The Word Of His Grace
Some think that since God's grace provides salvation, through Christ who is the gift of God's love or grace, that there is nothing required of man in order to receive this salvation. This is far from the truth. This would mean that all men would be saved, for Christ, by the grace of God, was made to taste death for every man. (Heb. 2:9) Yet, Jesus taught that only "few" would walk the narrow way which leads unto life. (Matt. 7:14.)
"The grace of God" is used with reference to the message of his grace. Failure to recognize this causes one to misunderstand the grace of God, and the salvation made possible by his grace. Some apparently think the sacrifice of Christ on the cross is the extent of God's grace in so far as our salvation is concerned, since Christ is the gift of God's grace. They have not been impressed with "the word of his grace" and the part which the word plays in our salvation.
When Paul and Barnabas were in Iconium, Luke says of them, "Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace..." In his farewell address to the elders of Ephesus Paul said, "And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among them which are sanctified." (Acts 14:3; 20:32.)
The preaching of Paul and Barnabas "gave testimony unto the word of his grace." The gospel surely declares the grace of God as it tells of the gift of God's Son for sinful man. This is the GIFT of God's grace. However, the very words of the gospel are an expression of God's grace, for the truth can make men free (John 8:32) and may properly be called the grace of God, as we shall note later.
Concerning the "word of his grace" Paul said it is able to do two things: (1) It is able to build you up, and (2) it is able to give you an inheritance among them which are sanctified. (Acts 20:32) Note that Paul does not call it the word of God or the word of the gospel, but rather the "word of his grace." Thus, the very word of God is the grace of God, Unto Titus, Paul wrote: "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for the blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself, a peculiar people, zealous of good works." (Titus 2:12-14) Notice that Paul is speaking of "the grace of God" and mentions three things relative to (1) the grace of God bringeth salvation; (2) the grace of God hath appeared to all men, and (3) the grace of God came teaching us.
I believe "the grace of God" in this passage refers to the gospel of Jesus Christ, "the word of his grace", or as one so aptly stated the WORDED grace. The grace of God is said to (1) bring salvation; yet Paul declared, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation." (Rom. 1:16) The gospel is the grace of God that brings salvation. The grace of God is said to have (2) appeared unto all men. Jesus said, "Preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15), and Paul said "the gospel... was preached to every creature," (Col. 1:23) This grace of God which brings salvation, and which appeared unto all men, came (3) "teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world." But it is the word of God that teaches us how to live. The word teaches us to "love not the world" (I John 2:15), but to live soberly righteously, and godly, Thus the grace of God that brings salvation, and teaches those who are saved how they must live in order to have eternal life, is the word of God. Is it any wonder that Jesus said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." This is why we must "preach the word" (II Tim. 4:2.) The word, the gospel of Christ, is the grace of God that brings salvation unto men. Yes, it is true that the death of Christ on the cross is the gift of God's grace, but the fact that Jesus died for our sins does not mean that all men will be saved. "The word of his grace" must be preached to all and only those who believe and obey "the word of his grace" shall be saved by the grace of God.
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