10250 North Freeway @ West Road
Houston, Texas 77037
Tel: (281) 447-8484
10250 North Freeway @ West
Road
Houston, Texas 77037
Tel: (281) 447-8484
What
We Believe and Why - Vol. II
Written by Dr.
Lester Hutson
Copyright
- Lester Hutson - 1982
This material is copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced
without the express written permission of Dr. Lester Hutson.
Chapter Thirteen
Falling From grace
(Part 1)
"Three Biblical Aspects of Grace"
INTRODUCTION: TEXT: Galatians 5:4
The eternal security of the believer, or the fact that once a person is saved he is always saved, has been, and continues to be one of the most hated truths of God's eternal Word. Against this truth many instantly rise up saying that it cannot be true. This they do without even examining the evidence. In fact, the minds of many are so firmly made up on this subject, that they vehemently refuse to consider what the Bible has to say about it. Instead, they are so sure that a person can be saved, then be lost again, that rather than look to the scriptures to ascertain the truth, they look to the scripture only for the purpose of confirming their preconceived notion. In order to confirm their baseless position from scripture, they cannot "rightly divide the word of truth" as II Timothy 2:15 says one should. Instead, they are forced to wrest passages out of context, using them in senses absolutely foreign to the scriptures, apply them as they were never intended, and generally pervert their meanings.
One scripture that is misused to support the false position of those who deny eternal security is Galatians 5:4. Her Paul wrote to the Galatians, "ye are fallen from grace." Those who deny that spiritual life is "eternal," (John 3:15) and a "gift of God," (Ephesians 2:8) but that it is ours only so long as we refrain from certain evils, and maintain a high level of conduct, immediately seize upon this verse as supposed proof that they are right. It is assumed and argued that "grace" here refers to eternal life, and "fallen from" means that whereas these Galatians once were saved and on their way to heaven, now they had come to a place where they were lost and on their way to hell. This is just one of several scriptures that are often perverted to support the false position of those who deny the eternal security of the believer. Since it is used as a major proof text in denying the truth of eternal security, it seems fitting that a proper explanation of this passage be given for the benefit of all those who are seriously interested in knowing the truth.
In order to gain a proper understanding of this text, it is necessary to know that the Bible speaks of three major ways in which God's grace is extended to us. Grace is defined as the unmerited love and favor of God toward man. In simple terms, when God does something for us that we do not deserve it is grace from Him to us. In view of our sins, (Romans 3:23) none of us deserve any good thing from the Lord. (Titus 3:5) Nevertheless, all of us receive many blessings. This is God's grace.
There are three distinct categories through which God extends His grace or unmerited favor to mankind.
I. THERE IS THAT GRACE, OR UNMERITED FAVOR, OF GOD THAT SAVES A SOUL FROM THE PENALTY OF SIN, WHICH IS ETERNAL DEATH OR SEPARATION FROM GOD.
A. Every one of us sins and comes "short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) That is true because in our flesh "dwelleth no good thing," (Romans 7:18) and our best conduct is no more than "filthy rags" in the sight of God. (Isaiah 64:6) We not only "have sinned," (I John 1:10) but we still do sin. (I John 1:8)
B. Since "the wages of sin is death," (Romans 6:23) then every man deserves the wrath of God. Paul "proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin," (Romans 3:9) and all the world is "guilty before God." (Romans 3:19) If man should receive what he actually deserves, he would be forever separated from the presence of God into the lake of fire which Revelation 20:14 calls "the second death."
C. But in spite of the fact that none of them deserve it, God has devised a means whereby guilty sinful men can be forgiven of their sins, cleared of their guilt, and saved from eternal separation from God in the lake of fire. God Himself, in the person of Jesus Christ, went to the cross and "bare our sins in his own body on the tree," (I Peter 2:24) and "the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:6) Hebrews 10:12 says of His trip to the cross on the behalf of undeserving sinners, that He "offered one sacrifice for sins forever," and Hebrews 10:14 concludes, "For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified." In view of what He did, those that were "dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1) are "alive unto God." (Romans 6:11) To those who were condemned before God, (John 3:18) "There is therefore now no condemnation." (Romans 8:1) Those who faced only the prospect of eternal separation from God in the lake of fire, now have eternal life. (John 3:15-16)
D. To the entire human race, all of which is sinful and guilty before God, deliverance and the forgiveness of sins is offered through Jesus Christ. All who believe upon Him or receive Him by faith pass from death unto life. (John 5:24)
E. This work of God which saves a man from the penalty of sin, which is death, is grace. No man deserved or merited it. God simply extended His love and favor toward man in doing what was necessary to save him from sin's penalty. That is why both Ephesians 2:5 and Ephesians 2:8 affirm, "by grace are ye saved." It is through faith in what He has done, not by works which we can do. We are "justified freely by his grace." (Romans 3:24)
F. So then, there is that category or aspect of God's grace by which He saves the alien sinner from the penalty of sin. This is God's saving grace, and it was accomplished by Christ's death. This is that grace of which Ephesians 1:2-7 speaks.
