AMAZING GRACE - Introduction, What Grace Is
Barak
Grace... faith... works... such common words, but what do they mean?
What is grace, and how does it work? What is faith, and where does it
come from? Where does it lead? What are the works that cannot save us,
and the works we are saved to do? And for that matter, what is
salvation, anyway? In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul was
not preaching the gospel, but rather giving the disciples understanding
about what had happened to them and what lay ahead of them - the
process and the purpose of salvation. The gospel is found in the
Gospels. The letters of Paul and the other apostles consist of
instruction and correction for those who are already in salvation.[1]
That is why we must look to the Gospels to find the foundation of these
familiar terms Paul uses in his letters.
There is a process or a progression involved in salvation, and in the
Gospels and the book of Acts there are many examples of people going
through that process, or in some cases stopping short of salvation.
Grace
First comes grace, the unmerited favor of God. As it relates to
salvation, grace is the working of God in a person's life to protect
him, prepare him, and bring him to the time and place where he can hear
the gospel from someone who has been sent with the authority to
proclaim it.[2]
It was grace to Peter that he had fished all night without catching
anything, and that he happened to be cleaning his nets in that
particular place where the Master wanted to teach that day, and that
the Master chose his boat to speak from.[3] It was grace that caused
the Master to pass by the sycamore tree where Zacchaeus was waiting,
and to notice and call to him.[4] It was grace that caused the
Ethiopian eunuch to happen to be passing near Philip and to be reading
the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, and it was grace that caused Philip
to hear from the Spirit the urging to approach the chariot and ask the
eunuch whether he understood what he was reading.[5] And it was even
grace to the "rich young ruler" that the Master came to teach in
his town.[6]
So grace brings a person near in order to hear the good news. But what
happens next depends on the one who speaks and the one who hears.
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[1] It is ironic that most of the popular "plans of salvation" make
little use of the Gospels and much improper use of Paul's letters. As
a result, very few people have actually heard and obeyed the gospel.
[2] John 7:17-18
[3] Luke 5:1-10
[4] Luke 19:2-10
[5] Acts 8:27-39
[6] Mark 10:17-30
(excerpted from "Amazing Grace" found at
www.thelitmustest.org/amazing-grace.html)