The Distinguishing Grace Of God
I Corinthians 4:7
The only difference
between the believer and the unbeliever, between the righteous and the wicked,
between the seed of Christ and the seed of the serpent, is the difference which
grace has made. This we must acknowledge. "By the grace of God I am what I
am!" God's grace is always particular, distinctive, and distinguishing.
Those who are saved are distinguished from those who are lost by five acts of
grace.
1. The first
distinguishing act of God's grace is his ETERNAL ELECTION.If you can, with the
eye of faith, trace every spiritual blessing that you now enjoy, and those
which you hope to enjoy, back to the place of their original source, the place
of their origin would be spelled "E L E C T I O N" (Eph. 1:3-4; II
Thess. 2:13; Jer. 1:4; 31:3).
2. The second act of
grace by which God has distinguished his elect from the rest of mankind is
EFFECTUAL REDEMPTION. By his precious blood, poured out unto death upon the
cross, the Lord Jesus Christ has effectually ransomed God's elect from the
hands of divine justice, by satisfying the claims of justice against us (Isa.
53:8-11; Gal. 3:13; Heb. 9:12).
3. The third act of
grace by which the Lord has distinguished us from the rest of the world is his
ADORABLE PROVIDENCE. Our God governs all the affairs of this world. And he has
governed all the affairs and circumstances of our lives to bring us to the
place where we now are, and to eternal glory in Christ (Matt.
4. The fourth act of
grace by which we are distinguished from all other men is GOD'S SOVEREIGN WORK
OF REGENERATION. The only thing that makes you different from any other being
on this planet, if you are born again, is the fact that God has saved you. He
gave you life and faith in Christ by the irresistible power of his Spirit (Eph.
2:1-10).
5. The fifth act of
grace by which God distinguishes his elect from the unbelieving is his MERCIFUL
PRESERVATION. The only thing that keeps us in grace is grace itself. The only
thing that holds us to Christ is Christ himself (Jer. 32:38-40).
Don Fortner