FROM THE PULPIT: THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

Article 13

The GRACE of God

Webster's Dictionary defines this character of God as: "unconstrained and undeserved divine favor or goodwill." Another preacher of old declares: "Divine grace is the sovereign and saving favor of God exercised in the bestowment of blessings upon those who have no merit in them and for which no compensation is demanded from them. Nay, more; it is the favor of God shown to those who not only have no positive deserts of their own, but who are thoroughly ill-deserving and hell-deserving." (A.W. Pink).

Grace can neither be bought nor earned by the creature or else it would cease to be grace. Grace, as it is found in the Bible, is in direct opposition to "works" and "worthiness" as declared by Paul in Romans 11:6 and Ephesians 2:8,9.

There are three basic qualities of grace: First, it is eternal. Grace was planned in the mind of God before it was exercised, purposed before it was imparted (2 Tim. 1:9) before the world began. Second, it is free. No one can buy or purchase it (Rom. 3:24). And third, it is sovereign. God exercises and bestows grace upon those whom He pleases and whomsoever He will. (Rom. 5:2 1, Rom. 9, Ex. 33:19). God is under no obligation to any of His creatures to bestow grace upon them, seeing all have rebelled and sinned against Him. Bible grace is distinguishing, selective and "elective." That means God shows His grace to some and passes by others. We must remember, He is the potter and we are the clay and He can do with us as He so pleases. Oh, how this rankles man's nature; his pride is smashed and his ego assaulted, but God is on His throne, and so His grace is said to "reign" and occupy that throne with Him (Rom. 3:24, Heb. 4:16).

God's sovereign distinguishing grace can be seen in its objects: Noah, Jacob, Joseph, Ruth, Manasseh, David, the Apostles, Saul of Tarsus and the like. All who were just as sinful and vile as any other of Adam's race, but only because of the grace of God they were chosen before time and elected out of the mass of humanity and saved solely based upon God's love and free favor towards them.

Three visages of grace

The first person of the Godhead is the fountain of grace, the Son is the only channel of grace, the spirit is the bestower of grace and the Gospel (preaching of it) is the publisher of grace. The spirit is the one who melts the cold heart and softens it to receive this blessed news of salvation in the highest. (Zech. 12:10).

The applications of this obvious and stalwart truth are numerous: 1) It produces humility in the saved sinner. We cannot boast or glory in our salvation, because the truth of the grace of God places man in the inferior, unable to save or help himself. The grace of God declares the chaste moralist and the vile infidel alike, the strict religionist and the atheist no better than one another... "all have come short of the glory of God." Again we have nothing to commend ourselves to God, this empties us and shows us the utter impossibility of coming to Christ on our own, He must do the complete work of salvation (even coming to Him is produced by His Grace.. Phil. 1:29). 2) It exalts God rightly. Salvation is of the Lord, from its birth, growth and fulfillment (Jonah 2:9).

We close with a quote from G.S. Bishop: "Grace is a provision for men and women who are so fallen that they cannot lift the ax of justice, so corrupt that they cannot change their own natures, so averse to God that they cannot turn to Him, so blind that they cannot see Him, so deaf that they cannot hear Him, and so dead that He, Himself, must open their graves and lift them into resurrection."

Next lesson: The Mercy of God.