SUMMARY:
ACCORDING to the Concise Oxford Dictionary*1 GRACE in Christian belief is “
a) the unmerited favour of God; a divine saving and strengthening influence;
b) the state of receiving this;
c) a divinely given talent”.
However all of these are but lame and limiting ideas about biblical grace.
There is another element in grace.
The New Bible Dictionary *2 states that in the New Testament grace “includes the idea of the divine power which equips a man to live a moral life”.
Put another way, “Grace is the divine enabling which produces a change”.
No change — no grace!
Paul’s statement in 2 Corinthians 6:1 is a double-edged sword. It shows firstly that God’s grace must be hu-manly received; and secondly that it is possible to receive it in vain, i.e. without its latent power taking effect in our personal lives:
 |
|
 |
|
Christianity must be defined in terms of the Bible ... You cannot pick and choose from the total package. |
|
 |
|
 |
“We then, [as] workers together [with him], beseech [you] also that you do not receive the grace of God in vain” (
2 Corinthians 6:1).
Some years ago a man who had committed sexual sin as a leader made reference to a book that was very popular at the time
What’s So Amazing About Grace?
I gained the distinct impression that, having been caught out, he was looking for an excuse for his moral failure and he found it in a mistaken notion about grace.
At the time I had not read the book but have done so since.
Author Philip Yancey,
*7 does make some good points, but sadly, like so much teaching that is around today, the book is capable of misinterpretation so that moral failure on the part of Christians, even Christian leaders, is glossed over with disastrous consequences.
Paul was unequivocal in his denunciation of such a thought pattern:
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer in it?” (
Romans 6:1–2 KJV).
One of the modern Bible translations, falsely called God’s Word (GW) *3, which it definitely isn’t, helpfully renders Romans 6 verses 1 and 2 as follows:
“What should we say then? Should we continue to sin so that God’s kindness will increase?
That’s unthinkable! As far as sin is concerned, we have died.
So how can we still live under sin’s influence?”
Now here’s the point of Paul’s second question and of the theology of Romans chapter 6.
True Christians DO NOT continue in sin. Why? Simply because they have been changed by the grace of God. So if a man commits grievous sin then his claim to being a Christian is not valid, even if he is a leader.
In other words the grace of God HAS NOT entered his life to any effective degree.
Accept that position and you have a total answer to two of the biggest issues that face the church of our time.
The first relates to “leadership” and of the trust that must be attached to it. How can you trust a man who stands in a pulpit after admitting that he has committed sexual sin as a married man?
A man who will cheat on his most precious posses-sion (his wife) will cheat on anything and anyone and most probably on everything and everyone.
History proves this time without number.
Right now CWM is investigating a formerly prominent AoG church leader, who fell morally in the late 1970s. He was apparently never disciplined in the manner the Bible requires.
He moved to another location and now he is facing a charge regarding ponzi*4 money schemes.
Is the grace of God sufficient to forgive the sins of adultery and of wilful deception?
Emphatically, yes it is, but equally emphatically, in this case, the leader discredited himself back in the 70s to the point where he should no longer be a leader and now his character weakness is showing in another equally serious “sin”, that of deception.
We cannot be wiser than the Bible:
“Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear” (
1 Tim. 5:20).
Of this Barnes in his Commentary of the New Testament writes:
1 Tim 5:20 —
“Them that sin” — That have been proved to have committed sin—referring probably to the elders mentioned in the previous verse, but giving the direction so general a form that it might be applicable to others.
Rebuke before all — Before all the church or congregation.
The word “rebuke” properly denotes to reprove or reprehend.
It means here that there should be a public statement of the nature of the offence, and such a cen-sure as the case demanded.
It extends only to spiritual censures.
There is no power given of inciting any punishment by fine or imprisonment.
The power of the church, in such cases, is only to express its strong and decided disapprobation of the wrong done, and, if the case demands it, of disowning the offending member or minister.
