G R A C E.
FREE or EXPENSIVE?
Scripture: Rom.5:18 & 6:18
Is Divine GRACE a free gift? 6:18 tells us it makes us servants-slaves (doulos)
Among believers we find confusion in re to Free Grace. If it is free why do we have to do anything? If we are asked to do something is Grace then still free?
Rom.5:18 speaks about the object of free grace: It came upon all men unto or for the purpose of justification of life. The gift has to be accepted according to John 3:16 and Eph.2:8 saved by grace through faith. Once it has been accepted by faith, Rom.6:18 gets into action, we become servants of righteousness, not to obtain grace, but for reasons of having received grace.
Free from sin to which we were servants/slaves before, but now servants/slaves again, but of righteousness, right actions, doing the right thing.
What could be the problem of there is confusion or misunderstanding?
Is it due to the nature of preaching or the content of sermons?
Is it Misunderstanding of the gospel of GRACE?
Not a correct understanding of the meaning of free grace, or the cost of grace?
It can also be that there is not a correct understanding in regarding the cost for the Provider of free grace. Also the question is there or is there not a “cost” on the side of the receiver of free grace?
There also could be an over-emphasizing of righteousness by faith and a de-emphasizing of sanctification by faith which may cause confusion and creating an imbalance in people’s mind regarding the relationship between justification and sanctification. Both are acts of faith.
Rom.3:22 “……the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ…”
23 “.. .propitiation through faith in His blood…”
This deals with justification by faith.
Acts.26:18 Here Paul is quoting the word of Jesus “that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith, that is in Me.” In “Me” means in Jesus Christ.
Hebr.13:12 “…that He might sanctify the people by His own blood…”
This deals with sanctification by faith which follows after the experience of justification by faith.
We are justified by His blood (Rom.5:9) and sanctified by the same blood as well.
Both are not of any human effort, but are the work of God.
BUT AT WHAT A PRICE?
Hebr.9:22”.”Without shedding of blood no remission of sin…” This indicates a severe cost. But the preaching of “free” grace and “freedom” of or in Christ, seems to have eclipsed or obscured the real cost involved, making people less impressed with the cost behind divine grace.
It also seems to have eclipsed or obscured the real meaning of
Rom.6:18 “…ye became the servants or slaves of righteousness…”
Oxford dict.: righteousness = doing what is morally right
There is no doing involved in getting into the experience of justification by faith.
But there is a doing involved in getting into the experience of sanctification by faith.
The adulterous woman brought to Jesus, John 8:11, received grace, but was also told, go home and sin no more. Do not sin.
In some sections of Adventism, as in the evangelical world around us,
another change has taken place, the vicariousness of Christ’s death
has been eclipsedor obscured. (Evangelical Crisis.p.122 & 123):
“This great doctrine of Christ’s penal substitutionary sacrifice is not popular today. Even in churches that joyfully and fruitfully affirmed and disseminated these doctrine far and wide in earlier centuries, the loss is quite noticeable.”
The so-called ‘moral influence’ of the cross is promoted, not the price paid for our redemption.1 Peter 1:18, 19; 1Cor.6:20; 7:23
John 3:16, the middle part is underestimated.
God’s love is great, but what about the gift
In OT times God’s gift became a bargaining chip, against what God had said in
Lev.17:11 “…the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you
upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls….”
Hebr.9:22 without blood no remission, the blood of a lamb.
Instead of accepting the blood as God’s gift, they offered it to God as the sinner’s gift in exchange for divine pardon and grace. It was like heathen peace making with their gods.
But the word goes around that God is love, He does not punish.
We are His friends, not servants; this is advocated in a book called “SERVANTS or FRIENDS?”
Is that in harmony with God’s character of LOVE which does not exclude
divine JUSTICE, which is also part of God’s character?
Gen.2:17 If you eat from that tree you will surely die
Ezech 18:20 The soul that sins shall die.
Rom.6:23 The wages of sin is death.
Love is not practiced at the expense of justice. And justice is not done at the expense of love. In the divine realm of salvation both are equal in value and in practice, overlapping each other as it were. The one is not pushing aside the other.
In Eden Adam and Eve did eat; sin took place, which one would bear the wages? The sinner or…..?
God would forgive differently than man. The objection is that God is inferior to
man in His forgiveness.
It is argued that man can forgive and forgo the punishment, but in God’s case punishment has to stand. This makes God inferior to man in regard to forgiveness, as it is argued.
Man can forgive, but does not bear the offence of the offender.
