The most popular and most often sung song is “Amazing Grace.” It is sung not only in churches but on all occasions. It was being sung when Allied forces landed in France in World War II. It is used at funerals more than on any other occasions. If John 3:16 is the best known verse in the Bible, “Amazing Grace” is the best known song in our hymn books. I grew up as a Southern Baptist among Primitive Baptists whose theology was quite different from one another, but both groups lustily sang “Amazing Grace.”
However, while grace is an often used and often sung word, it is one of the most misunderstood words in the world today. For Example: Most persons think of grace as a one time experience which saves from our sins and nothing more. We sing the first stanza, “Amazing grace…which saved a wretch like me.” But no thought is given to the third stanza, “Through many, dangers, tolls, and snares I have already come, twas grace that led me safe this far and grace will lead me home.”
When deeply considered, the Grace of God seems to be too good to be true. Man without Grace is totally corrupted by sin.
- Sin has corrupted his mind until he cannot think like God.
- Sin has corrupted his will so he cannot desire what God desires.
- Sin has corrupted his emotions, so man cannot feel what God feels,
- Sin has corrupted his body, so he cannot experience the health God intended for him.
- Sin has corrupted man’s relationship’s to God and man, so he is separated from God, and
- Sin has corrupted his behavior until man is a perfect mess.
Yet “where sin did abound, Grace, the unmerited, undeserved, unattainable love of God in Christ, did much more abound,” Romans 5:20b and made corrupted human kind a new creation, free from the corruption of sin, and empowered to live abundantly and serve the Lord zealously.
Question: Just How Amazing is Grace? The answer is found in Titus 2:11-14, “ For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”
- The First Verse Says, Grace Brings Salvation,” and the multitudes believe grace begins and stops at conversion. But note how the text continues.
- Then That Same Grace Which Brings Salvation Teaches Us To Say “No” to “ungodliness” and “worldly lusts” or passions. Ungodly means to disregard God and not take Him into account in one’s life. A person may be highly moral and even benevolent and still be ungodly. Our world and even our churches are full of such persons. Worldly passion is preoccupation with the things of this life, such as houses, lands, prestige, pleasure, power. What does it mean to say “No” to ungodly and worldly lusts? To make a decisive break with those attitudes and practices. Grace enables us to do this.
- In The Third Place, Grace Teaches Us to Say “Yes” to “soberly, righteous and godly living.” Illus: Many people have a religion of “don’ts.” I don’t smoke, I don’t chew, and I don’t run around with girls who do.” But as one theologian put it, “We are not saved or sanctified by what we give up, but what we receive.” So while saying no to ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live positively “self controlled” (soberly) upright (righteous) and godly lives. These three words express actions toward ourselves, our neighbor and our God.
- But Grace does not only save, separate and sanctify us, but, Grace Causes Us To Live Constantly in Anticipation of His Coming. “Looking for the blessed hope, and glorious appearances of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” 1 John 3:3. Think of the results.
- Moreover, Grace Teaches Us That We Do Not Have To Sin, for “He gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from ALL INIQUITY.” Most professors live under the belief, “I am just human, I must sin at least a little as long as I am human.” That is not what the Bible says at all. “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid, how shall we who died to sin live any longer therein.” (Romans 6:1-2). Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
Illustration: Our attitude toward sin should be completely different from that of an unbeliever. An unbeliever without His grace naturally sins and cannot keep from sinning. That is his disposition, but the believer’s position should be “No,” Christ paid not only the penalty but destroyed the power of sin in his death and resurrection and I can live victoriously over sin, and make no exception. In fact 1 John 3:9 says the born again person cannot practice sin because the new nature won’t let him.
- Finally, Grace Teaches Us That We Should Be “Zealous of Good Works.” We don’t work to be saved, but we work because we are saved by grace. Ephesians 2:8-9 should never be quoted without verse 10. – My Life Verse – 1 Cor. 15:10.
- “Salvation And Discipline Are Inseparable- This truth we see in Titus 2:11-12. The grace that brings salvation to us also disciplines us. It does not do the one without the other. That is, God never saves people and leaves them alone to continue in their immaturity and sinful lifestyle. Those whom He saves, He disciplines. Paul said this another way in Philippians 1:6, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”[1]
“The expression “born again,” from John 3:3-8, is usually taken to mean no more than being saved from the penalty of sin. According to Jesus, it means to be born of the Spirit (John 3:6,8), that is, to be given new life. Paul said the same thing in Titus 3:5 when he spoke of renewal by the Holy Spirit.
The act of justification and regeneration or new birth by which a person enters the Kingdom of God (John 3:5) is solely the work of God the Holy Spirit. Both are entirely a work of grace. First, there is justification and it is followed immediately by regeneration which is the beginning of sanctification.
I am concerned that there are thousands of professing Christians, who think they have been justified, who think their sins are forgiven and that they are on their way to Heaven, who show no evidence of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. I fear for them that they will one day hear those awful words from the lips of Christ, “I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:23)
Lest I be misunderstood at this point, let me say emphatically that the solution for these people is not to change their conduct so that they might see some evidences of regeneration. The solution is to come to Jesus, renouncing any confidence in their own goodness, confessing themselves to be sinners in the sight of God, and trusting entirely in His atoning work. They will then be truly justified (saved from the penalty of sin) and will at the same time be genuinely regenerated (made new creations in Christ). The evidence of regeneration will then be apparent to them and to others around them.”[2]
Luther and Calvin: “We are saved by faith alone but faith that saves is never alone.”
[1] Jerry Bridgers, The Discipline of Grace, NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO, 2006, p. 82.
[2] Adapted from Jerry Bridgers, p. 98