Grace

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. (Hebrews 2:9)

Grace

What is grace? What does it really mean when, as the apostle Paul says that we are saved by grace and not by works? Why is this teaching important in these times and why does its misinterpretation become so costly, spiritually speaking.

That we Christians are now under grace and not the old Jewish law is a given. Any Christian should know this, but what does being under the 'law of grace' really mean and does grace mean that we no longer have any 'work' to do in order to be saved? Or can we just say a few words, get baptized and go to heaven? This is the perennial question today in the salvation doctrine of America's Churches. Grace is the principle of God's plan of salvation in the New Testament.

Now to him that works is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. (Romans 4:4)

Works will not save anyone. Good works wonderful as they are will not save you. This is why there was a great need for God grace to save mankind from the bondage of sin and the enslavement by Satan. God from the beginning had a plan to save mankind via Christ's propitiation. This plan was set in motion the day that Adam fell and the promise was made that God would save mankind. Christians do not understand just how important and special that makes man and the enormous amount of love and grace that God has for us fallen creatures. You see, Satan and his angels also sinned, but there is no plan of salvation for them nor will there ever be. Satan and his host are in the most unenviable position as for them there is truly no hope of salvation forever. This overlooked fact needs to be evaluated in all its horror by every Christian alive. Why?

For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved to judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample to those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust to the day of judgment to be punished: But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. (2Peter 2:5-9)

Deliverance is promised to God's people, that is those who love him. Look at the examples that Peter lays out for us here. Noah and Lot, both were saved amongst the most wicked of generations but keep this fact in the front of your minds, the entire generations they lived with were lost, those of Sodom, those of Gomorrah, as well of those of the Pre-flood world. They were all lost. This fact is most sobering and seems to fly in the face of the idea of an all loving God. But there is no contradiction here as God's love and offer of friendship was and is extended to all. It is man's sin and sin alone that separates men from God and God has even paid the price for that sin as well. Man has no excuse and his love of sin and evil will always and forever separate him from God. This is why the world in these end times is full of greed, murder, lust, sodomy, rape, torture, hate and every imaginable vice and wickedness. God has not changed, he will deal with men now as he dealt with he wicked generations of long ago, he will destroy them utterly and without remedy. These are the times when God is looking upon mankinds great wickedness trying to find that person who will do as he has shown us.

He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God? - (Mal. 6:8)

Today the humble man is reviled and laughed at. Honor and praise go to the rich, the arrogant and the proud. Power is given to the liars, thieves and murderers. Should a man even mention God in a positive way, he is reviled and cast out of associations. Children cannot even pray in public any longer. God’s commandments are being pulled from court buildings. There is a growing hatred of God as sodomites. murderers and thieves make their way into the halls of power. War and thievery are now the hallmarks of America. Truth and justice have been asked to leave, and never return. God is still looking for that man or woman who will not succumb to the spirit of this age, and heed the gentle pleadings of the Holy Spirit.

Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in [his] goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. - (Romans 11:22)

The terrors that God has allowed to happen to man are very often warnings to us as to his severity. But his grace remains as well. Those who wish clemency from their crimes can and will be forgiven, if they seek it with faith, humility, persistence and repentance. But there are those teaching doctrines that are not in keeping with these principles. There are those who do not see sin as a real problem and look upon the Church as a social institution that is designed to be acceptable to modern society rather than one who is looking for a new society that Christ is to build, utterly different from the modern world. Grace here among unrepentant sinners does not apply, as the primary problem with man as laid out by Christ and his apostles is sin, not social irrelevance. When you see Christian Churches ordaining unrepentant sinners into the ministry you know you are dealing with lost souls. It is bad enough when Churches do not screen their members to ensure that those in open sin (live in relationships, homosexuality, drug abuse, theft, murder...) are not admitted into the congregation until these things are repented of. Unfortunately, what has happened is that many Churches have turned God's grace into a mockery and now view open sin as being acceptable to God. Well, it is acceptable, that is to the god of this world, whose name is satan. When a Church falls so low as to allow these things they have chosen this god as their master and refused the gospel of Christ. Grace does not include the acceptance nor the forgiveness of unrepentant sin. In fact there are some very stern warnings about this kind of sin.