God forgives in bearing the sin, the offence of the sinner or offender.
Lifting it off the offender and taking it on His own shoulders, that’s what God does..
Here we have the idea of transfer, as explained in Lev.1-4.
The lambs used were types of the real Lamb, the Messiah, Jesus Christ our
Lord. John the Baptist made that clear to his Jordan audience, John 1:29
This act of divine vicarious substitution is prophetically foretold, Isa.53:4-7:
bore our griefs
carried our sorrows
people thought, did esteem, He was stricken by God for His sins
but He was wounded for our transgressions
bruised for our iniquities
the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all
for the transgression of my people was He stricken
The penalty for sin rested upon Christ. ONLY BECAUSE OF THIS PROCESS, GRACE COULD BE OFFERED TO THE SINNER FOR FREE.
Matthew Henry
3.5 pages 7 Columns)
“Our Lord Jesus was appointed and did undertake to make satisfaction for our sins and so to save us from the penal consequences of them. He was appointed to do it by the will of his father; for the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. God choose him to be the Saviour of poor sinners and would have him to save them in this way, by bearing their sins and the punishment of them; not the idem – the same that we should have suffered, but the tantundem – which was more than equivalent for the maintaining of the honour of the holiness and justice of God in the government of the world.”
Having undertaken our debt, he underwent the penalty.” ib.vl.IV304/5
Evang., Com.507: “He took upon himself the very curse of God. Since God’s curse comes on any who break his covenant, the servant was either a great sinner or carried the sins of others.
He suffered in order that he might bring restoration (peace and healing) between God and man.
The servant suffered not for himself, but rather to bear our sorrows, our transgressions, and our iniquities. The benefits of the vicarious suffering of the servant include reconciliation to God and forgiveness.
The servant himself did nothing wrong. He did no violence nor did he speak in a deceptive way. Why, then did Yahweh lay such suffering upon him? The reason for the suffering must be found in the nature of the judgment of God. The Lord brought him through torture, judgment, death, and finally burial.
Quietly he received the judgment from God because he bore the judgment for others.
How does that concur with Ellen G.White statements?
In the June section of “God’s Amazing Grace”. we have statements regarding “THE COST OF GRACE”
P.161; “God so loved the world that he gave Himself in Christ to the world to bear the penalty of man’s transgression.”
P168 The sword of justice was unsheathed, and the wrath of God against iniquity rested upon man’s substitute, Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father.”
P.169 He was suffering in man’s stead as a transgressor of His father’s law
The wrath that would have fallen upon man was now falling upon Christ
P.172 Guiltless, He bore the punishment of the transgressor.
What a price has been paid for us
P.176 The infinite price paid for man’s redemption
See also 2Test.p.200 and Desire of Ages chapt.”CALVARY”.
Read 1 Peter 1:18, 19
1 Cor.6:20 for ye are bought with a price.
The cost of Grace, to provide free Grace, is enormous, unfathomable and incomprehensible.
What will protect us against sin, against transgressing one of God’s principles?
Does obedience to God’s law? Does Mal.3; 10 protect against not tithing?
It had that power in the past, before the fall in Eden but it has been broken and lost its protective power.
If Adam and Eve had remained obedient to God’s law, sin would not have occurred. Their obedience would have been a protection against sin. In that respect God’s law is as it were a wall or protection. But if we break through that wall, it looses its protective power. Adam and Eve did sin and lost their protection against sin by way of obedience.
What protect us now? CALVARY, or looking up into the sanctuary
where we will see a lamb as it had been slain, Rev.5:6
Rev.12:10, 11 Salvation, strength, Kingdom, power is of His Christ
they gained victory by the blood of the Lamb.
Not by their own obedience, that would be righteousness by works.
THE ABOVE SHOWS US THE COST OF GRACE ON GOD’s SIDE.
What “cost” are we asked to bring, not to obtain Grace but after having received Grace?
1. John 8:11 Go home and sin no more.
2. Prov.23:26 My son (daughter) give me your heart
3. John 14; 15 If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 15:15 versus 14)
we are His friends if we keep His commandments
4. Eph.2:8-10 Created unto good works
5. 1Thess.4; 3, 4 Enter into God’s process of sanctification, which is God’s will
6. Rom.6:18 Become servants (slaves) of righteousness
7. John 3:7 Experience the new birth
It was divine love, love as God only has, which compelled Him to pay the price of Grace.
It is love to God, Who loved us so much, which will protect us against sinning, and will compel us to be obedient in keeping His commandments.
no comments