Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Greetings...

In we find Paul shifting his discussion from the blessings found in Christ to how those blessings came to be.

Remember God has blessed those in Christ with “every spiritual blessings in heaven” ().

How did, they and thus us, get into Christ though?

As Paul will state, “For by grace you have been saved through faith” ().

Herein lies a puzzle piece to man’s salvation found in Christ, but what is grace and how are we saved by it?

But what is grace and how are we saved by it?

These are the two questions we are going to examine today, so with that in mind let’s look at our lesson for this evening.

Grace Understood

The word grace means...

Simply put, “favorable gift.”

The word “grace” found in our text is also found 154 times in the New Testament and translated as grace 123 times in the ESV.

Though the word, in the N.T., more often than not is dealing with God’s gift of salvation that doesn’t mean that is how the word is always used.

One only needs to look at the different uses of it to determine this such as its use as...

“Gift”

“Credit or benefit”

“Favor”

This knowledge is vital because it shows us the intended use of the word in the Bible.

This understanding also makes passages like more clear.

This passage has been used by many to say that there is no such thing as “grace in the Old Testament.”

That couldn’t be further from the truth when you understand the word grace simply means “favorable gift.”

The Greek translation of the O.T. i.e. the LXX uses the Greek word “charis” seventy-five times.

We find it in such passages as...

Gen

Psalm 84:11

Remember this is the same word as found in and .

So what does mean then considering what we know now?

It means that the law of Moses had a job, to guard God’s people until the Father could deliver His favorable gift i.e. salvation to mankind during the “fulness of time.”

Gal 3:

Summery

Knowing what grace really means opens up a whole world of beauty found in the Bible.

This information allows us to see God’s loving kindness throughout time not just during the time of Christ and afterwards.

How refreshing it is

Unfortunately many, like with the passage, have taken Paul’s words in out of context.

This has created a doctrine that is contrary to soundness or logic.

Examining The Grace Only Doctrine

It is not a new doctrine.

This doctrine “sola gratia” seems to have it’s first “establishment” in 529 at the Council of Orange by Catholics.

However, it was during the Reformation movement that we see it take even greater hold.

Martin Luther, after studying the book of Romans, came to this conclusion.

“Sola gratia” i.e. “grace alone” is one of the “five solae” which were vital parts of both Luther’s teachings and Calvin’s.

The doctrine of “grace only” states...

“a sinner is not accepted by God on account of the change wrought in the believer by God’s grace, and indeed, that the believer is accepted without any regard for the merit of his works-for no one deserves salvation.”

The Bible never says we are saved by grace only.

We are saved by grace.

Eph

We are also saved by faith.

We are also saved by belief and confession.

We are also saved by repentance.

Summery

The point is this, we are most assuredly saved by grace but we are not saved by grace alone.

Saved By Grace

Being saved by grace doesn’t mean...

Perseverance of true believers i.e. “once saved always saved.”

Most in the denominational world believe in the dangerous doctrine of “once saved always saved.”

What the doctrine of the perseverance of true believers does mean is this: those who have true faith can lose that faith neither totally nor finally

To accomplish this destructive doctrine or teaching they must twist, abuse, and ignore simple passages found in the Bible.

What Paul is saying in effect is that if we seek to be justified by the works of the law in any way or degree whatsoever then we have abandoned or fallen away entirely from justification by grace

The word “faith,” however, as is common in the Pastoral Epistles, is here used in the objective sense, as meaning the truth which is believed (fides quae creditur) rather than the act which appropriates Christ and his merits (fides qua creditur).

What Paul is saying here is that in later times many will fall away from a profession of the Christian religion

The Bible is full of passages that clearly demonstrate this doctrine as false and thus dangerous but we shall look at only one.

Look back at what was said earlier as you turn again to .

What Paul is saying in effect is that if we seek to be justified by the works of the law in any way or degree whatsoever then we have abandoned or fallen away entirely from justification by grace

You can clearly see it is “someone” that fell from grace.

Those someone’s were Jews that had obeyed the gospel already.

Ga 2:15-

There is no such doctrine of “once saved always saved.”

Are there true believers, sure, but there are also true believers that sin, fall away, and need restoration.

Ga 2:11-

Being saved by grace means...

I understood my spiritual position.

Eph

I understood Jesus was the Father’s ultimate gift.

R

Eph 2:4-

Romans 3:

Romans

I understood I must trust that “grace” wholeheartedly.

I understood the cost of accepting that gift.

Luke 14:26-

Eph 2:

Summery

The roaring lion () has had his way with so many when it comes to the false doctrine of “perseverance of true believers i.e. once saved always saved.”

The truth concerning “salvation by grace” doesn’t need impurities to true, it only needs true to sustain itself.

Let us shout for joy to any that will listen of the saving grace of our God.

Conclusion

Jesus said it best in , “…the truth will set you free.”

The beauty of salvation by grace for each of us is without measure and worthy of constant meditation and reflection on our behalf.

Invitation