Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Grace (09/03/26)
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TITLE: Understanding And Appreciating The Grace Of God | Previous Challenge Entry
By Doug Laird
09/07/26 -
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If they did, they wouldn’t feel the need to add good behavior, good deeds, or the religious traditions of men to it, in order to obtain, retain, or regain the salvation that they have already received and cannot lose (Rom. 8:1).
Since the Fall of Man, through human effort, the majority of the human race strives to make itself right with the God of the Bible, or with an alternative, but non-existing, false god (Psalms 96: 5) of their own invention.
Q. Where did this desire to do so come from?
A. God places the concept of eternity in the heart of every soul that He creates (Eccl.3: 11).
Rejection of this eternal concept is the foundation on which atheism is constructed. To his own hurt, a genuine atheist is not concerned with God or any other god, because in his mind, God does not exist. It will not be until an atheist departs this world and finds himself in the Torments of Hades that he will learn of the gravity of this choice.
Acceptance of this concept of eternity, creates a vacuum with an accompanying desire to fill this space with “something.”
As of the Church Age, God desires for that “something” to be the unadulterated Gospel Message for salvation, and accurate Bible Doctrine for the execution of the post salvation spiritual life of discipleship.
But, Fallen Man comes into this world with a nature that is been passed down at conception (Psalms 51: 5) that is hostile (Rom. 8: 7) towards God and the things of God.
Satan and his Eph. 6: 12 forces of evil, take full advantage of this inherent hostility. He and they do all they can to see to it, that the place in the heart (soul) of Man that God established for Himself, is filled with either atheism or with one of the many false, alternative religions that Man has created.
The devil, not having the divine attribute of omnipresence (the ability to be everywhere at the same time) relies heavily on his Eph. 6: 12 forces of evil, and the people he has deceived (2Cor. 4: 4), to do his bidding.
The truth is, that Fallen Man comes into this world WITHOUT the means to save himself, as no amount of good behavior, good deeds (Titus 3: 5), or religious traditions of men (Matt. 15: 9) can save (Eph. 2: 8), seal (Eph. 4: 30), regenerate a dead spirit (Titus 3: 5), or generate one second of eternal life (John 3: 16)!
This is where the grace of God came into the picture, doing for Fallen Man what Fallen Man could have NEVER done for himself.
“By (the) grace (of God) you are saved through faith…(Eph. 2: 8 NASB2020 parentheses mine).”
The divine nature of God cannot even look upon sin (in an approving manner), let alone forgive and forget about it, as if it never happened (Habakkuk 1: 13).
Divine justice requires that every single sin be accounted for, and addressed.
Therefore, before GOD could act on His grace and mercy, the past, present, and future sin debt of the entire human race had to be paid in full first.
This sin debt was to be, and in fact was, paid in full, by the atoning Work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross (1John 2: 2).
The afore-mentioned sealing, regeneration, and receiving of the irrevocable gift of eternal life takes place at the moment one is born again (John 3: 7 ), having made a one-time decision to believe, upon being presented with the unadulterated Gospel Message, encapsulated in John 3:16,18.
Never-the -less, grace is not a license to sin.
Although the GIFT of eternal life is irrevocable (Rom. 11: 29), and the integrity of one’s salvation is eternally secure (Rom. 8: 1), there are many other consequences (Heb. 12: 6/1Cor. 3: 15) for the post (after) salvation sins we commit, and for the negative choices that we make, regarding our response to the daily call to post salvation Biblical discipleship.
In closing, consider the words of John Newton, that we sing in the popular hymn entitled Amazing Grace, “tis grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.”
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