eph 02v08 By Grace Are Ye Saved

"BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED"

Ephesians 2:8

Within the circle of these words you have the whole of my theology. These words tell the whole of my "personal testimony". These five words write the biography of every believer. This is the sum of all that is written in the Word of God - "By grace are ye saved." In the vocabulary of the church of our Lord Jesus Christ "merit" is an unknown word. It has been banished from our speech forever. I would sooner spue out the oaths of a drunken sailor than to blasphemously talk of human merit before God. Our preaching is "grace, grace, grace". There is no place in the gospel for the sinner's "free-will" and "good works".

Salvation is altogether the work of God's free grace in Christ. When I speak of salvation, I am talking about the whole work of grace. I am talking about all that is revealed in the scriptures and all that is experienced in the soul of bringing perishing sinners acceptably into the presence of God's eternal glory - Election - Redemption - Justification - Regeneration - Sanctification - Preservation -Glorification. This whole process of bringing a man from the dung heap of fallen humanity to the throne of glory is a work of Divine grace alone. I know that salvation is by grace alone for three reasons.

(1) THIS IS WHAT IS WRITTEN IN THE WORD OF GOD. "God hath saved us, an called us--with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (II Tim. 1:9). "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy" (Rom.9:16). "There is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no more works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work" (Rom. 11:6). We are "justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24). Our salvation was PLANNED by God the Father (Eph. 1:3-6). Salvation must begin with God. He is the original source and cause of all things. God provided his Son to be a Substitute and Surety for his own elect in the covenant of grace before the world began. God accepted the sacrifice of Christ's righteousness and shed blood on our behalf. The whole work was accomplished in the fulness of time according to God's eternal purpose, plan, and decree. Our salvation was PURCHASED by God the Son (Eph. 1:7-12). The Lord Jesus Christ actually purchased the salvation of his people when he died upon the cross. He obtained eternal redemption for us. And salvation was actually PERFORMED and accomplished in our hearts by God the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14, 18-19). God the Holy Spirit came to us in sovereign, life-giving power and called us to faith in Christ by irresistible grace. (Read Psalm 65:4, 110:3.)

(2) I know that salvation is by grace alone, because THIS IS WHAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED. "By the grace of God, I am what I am" (I Cor. 15:10). I was spiritually dead, without life toward God, in myself helpless and hopeless; and I was (as all dead men are) utterly unaware of my condition. "BUT GOD", oh, how I love those words! "BUT GOD, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:4-6). God almighty sovereignly intervened in my life, stopped me in my mad rush for hell, and gave me eternal life in Christ. If God had left me to the absolute exercise of my depraved "free-will" I would never have been saved. Had he not chosen me, I would never have chosen him. Had he not come to me, I would never have come to him. And

(3) I know that salvation is altogether by grace alone, because OUR ETERNAL SALVATION IS A PRESENT REALITY. "Ye are complete in him" (Col. 2:10). Right now, every believer is perfectly saved; and our salvation is immutably secure in Christ. (Read I Cor. 1:30-31). If salvation were in any measure dependent upon human merit and human works, if it were not altogether by the grace of God, then it could not be perfect and it could not be secure.