For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

(Heb 10:26-31)

This is a stern warning and while it has been misinterpreted by some¹, its warnings should under no circumstances be under-emphasized. The reality here is this, God's grace is meant to do one very important thing; to save man from both his proclivity for sin and evil as well as keeping him from the horrible consequences of the same. We are all sinners, those who are on the path to life are acutely aware of this and work tirelessly to keep themselves pure and unspotted from sin. Those who are on the path to eternal death make excuses for their sin for which there is none. God has given up the thing he loved the most in order to save us and this is a key foundation of God's grace. God is saving man, the angles who sinned can never and will never be saved. No such redemption is available to them.

But God's grace encompasses so much more than this.

According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

(Eph 3:11-21)

God's grace includes not just being saved but also in knowing the fullness of God. It is being filled with God's most precious Spirit. It is becoming a joint heir with Christ who shall give those who love him, all things.

Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (Heb. 1:2)

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

(Rom 8:32-33)

God's love for is very, very great and he more than willing to forgive. In fact, I would say that in the case of the vast majority of humanity, God is not only willing to forgive, but anxious to do so. He wants men saved and no longer under the dominion of the evil one. Grace can and will encompass the forgiveness of sin as well as a marvelous future for God's people that he has not fully revealed to us, though a few of us have been given a very, very small taste of it. God's grace is designed to give. God's plan is to give to man a place that we cannot fully understand in our fallen state, so deep is his love.

But we cannot fathom this love until we fully understand that God is not a pansy, he will not be mocked and his treatment of the fallen angels should be warning to us not to sin as they did, lest our sins be without remedy. It is indeed a frightful thing, a horrible, dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, who shall judge the living and the dead.

How severe can God be? One need only look at the tribulations of Israel for almost 2000 years and one can see that God is not a plaything, and it was only God's promise to Abraham and his prophets that Israel was not completely destroyed.

Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

(Rom 11:22)

Paul here is using an analogy of tree branches (Romans 11) to show both God's grace and his severity. He explains in the simplest of layman's terms how salvation is of the Jews and demonstrates how severely God has dealt with them. Their spiritual blindness is something that God has put upon them until the fullness of Gentiles are saved. Here is where the anti-semites in the Church, who often try to mask their hatred of God and his people with semantic games, using works like 'anti-zionist' are completely off track and almost certainly unsaved. A Christian railing against Jews is like a man sitting on a tree branch trying to reach down and cut the trunk that holds him up! It is utter folly and one that will not bring them a good end. God's grace is extended to us as a result of his mercy and love. That love is deep and abiding and remains upon those who return that love through faith and obedience.

This grace is something exceptional and should never, ever be taken for granted. Nevertheless this is something that many do and do regularly. The first way this manifests itself is in a spirit of thanklessness. This is so prevalent today especially in the US Church. Thanklessness can manifest itself in dissatisfaction with ones current station in life, in the lust for more material wealth, in complaining . These are not things that Christians ought to be doing and usually are indicative of a deeper spiritual malaise. We should always give thanks to God for having saved us and caring for us.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (1Thes. 5:18)

To give thanks gladdens God's heart. He loves a people who are from their hearts thankful for what is has done and is going to do. Those of you who have studied the Old Testament know that often, when God made a promise to a saint, the saint gave thanks to God BEFORE that promise manifested itself. This is also a key ingredient of faith. One may not see or have any empirical evidence that God is going to do something, yet faith receives the promise and gives thanks. Consider Abraham, God looked graciously on him and made some promises to him that seemed as though would never come to pass. Yet in his old age, God brought him fulfillment of his promise when most people would have long ago given up hope.

We must aways remember this fact as well when we preach to others, Christ did not come to condemn mankind.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:17-18)

I know most of you already know these verses and I am only reminding you. But lest we do forget these things I bring them to your remembrance so that none of you may forget God's enduring love towards our sinful world. God loves a thankful, humble heart. If there is anything that saddens God's heart is a thankless soul, full of envy and bitterness. Let us always remember what God has done for us. but let us also remember what he will do for the Jewish people as well.

