or prepares) something, it is totally complete and utterly finished. That is why God ceased from his labors. It does not need any further input from us nor any of our well intentioned yet presumptuous assistance. If God does not see where there is anything to add to his work, how sinful (unholy) is it for us to presume to continue to work when he has ceased. This is the essence of grace and why it requires us to have faith to believe that God (and his work) is sufficient. Grace is resting. (Heb 4). It is something we can access and stand in as shown in Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And this accessing and standing is only possible when faith is employed.

The other side of grace

We all talk about having God's grace, but there is something that is just as important as knowing you are in the grace of God: knowing when you have stepped out of grace.

No, I'm not talking about stepping out of salvation, but rather the pleasure and thus the provision of God. I am thankful that the Holy Spirit lets me know when I have grieved the heart of God and when I am walking away from the path of righteousness. Again, I'm not talking sin here, but rather leaving the highway of God's will and entering the detours of my will.

I count on sensing both the pleasure and the disapproval of God. Both perceptions keep me. When I become aware that the Lord has distanced Himself from me, then I say, "Alright, Master, where have I gone wrong." And as I look back at my tracks, He is faithful to show me the place to which I need to return.

Walking in God's grace is important and I live for that status. I don't ever want to get so calloused as to assume that everything I do is backed by divine favor. I want to be careful and vigilant.

4 Scriptures

Over the years, several scriptures began to surface as the dots I connected to form an understanding of grace. No doubt, others have different scriptures they would include. If this is the case, you can mention your best choices in the comment section.

1. Gal. 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

2. Phil. 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

3. John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

4. Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

It All Started When I Said ...

The following are the comments that started the "Discussion."

These scriptures show that there is more to the grace of God than the “eternal security blanket” we receive at salvation. Here Paul shows that there is a specific grace give to him, to do a specific job which bestows a unique authority (calling) not available to anyone else. It is also clear that there is “grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ” given to all believers to accomplish their God given responsibilities in the kingdom. It is up to us to learn to access it, then stand in it and function in it.

Acts 14:26 And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled.
Romans 1:1-7 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Romans 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
Romans 15:15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God,
1 Cor. 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
1 Cor. 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

2 Cor. 8:9 And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind:
Gal. 2:9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
Eph.3:2,6-8 2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
6 That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: 7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
Eph. 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Phil. 1:7 Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
1 Pe 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Opening

What I wrote:

Jay, besides meaning gift and benefit, the word "grace" literally means "graciousness," which also means "acceptable, favour, pleasure." Like you and I were talking about the other Sunday, grace is an action performed by God, and therefore it is not a principle (as is gravity or inertia) but is a relationship status.

Here's what you responded:

I understand your comment how you interpreted what I wrote. I did not begin by explaining the "unmerited favor of God" mostly because I was just unloading my brain with this concept. Taken by itself, now that I think about it, what I have written so far is a little unbalanced. Your point about grace being a relationship status is well taken and everything about God must be understood through that prism. Having said that, in some way everything about God is a principle and people need to learn about how God interacts with us. He has chosen certain avenues of working in and/or through us, even Jesus walked in accordance with the same truths that we operate under. Even Jesus said "of mine own self I can do nothing." (hey, this will be a great chapter)