This direction to “rebuke an offender before all,” may be easily reconciled with the direction in 1 Timothy 5:1,
“Do not re-buke an elder”.
The latter refers to the private and pastoral conversation with an elder, and to the method in which he should be treated in such contact — to wit, with the feelings due to a father.
The former direction refers to the manner in which an offender should be treated who has been proved to be guilty, and where the case has become public.
Then there is to be a public expression of disapprobation.
That others also may fear — That they may be kept from committing the same offence; compare 1 Peter 2:14.
The end of punishment is not the gratification of the private feel-ings of him who administers it, but the prevention of crime.
Christianity must be defined in terms of the Bible and biblical Christianity is a total package.
You can’t pick and choose. If you recognise this you not only answer the big issue relating to Christian and church leadership but you also answer the equally big doctrinal issue of how God’s grace works and where and why it does not appear to work in certain cases.
This raises the spectre of the vexed “once saved always saved” issue.
I dislike that cliché because I think it does not cover the case and it leaves room for attacks from both sides of the debate.
Much better to say, “once saved REALLY saved” as this does cover the case. Salvation is not just an initial act. It is an act followed by a process, which ends in a state.
We are not saved on the basis of good works, but by grace alone, but and here’s the point, we are not saved until we are saved.
The validity of our salvation is proved by the way we live and that takes a whole lifetime, which doesn’t mean that salvation is dependent on us; far from it.
It rests fully and totally upon the grace of God and its effective power in our lives.
“For by grace you are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2: 8-10).
The Message *5, which I do not accept as a bona fide translation of the Bible, as a paraphrase or commentary has merit in parts and renders the above thus:
“Saving is all his {God’s} idea, and all his work.
All we do is trust him enough to let him do it.
It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role.
If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving.
He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing” (Eph. 2:8-10 MSG5).
The correlation of saving grace totally apart from works with the saving process that clearly does involve works is a topic too big to tackle here. God willing we will address it in the next issue of CETF, when we also plan to have a deeper look at God’s grace and our assurance of eternal life.
These issues do greatly impinge on our subject and are matters that have occupied the thoughts and writings of many throughout church history.
Suffice it at this point to simply quote some Bible verses that demand further comment in the light of our definition of grace:
“Even so faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone.
... Yes, a man may say, you have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
... But do you want to know, O empty man, that faith without works is dead?
... You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (James 2:17-24).
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (
Philippians 2:12-13).
Peter’s concluding injunction “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” certainly sounds like a command that we can obey or disobey. Incidentally the term
“irresistible grace” is really an oxymoron.
Grace by its very nature is capable of being resisted.
Applying A W Tozer’s com-ment that “Almost any sincere writing, if examined closely, will be found to be autobiographical *6” to Peter’s injunction it is not difficult to trace grace’s impact on his own life and writings.
Don’t you love Peter?
Or perhaps we should rephrase that — “Don’t you love the obvious impact of the grace of Christ in Peter?”
Remember how graceless he was when he, in effect called his Lord a liar and a false prophet:
“But he spoke more vehemently, If I should die with you, I will not deny you in any way” (Mark 14:31).
Peter was wrong and Christ, as always, was right.
|
|
|
|
Once saved, always saved or Once saved, really saved? |
|
|
|
|
“And they came to a place, which was named Gethsemane: and he said to his disciples, Sit here, while I pray.
And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be troubled, and to be very distressed; And said to them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful even to death: wait here, and watch.
And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.
And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible to you; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what you will.
And he came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, Simon, are you sleeping?
Couldn’t you watch one hour?
Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.
The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
And again he went away, and prayed, and said the same words.
And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither knew what to answer him.
And he came the third time, and said to them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Rise up, let us go, he that betrays me is at hand. ... (53) And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes.
And Peter followed him at a distance, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire. ... (66)
And as Peter was beneath in the palace, one of the maids of the high priest came: And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him, and said, And you were with Jesus of Nazareth. But he denied, saying, I don’t know neither understand what you say. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crowed.
And maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them.
And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely you are one of them: for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.
But he began to curse and to swear, saying, know not this man of whom you speak. And the second time the cock crowed. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said to him, Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.
And when he thought about it he wept” (Mark 14:32-42,53–54, 66-72).
Peter was clearly in close proximity to where Jesus stood on trial before the High Priest (see verse 66). I have often wondered if each could see the other on that fateful night and whether as the cock crowed for the second time Jesus eyes met those of Peter’s and it was that look” which prompted the memory and caused those tears of repentance.
The important point is that Peter did genuinely repent and that started the development of “grace” which led to the marvellous insights of his two epistles, both of which actually hinge on this topic.
We’ll just trace it in each of the five chapters of his first epistle —
Five incidentally is the number of GRACE.
Chapter 1
Grace triumphs over trial
“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found to praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7).
This faith of which Peter writes is clearly related to the grace and peace that he has invoked in his opening salutation “Grace to you and peace, be multiplied” (see verse 2). Note the order — grace followed by peace.
Grace and peace are linked 18 times in the New Testament and interestingly the Greek for peace (eirhnh eirene) is much stronger than our English. While not as strong as the Hebrew (Mwlv shalowm) it does convey something of the same notion of wholeness or wellness — even prosperity in its true sense. The grace, which Peter enjoins upon us is something that leads to the fullness of life no matter what our circumstances.
Thus it triumphs over trial, sometimes by removing it but most often by guiding and guarding us in the midst of it.
Chapter 2
Grace deals a deathblow to sin
“Therefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisy, and envy, and all evil speaking, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby:
If you have tasted that the Lord is gracious (full of grace)” (1 Peter 2:1–3).
We are parched pilgrims passing through a dry and dusty desert and we need provision.
Grace is like the well from which we draw; like the Word, which we explore.
In this connection Christ as head of His church has provided many means of grace for His people. Here Peter highlights an important one for those young Christians, who were part of his reader- ship — “desire the sincere milk of the Word that you might grow thereby”. S
uch would counter those sins of the spirit, which Christians, young and old, are so prone to commit.
MALICE (Greek kakia kakia) is ill will; a desire to injure; wickedness that is not ashamed to break laws.
GUILE (Greek dolov dolos) is subtlety, deceit, craftiness.
HYPOCRISY (Greek upokrisiv hupokrisis) is playacting so as to conceal one’s motives.
ENVY (Greek fyonov phthonos) effectively corrupts oneself
EVIL SPEAKING (Greek katalalia katalalia) contains the idea of defamation by lies.
Chapter 3
Grace fulfills the family
“Likewise, husbands dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered” (
1 Peter 3:7).
|
|
|
|
As Christian families our wealth is to be measured by the prayers we get answered. |
|
|
|
|
At the heart of his first epistle Peter speaks of “the grace of life” and places it in the centre of where we all live — the nuclear family. His repeated use of the word “likewise” vv. 1 & 7 (Greek omoiwv homoios = “the same way”) links the action and responsibility of husbands to those of wives and relate both to the great example of Christ referred to in chapter 2:
“For even to this you were called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21).
Each spouse is held responsible for the harmony that is necessary to achieve answers to their prayers, with the husband as head taking the lead in all interpersonal attitudes including “submission”, as Christ exemplified by the ultimate laying down of His life for the “church” — c/f Ephesians 5:25. There are two noteworthy matters:
1) The measure of our wealth (prosperity) as Christians is not in monetary terms.
Recently a newspaperman asked me what I thought of a statement made by a wellknown money preacher in Australia. He quoted — “If you have much you can do much; if you have a little you can do a little; if you have nothing you can do nothing.”
I responded that if the statement related to human resources and finances then it is totally false in terms of the Kingdom of -God. Jesus taught, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke 12:15). As one man expressed it, “We are wealthy not in what we have but in what we can do without.”
