"Those Who Had Believed Through Grace"

     The word "grace" (Grk. charis), in connection with God's plan of redemption for
mankind, refers to favor, or God's acts of kindness in bestowing salvation on those
who willingly submit to the conditions God's has mandated. God's grace is not
earned, neither is it deserved. God extends his grace to sinners because he wants all
people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Tim. 2:4) Paul told
Titus, "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people." Without
grace there is no salvation. Paul told the brothers and sisters in Ephesus, "by grace
you have been saved." (Eph. 2:5) Every person who has ever been saved, was saved
by the grace and mercy of the loving God.

     Yet, there are many false notions about the grace of God. Most denominational
theologians, and many among the Lord's own people misrepresent scripture's
teaching about the grace of God.  There are those who say, "Since we are saved by
grace, and inasmuch as grace is God's part, there is nothing we can or should do.
Doing something involves 'works' and we are not saved by works." This is the old
Calvinistic concept popularized by the French reformer, John Calvin, in the 1500's.
The fact is: John Calvin was wrong then, and his religious puppets are wrong now.
The Bible does not teach that salvation by grace negates the acts of obedience with
which a person must comply before God will save them. The New Testament
clearly teaches that Christ is "the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him."
(Heb. 5:8-9; Mat. 7:21) Those who teach grace saves without a person rendering
full compliance to God's conditions, are guilty of not accepting all the Bible teaches
on the subject of salvation.

     Others  teach  the  concept  that  since  grace   is  extended to all people, those
who die in denominational error, and those who die as disobedient children of God,
may be received into heaven on the day of judgment. This doctrine is as smooth as
molasses, as sweet as honey, and as comforting as a summer breeze. But there is
a major problem with it; God's word teaches it is not true! Paul asked the Romans,
"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may increase? By no
means! How shall those of us who died to sin live in it any longer?" (Rom. 6:1-2)
Grace is not designed to give hope to anyone who dies in defiance of God and
his word. It provides a way out of sin, into the kingdom of God, and finally a way
into heaven when time is no more. Grace does this by teaching us how to live. "The
grace of God has appeared, teaching us..." (Titus 2:11-12)

     An interesting statement was made by Luke when he wrote about the work of
Apollos among the brothers and sisters in Achaia. He said Apollos "greatly helped
those who had believed through grace." (Acts 18:27) How had they "believed
through grace?" Everything that God had done (sending his unique Son to die on
the cross (Jno. 3:16); providing for the establishment of his congregation (Eph.
3:8-11); sending the Holy Spirit to guide the apostles in their work of preaching
the saving gospel (Jno. 16:13; Rom. 1:16; 10:17; 1 Cor. 1:18,21); and giving
commands to be obeyed in order to have forgiveness of sins (Mat. 28:19; Acts 2:38;
Rom. 6:3-4) was an act of grace. When the people in Achaia obeyed the gospel of
God, the very grace that was manifested through all that God did was the means by
which they became believers, for it was the God of grace who saved them!

                                                                                                                   R. Daly

Copyright 2012