Saved by Grace

1. Saved by Grace – 21st
August2017
“For it is by grace you have been saved,through faith—andthisisnotfrom yourselves,it is the gift of
God— 9
notby works, so that noone can boast.”( Ephesians2:8-9).
“Amazing grace,how sweetthe sound,thatsaved a wretch like me!I oncewaslost but now amfound,
Was blind but now I see.”The wordsof thisfamoushymnbyJohnNewtonseemtoresonate withpeople
of all theological persuasions:itisperformedinchurchesof all kinds,fromevangelical Christian,to
RomanCatholic,to mainlineliberal,toMormon.Ithas beenrecordedbycountlessartistsfromJohnny
Cash andElvisPresley,tothe Three Tenors, anda numerousnumberof artists. Asa resultof the
popularityof thisbeautiful song,the conceptof grace isplantedinour culture. Tobe savedbygrace
meansto be deliveredfromthe righteousjudgmentof Godthroughno act of our ownbut byHis
unmeritedfavor.
The concept of grace as foundinthe Bible ismultifaceted,butitcanbe summedupinthe definition
“undeservedfavor.”The Bible saysthatwe are savedbygrace. The grace of God is expressedbyGod’s
forgivenessof oursins,andHis blessingstousinclude peace andfulfillmentinthislife and,inthe life to
come,unencumberedfellowshipwithHimforall eternity.Justasthe song “AmazingGrace”has gained
almostuniversal acceptance,itisdifficulttofindanyreligiousexpressionwithrootsinChristianitythat
doesnotextol the virtuesof grace.Noone withevenminimal exposuretoChristianitywouldbe socrass
as to claimthat he has livedalife of suchsterlingcharacterthat God oweshimeternal life.The vast
majoritywill admitthattheyhave shortcomingsandare inneedof God’sgrace insome form. We can
learnfromRomans 3:22-23, “This righteousnessisgiventhrough faithinJesus Christto all who
believe. There isno difference between Jew and Gentile, 23
forall havesinned andfall short of the
gloryof God.”
However,there ismuchmisunderstandingaboutbeingsavedbygrace.A greatmany Christiansassume
that the grace of God hasestablishedasystemwherebythe sinnercanmitigate his deserved
punishmentbyhisownefforts.Forsome thismaybe a formal systemof sacraments thatinfuse the soul
withthe grace of God. For othersthe systemislessformal butstill includesvariousreligiousactivities,
such as church attendance,baptism, contributingtothe offering,anddoinggooddeeds.While most
agree that “nobody’sperfect,”manysaythatGod in His“grace” will overlookoursins if He seesthat we
have made a genuine efforttodothe rightthing,mendour ways,andavail ourselvesof the helpHe
offersthroughthe church.If He seesthat the trajectoryof our livesisheadedinthe rightdirection,then
inHis “grace” He will forgive oursinsandgrantus eternal life. We canread from 1 John1:9, “If we
confessour sins,he is faithful andjust andwill forgiveus our sinsand purifyus from all
unrighteousness.”Inthisviewof “grace,”the sinnerdoesnotearneternal life inanabsolute sense,but
hispenitentresponse andgenuineeffortdoestriggeragraciousresponse fromthe Father.Thisbelief,
althoughwidespread,contradictsthe true meaningof grace whichis“unmeritedfavor.”
Thisexample mayhelpillustrate whatbeingsavedbygrace means:a teenagerworkshardall summerto
save moneytobuy a car. He worksa regularjoband doesyardwork andodd jobson the side.He saves
hismoneyanddoesnot spenditfrivolously.Nevertheless,atthe endof the summer,he simplydoesnot

2. have enoughmoneytobuya car that will meethisneeds.Hisfather,seeinghisdiligence andfrugality,
graciouslystepsinandnot onlymakesupthe difference butalsoaddsmore moneytothe car fundso
that hisson can buya car that isbetterthan he thoughthe couldeverafford.The son’sbesteffortwas
not goodenough,butthe father’sgrace makesup the difference.Noone wouldclaimthatthe father
was obligatedtomake upthe difference,so,whenhe does,itisanact of grace.If the son hadbeenfired
fromhis jobforshowinguplate,had lazedaroundat the pool everydayinsteadof working,orhad
spentwhatmoneyhe had onfast foodand videogames,thenthe father wouldnothave steppedinto
make up the difference.Itwouldbe incorrecttosaythat the son “earned”the car, for he didnot, buthis
effortdidtriggera graciousresponse fromhisfather. Thisisexplainedwhenwe readin Ephesians2:8-9,
“ For it isby grace youhave been saved, throughfaith—andthisisnot from yourselves,it isthe giftof
God— 9
notby works, so that noone can boast.”
We are savedby grace,not by a mixture of God’sgrace andour meritoriousworks.Accordingto
Scripture,we can donothingto earnsalvation,norare our besteffortsgoodenoughtoelicitagracious
response fromGodso that He will make upthe difference. Whetherwe like toadmitornot we sineach
day one wayor the other. Therefore whateverwe ‘claim’ asdoing righteousdeeds,oursinfulnature as
seenbyGod are as filthyrags as saidin Isaiah64:6, “All of us have become like one whois unclean, and
all our righteousacts are like filthyrags;we all shrivel up like a leaf,and like the windour sinssweep
us away.”Evenconsideringourbestefforts,we have fallenshortof God’sstandardof righteousnessand
we deserve death asstatedin Romans6:23, “Forthe wages of sinis death, but the giftof Godis
eternal lifein ChristJesus our Lord.” Butas Christianswe needtounderstandthatGoddoesnotforce
anybody. We are notcommandedto“do our best”for God but to love Him perfectlyandcompletely.
AnyChristian will say“Ilove God.”Most mayclaimbut we fail inthat. Forthe Christianthisisnotsimply
a “statement”butas the greatestcommands taughtby Jesus himself asfoundin Matthew22:37-
40, Jesusreplied: “‘Love the Lord your Godwith all your heart and withall your soul andwith all your
mind.’38
Thisis the first andgreatest commandment. 39
Andthe second islike it: ‘Love your neighbor
as yourself.’ 40
All the Law and the Prophets hangon these two commandments.”
Yes we are savedby grace; butthe work isGod’s,not ours.We are savedbygrace frombeginningto
end.Once a personhas come to faithinChrist,he will undoubtedlyrealizethatthe onlyreasonhe was
able to have faithisthat God was drawinghimevenbefore he knew it .We can learnfrom John
6:44,“No one can come to me unlessthe Father who sent me draws them, andI will raise them up at
the last day.” Leftto himself,the sinnerwouldhave continuedto live asinful life rebelling andfleeing
fromGod. As Christianswe needtounderstandthatevenbefore we believe,the verydesire tocome to
God isGod’s grace at workto save us. Asstatedin Revelation7:10,“And they cried outin a loudvoice:
“Salvationbelongstoour God,whosits on the throne, andto the Lamb.”
Salvationbygrace meansthat, fromfirstto last,it isundeserved. Jesusisthe AuthorandFinisherof our
faith.We can learnfrom Hebrews 12:2, “… fixingoureyeson Jesus, the pioneer andperfecter of faith.
For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorningits shame,and satdown at the right handof
the throne of God.” Grace isnot God doing95 or even99.9 percent,withusmakingupthe difference.
Grace is God doing100 percentandour humble acceptance of it,recognizingthatwe are unworthyand
have nothingtocontribute.