Salvation
by Grace?
I fear that as pastors, evangelists and
teachers we have done a grave disservice to the New Testament Church in our
era. I sincerely agree that salvation is by grace and grace alone. However, I
fear, in an effort to distance ourselves from those who would work for what God
has offered as a free gift, we have lost the result of that grace; a true
salvation resulting in a changed life. Reactionary teaching is likely the
cause. In other words, in teaching against something we feel is being taught by
others in error we teach the opposite. Sometimes that 'opposite' may not align
with scripture in the way we ultimately teach salvation by grace.We are saved by grace without question. But in a reactionary dogma we often end up with a life of useless church attendance, vain prayers and a light that never shines beyond our own pew because someone taught us that works are not involved. Frighteningly, the end result may actually be myriad false professions.
Look closely at 1Cor. 6:19 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” If the Holy Spirit of God lives within the believer can we honestly imagine a life of non-production? Yes, He can be suppressed. But for a lifetime?
In 2Cor. 5:17 Paul makes it clear that change is inevitable, “If any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things are passed away and behold all things are become new.” We are expected to change. Nothing should remain the same. Their ought to be an attitude of total surrender to God as well as a rejection of sin as a result of having been saved, Rom 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” There is no expectation that simply overnight we become super saints. Nonetheless, there is a reasonable expectation that our heart attitude toward God and toward sin does change and that is immediate.
A love of God and a desire for (and a command toward) holiness is replete in the New Testament. We are to be a holy people now that the Holy Spirit of God is dwelling within. Look what Paul says without pause or explanation in Heb 3:1 “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus....” How many of us would shy away from such nomenclature? He called his readers, “holy brethren.” Wouldn't we be prone to say, “Oh, I am not holy” as soon as we realized the Apostle was addressing us? Yet, this is directed at the children of God...you and me. We shy from this because we never made Rom. 12:1 “...present your bodies a living sacrifice...” a part of our salvation prayer. We prayed that God would spare us the eternal punishment of hell without any true sorrow over our sin and without a real change in our attitude toward God our Heavenly Father. Without repentance, that idea of turning about and changing our direction, can we truly be saved? Repentance is not works. It is a genuine change of heart.
I sense my 'grace and grace alone' friends are beginning to shudder now. Please read my statement carefully and not in reaction. I am saying that when we realize we are lost and need the salvation which only the blood of our Lord and Savior can provide there must be repentance, there must be a change of mind about sin and a change of heart toward God.
Jesus said in John 3:3 “Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” Today many are saying a prayer while remaining in the same old family. I know my physical siblings. They look like me and, sadly, they often act like me. So how is it that our spiritual family members can look and act like the world while claiming to be the children of God? Peter was not talking to the spiritual elite when he made the following command in, I Peter 1:15-16; “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (or daily life); (v.16) Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” Reading the remainder of the passage it is clear that Peter says this while recalling the value of the blood of Christ, the sacrifice which saved us.
We have lost the value of the sacrifice which saved us and placed us into the family of God. In an effort to remove works from salvation we have inadvertently diminished the value of the sacrifice of Christ. If we could express (though we cannot) the full magnitude of the offering of Christ what would happen? People would fall prostrate on the ground weeping at the sheer wonder of the love of God. The sinner would cry out to God for mercy offering every aspect of his life in exchange if only God would count him worthy of salvation. In our own hearts and clearly audible for all to hear we would tearfully utter over and over, “I am unclean, I am unworthy.” And without doubt everyone who understood the sacrifice of Christ would worship God daily, would rejoice together at every opportunity to fellowship with other believers, and would cherish the opportunity to tell others of the wondrous love of God. We would sing praises in our hearts daily to the God who loved us so. And we would do so without ever having to be told. We would do our very best to live holy lives every day simply to please the one who loved us so deeply that He died in our place.
Salvation is by grace alone. But, true salvation by grace results in works.
How to be born again: http://christxalted.blogspot.com/2016/01/how-to-be-born-again.html