II. THERE IS ALSO THAT UNMERITED FAVOR OR GRACE OF GOD THAT SUSTAINS, SAVES, OR DELIVERS US DAY BY DAY FROM THE POWER OR DOMINION OF SIN OVER OUR LIVES.
A. Though all have been saved already from the penalty of sin, yet we still have a life to live and every moment we live it, our mortal enemy, Satan, seeks to rob us of joy, make us fruitless and hypocritical, and destroy our testimony as children of God. He would drag us into sinful living, make us miserable, and even shorten our mortal days. Consider Ecclesiastes 7:17 along with I Corinthians 11:30.
B. Satan constantly works to break you down as a child of God, using the world and your own flesh against you. This is what Paul is talking about when he said, "For that which I do, I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I." (Romans 7:15) He continued in verse 21, "I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me." He said in verses 22 and 23, "For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members."
C. So, though every child of God has been delivered from sin's penalty, which is death, he has not been delivered from sin's power, which seeks to dominate and control his life day by day. Satan, through sin, goes about to devour and destroy the child of God's mortal life, (I Peter 5:8) and Satan is mightier than the child of God. In our own strength we cannot resist and overcome him. Like all of us, the apostle Paul knew he was no match for the devil and that he needed someone to deliver him from the devil. That is why he said in Romans 7:24, "O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"
D. Not one of us in our own strength can serve God the way we should. In spite of our best efforts to serve God acceptably and to overcome sin, we will fail and sin will overpower and dominate our lives.
E. But the same God who had a grace to save us from sin's penalty, also has a grace to save us from sin's power or dominion. Not because we deserve it, but by His love and favor, He stands willing to deliver us from sin's dominion. He stands ready to give us victory over sin and the devil who would propagate it in us. This is what Paul is talking about when he asked, "O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:24) and then answered in verse 25, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord."
F. By the help of God in our lives day by day, we can say with Paul in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things though Christ which strengtheneth me." By the unmerited help of God in our lives, we find that with every temptation there is also "a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." (I Corinthians 10:13) Not by our own power, but by the power of God in our lives, we are able to overcome the devil as did those of Revelation 12:11.
G. Now this unmerited help or favor of God that enables us day by day to live in joy, fruitfulness and victory over sin and the devil, is grace. It is daily, or sustaining grace, or deliverance. It is accomplished by the fact that Jesus lives and has dedicated Himself to our daily well-being. That is why Hebrews 7:25 declares, "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."
H. If we are ever going to live in victory and suitable service to God, we must have this help or grace from God. This is what Hebrews 12:28 is talking about when it says, "Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear". It is to this particular type of help that God referred when He said to Paul the apostle, "My grace is sufficient for thee," (II Corinthians 12:9) and it is of this that Hebrews 4:16 speaks as it says, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." With this grace operating in your life you can be strong. As Paul told Timothy, you can "be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." (II Timothy 2:1) When this grace is operating in you, "sin shall not have dominion over you," as Romans 6:14 affirms.
I. So there is a special unmerited favor or grace by which God saves the lost sinner from sin's penalty of death, but there is also another special favor or grace by which God saves His children from the power or dominion of sin over their lives day by day. These two graces of God should not be intermixed or confused with each other. One is that which God does for the lost, unconverted sinner, the other is what God does for His own blood-bought children. Both speak of the grace or unmerited favor of God, but they deal with two entirely different aspects of it.
III. BESIDES THESE TWO ASPECTS OF GOD'S GRACE WHICH WE'VE DISCUSSED, THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL ASPECT OF GOD'S GRACE BY WHICH HE WILL GLORIFY ALL THOSE WHO'VE EXPERIENCED HIS SAVING GRACE.
A. In view of the fact that in our flesh "dwelleth no good thing," (Romans 7:18) and "all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags," (Isaiah 64:6) there is not one of us who could ever expect to be glorified.
B. Yet the fact is that we are "heirs" of God, (Titus 3:7) and "the spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs: heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:16-18)
C. What God is going to do for us is not merited, so that means that His glorifying of us will be an act of grace on His part toward us. We have not yet experienced this grace, but we will at His return at which time Philippians 3:21 says He "shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body."
D. So this third aspect or category of grace is glorifying grace, and it is a different favor of God toward us from either saving grace or sustaining grace. Glorifying grace speaks of a different thing altogether that He is going to do for us. Saving grace is past. He has already saved us from sin's penalty. Sustaining grace is present. He is currently sustaining us day by day from the power and dominion of sin. Glorifying grace is future. He will glorify us when the appointed time arrives.
"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"