Christian Encouragement Regarding grace

							CHRISTIAN ENCOURAGEMENT REGARDING GRACE GRACE – Is unmerited favor (undeserved favor). If one could buy, earn or deserve grace, it would no longer be grace; it is the mercy for the sinner. Only God could or would plan and offer salvation by grace. Grace can originate only with God. Every man-made religion makes impartation of supreme favor contingent upon man’s works. Christianity’s offer of salvation by grace evidences its divine origin and differentiates it from every human religion. Paul was divinely commissioned to explain the scope and fullness of God’s grace. The Pauline Epistle offers the richest of truth for Christians in this special grace dispensation. Beginning with Jesus’ atoning work and closing with his second coming, every Christian should dedicate his entire being to proclamation of God’s grace. Paul realized that salvation by grace made every saved one debtor to all mankind. Christians owe mankind the gospel. The benefits of God’s grace are for whosoever will receive them. All are appropriated, experienced increasingly and thrive by faith. Saving faith includes knowledge of grace, desire for grace and appropriation of grace. God’s grace blessings must be appropriated by faith to be experienced. God’s power to make righteous before Him and righteously before men is imparted through the grace gospel. Reception of God’s grace is evidenced by demonstration through those who receive it. It changed Saul the persecutor into Paul the apostle. It filled him with spiritual gratitude, earnestness, joy, desire for Christian fellowship, passion for Christ and lost souls. It made him a world wide blessing and testimony for Christ. He testified, “I am what I am by grace” – 1 Cor. 15:10 – “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” – Wherever grace is, know in truth, it produces fruit – Col 1:6 – “…And bringeth fruit fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth.” – Romans teaches salvation by grace – Galations teaches spiritual growth,

sanctification, victory, service, satisfaction and glorification by grace; there is no compromise concerning grace – Gal. 1:8 – “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” – and no substitute for it. Grace, which originated with God, depends upon God’s work through Jesus Christ for sin and sinners. It comes to man not through human reasoning, but by God’s revelation, which is God unveiling truth that would be unknown otherwise. It can only be comprehended and experienced through Jesus Christ – Gal. 1:12 – “For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Biblical God pleasing enlightenment follows salvation by grace – Gal. 1:15, 16 – “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace.” (v.16) – “to reveal His son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.” God’s purpose in saving and blessing by grace is to so conquer each recipient as to make him a witness that will channel His grace to mankind. -Bro. David Rowton