And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication; and they shall look unto me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born. (Zech 12:10)

In the last days, the Nation of Israel will receive that which much of the Church has taken for granted, that is the spirit of grace to receive their Messiah, whom they mistreated, killed and rejected the first time he came to save them from their sins. For nearly two millennium the Jews underwent the the scourgings from the curse of the Mosaic Law. Now that God has regathered them to their ancient homeland promised to them since the times of Abraham, we now know that we are in the last days. Let no one doubt that God is moving now according to his purpose for the Jewish people as well as the Gentiles. Let we who are among the saved not rant and rave against God's purposes, as though God needed our approval. He doesn't and woe to him who thinks he does. He shall be humbled for exalting himself so.tI think that there will be a great deal of jealousy when Israel is saved from her sins among the Gentiles and I think it will lead many into great sin, perhaps of a nature that can lead to a root of bitterness forming.

And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me. And he divided to them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave to him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before you, And am no more worthy to be called your son: make me as one of your hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight, and am no more worthy to be called your son.

But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring here the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, Your brother is come; and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him. And he answering said to his father, See, these many years do I serve you, neither transgressed I at any time your commandment: and yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this your son was come, which has devoured your living with harlots, you have killed for him the fatted calf. And he said to him, Son, you are ever with me, and all that I have is yours. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this your brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found. Luke (15:11ff)

The story of the prodigal son is often quoted to show how God still loves the backslidden soul. But the parable has a greater fulfillment in the prophetic sense of Israel's eventual return to the Messiah. A careful reading of the passage shows how the Son (gentiles) who remained with the father was angry and jealous when his wayward brother (Israel) finally came home after being away for a long time and the Father decided to have a feast to commemorate it. Rather than sharing in his Fathers joy, he instead chose to be a dark cloud at the feast, murmuring to the father. Now some have tried to dispute this interpretation and refuse to impute any prophetic meaning to this passage. However I will share this with my readers. One thing I have learned from many years of diligent study of God's word is to read the passage first and get the mind of God on it, listen to what the passage is saying and cease listening to 'know it all's' who populate the net like so much hot air in a wandering balloon. When Christ returns and there is great joy in the salvation of both Jew and Gentile and the two become one in the Messiah. On that day we should all be joyful and pleased that God is pleased. Our pleasure should be in giving God pleasure and sharing in his joy. Let us all keep the parable of the prodigal Son in mind in these times and remember that God's grace is for any who sincerely seek God's favor in faith be they Jew or Gentile. Know this as well. None of us deserves to be saved, we are saved by God's grace alone.

Let the gentiles, especially those who have given into the most hateful conspiracy theories about the Jews and take great pleasure in stirring up hate against the Jewish people know this; The Jews were God's first love and our elder brother in gift of Salvation. Hatred of these people is a sure sign of an unregenerate heart at worst and a deep spiritual immaturity at best. A Christian who has walked with God for 20 years and still does not know his spiritual ABC's is like a 20 year old man still sitting in a kindergarten class playing with plastic balls and wooden blocks. He is a person who has some very serious learning and spiritual deficiencies. God's love and calling for the Jews is without repentance. Never ever forget that, and pray for the Jewish people rather than spinning a web of hateful conspiracy theories against them.

For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

(Rom 11:29)

Israel has been called of God to bear the light of Salvation to the world, though she is in rebellion, there will come a time when she will be grafted back into the fold of Salvation and what a mighty day that will be.

And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. (Act 20:32)

In closing I want to impress on each of you that the days of studying Bible prophecy for a look into the future are closing, there is very little else that needs to be fulfilled before our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Returns to judge the living and the dead and bring salvation to his remnant. The main things are the final form in which this global beast takes (with ten horns, Seven heads ridden by Babylon the Great for 42 months), the mark of the Beast and the accompanying martyrdom of those who refuse to take it, the fall of Babylon and the final battle of the end of this age, known as Armageddon. We are very close to seeing these things. Be prepared for there are many tribulations that we as God's people must endure.

Grace and peace to all who love the Lord Jesus Christ.

Mark Watson

www.markswatson.com

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