SEMESTER 2
123 – THE GRACE OF GOD DEFINED
BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE
COURSE: THEOLOGY II LESSON # 23
THE GRACE OF GOD DEFINED
Read Jonah 2:9
, Eph. 2:8-9, Titus 3:5-7.
INTRODUCTION:
1. Grace is one of the greatest words in the Christian vocabulary, yet poorly understood.
2. For every Christian, God and only God is to be thanked.
3. Our salvation is of grace, both in planning and in working.
III: Doctrines of grace, often tagged “Calvinism,” and hated.
4. We may well talk of God’s plan of salvation, but if we speak of any human act, we have erred from the faith. However, men do act, but it is reaction.
5. Grace is unmerited and unmeritable, God is, both, the architect and the builder.
III: “Falling from grace” shows total misconception.
6. God sets the gospel table, and gives the appetite for it.
7. The Holy Spirit fills the Father’s house by compelling them to come in (not externally, but internally). Men believe through grace. (Acts 18:27)
III: The “self-made man,” thus, worshipping self.
I. DEFINITIONS OF GRACE
1. Dr. Dale: Love which passes beyond all claims of love. Not the sinner’s due, nor can it be claimed.
III: The desire to obligate God by some human act.
2. Alexander Whyte: Like love, except, whereas love flows either up, or down, or level, grace flows only downward.
3. Alexander Maclaren: Shorthand for the whole sum of unmerited blessing, flowing to man through Jesus Christ.
4. Phillips: Something in God that is at the heart of all redeeming activities.
5. Summary:
i. Attitude toward the sinner.
ii. Action for the sinner’s good.
iii. The fruit of God’s work, flowing through the sinner.
II. BIBLE CONTRASTS TO GRACE
1. Law – (Jn. 1:17). Law demands, condemns. Law says do, grace says done. Law demands righteousness, grace gives it. (Rom. 10:4)
2. Sin reigns to death, grace unto life. (Rom. 5:21) Sin separates from God, grace reconciles.
III: No fence around Calvary, as around Sinai.
III: All works for reconciliation reject grace.
3. Contrasted with works. By grace of the Creator, not works of the creature.
4. Debt – (Rom. 4:4-5). If a man draws wages, he is not a recipient of grace. (Do not frustrate.)
III. GRACE IN THE TRINITY
1. All three, equally, gracious – different administration.
i. The Father is the fountain. Formulated the covenant, made choice of recipients, and sent His Son.
ii. The Son is the channel (the Redeemer), the only means. (Ps. 85:10)
iii. The Holy Spirit is the administrator.
a) He is the writer of the Word.
b) He gives understanding and conviction. In short, He effectually calls men into this marvelous grace.