As Christian families our wealth is to be measured by the prayers we get answered.
2) As goes the Christian family, so goes the Christian church. We are as strong as our weakest link. If it doesn’t work in the home there is absolutely no chance of it working in the “church”.
Thus Peter places the challenge right where it should be, on the shoulders of husbands and wives in the home and he calls it “the grace of life”.
Chapter 4
Grace secures our safety in the face of suffering
“Beloved, don’t think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you: But rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy” (1 Peter 5:12–13).
Grace and glory are closely linked in the Bible. Moses prayed, “Show me your glory” and God answered “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious” (Exodus 33: 18-19). John wrote, “And the Word was made fiesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
Paul, like Peter associates the “grace” of suffering with the “glory” of our future reward.
“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if 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 that shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:17–18).
“Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel: for which I suffer trouble as an evil doer, even to bonds; but the word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, He also will deny us: If we do not believe, yet He remains faithful: He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:8–13).
But Peter takes the idea a bit further. He declares in effect that grace always leads to glory and that we should rest in the reality of that fact:
“If you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are happy; for the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. ... if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this matter. For the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begins with us, what shall the end be of them that do not obey the gospel of God?
And if the righteous is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear? Therefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator. The elders, who are among you, I exhort, who is also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed” (
1 Peter 4:14–5:1).
Chapter 5
Grace regulates our relationships
Likewise, you younger, submit yourselves to the elders.
Yes, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
But the God of all grace, who has called us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you.
To him be the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:5–11).
Peter’s humility is apparent. We think of him as an “apostle” and one of the original twelve.
Some count him the chief of “the twelve” on account of his personal revelation of and interview with Christ as recounted in Matthew 16:13-19 and John 21:15-22.
However Peter simply refers to himself as a fellow-elder of the churches that he addresses viz those “scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (c/f 5:1 with 1:1).
From personal experience he knows that God “gives grace to the humble” and rightly can he therefore command common submission one to the other in the churches — young people to their elders, which seems logical, but also at times elders to the younger people — “all of you be subject to one another”.
In the same attitude he instructs those who are paid for their ministry not to be forceful or in it for monetary gain.
They are to be examples in all things.
Thus they will be assured of the true reward from the chief Shepherd (Greek arcipoimhn archipoimen) — c/f Ephesians 4:11 “pastors” (Greek poimhn poimen).
“The elders who are among you I exhort, who also am an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight, not by constraint but willingly; not for dishonest gain but eagerly. Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown of glory that does not fade away” (
1 Peter 5:1–4
).
GRACE always leads to GLORY.
NEXT: GRACE seen as the answer in the dispute about Eternal Security. Peter’s concluding remarks.
Footnotes:
1.. ( Oxford University Press 9th (1995) edition – page 588
2 ..( The InterVarsity Fellowship, 1962 – page 492.
3 ..(c) 1995 GOD’S WORD to the Nations Bible Society P.O. Box 30699 Cleveland, Ohio 44130-0699 http://www.godsword.org
4 ..Typically a ponzi money scheme is one where investors are promised high interest, which is met initially from the capital invested. Only one or two payments are made, otherwise the full capital runs out.
5 ..THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language ( 2002 by Eugene Peterson was issued by contractual arrangement with NavPress, a division of The Navigators, U.S.A.
6 ..CETF 30 (September 2004) page 2
7.. CWM
apologies for the association as described here"a Seventh Day Adventist"
About the Author...
[
TOP ] ... [ Part 2 ] ... [
BACK ]
Found this information useful?
BOOKMARK this page NOW!
Web Site by
S & R Cope in association with
Appeared in Issue CETF NR 31 2005
"...contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" -- Jude v3
© Copyright 2006 Christian Witness Ministries, except where noted. All rights reserved
|
|
|
|
|
-Last revised-
Monday, October 09, 2006
