Paul wrote that we are “saved by grace.” (Ephesians 2:8) The author of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is the “author and finisher” of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2) This teaching examines four aspects of this enormous topic. First, It is a work of God from start to finish. The second point I will make is that we can never hope to attain to a right relationship with God by earning it through a good enough performance. The third point is that the New Covenant, through which grace comes to us, is completely different from the Law. It is a compact between God the Father and God the Son. Jesus’ perfect life of obedience, his sacrificial death, and his resurrection provide the only way for us to be in a right relationship with the Father in heaven. The last point is that we were chosen in Christ before the world began; so, there is nothing we can do that can ever possibly surprise God or make him rue his decision. My hope is that this presentation of grace will strengthen your appreciation of the magnificence of our great salvation and inspire you to lovingly serve our amazing and wonderful Lord.

Grace Is a Work of God from Start to Finish

Many people understand that they have nothing to offer God when they first believe the gospel, but we are often duped into thinking that afterward maintaining or “keeping” our salvation depends mostly on us. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Our salvation begins, continues, and finishes with our complete dependence on God.

For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:36 (NKJV)

It is no accident that “Keeper” is one of the compound names of God. (Psalm 121:5) If we cannot initially save ourselves, why on earth would we think that we are capable of maintaining it? Only God is able to “keep” us, and he promised to do exactly that.

Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:9–10 (NASB95)

Some people insist that we can “lose” our salvation, but my faith is in the promise that he will keep us. Be it done to us according to our faith. If you want to believe you can be lost, go right ahead, but I do not believe you can prove it from the Bible.

Grace, revelation, repentance, and faith, four necessary ingredients for being born again, are all gifts.

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. John 1:16 (NKJV)

At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. Matthew 11:25–26 (NKJV)

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8–9 (NKJV)

It is humbling for us to realize that we are completely incapable of saving ourselves and totally dependent on the mercy of God. We should never allow pride to blind us, however. In discussing God’s choosing us to belong to him, Paul wrote.

So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. Romans 9:16 (NKJV)

The essence of repentance is turning away from self-sufficiency.

We learn to cease striving and rest in God. He created us to be dependent beings, not self-reliant ones.

We Can Never Be Good Enough

As new believers, one of the first decisions we must make is whether to believe what God says in the Bible, rather than rely on our own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5-6) God says that no one is righteous in his sight.

As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” Romans 3:10–12 (NKJV)

Those who attempt to earn God’s favor through their own works of righteousness are misguided at best. This is what the apostle Paul said about regarding those Jews who rejected the gospel.

For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Romans 10:3–4 (NKJV)

This means that Jesus obeyed the Law perfectly, keeping its demands, thereby earning the reward of life and honor.

As a result, the purpose of the Law for us now is merely to illustrate how sinful we are and to teach us that we desperately need a Savior.

For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. Romans 3:20 (NLT)

Sin is deceptive. It deceives our minds into thinking that we are not so bad after all. The Law was given to convince us that we are wretched spiritual paupers or beggars, who have nothing whatsoever to offer to God and, in fact, deserve the judgment of death..

Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised... Galatians 3:19a (NLT)

The Law imprisons us in a seemingly hopeless condition of being separated from God by our sin, which opens our hearts to admit that we cannot save ourselves. It sets us up to hear, believe, and receive the incredible good news that God made a provision to save us out of this awful situation.

But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. Galatians 3:22–25 (NKJV)

The Law cannot give us a right relationship with God, but it is able lead us to the One who can, our Lord Jesus.

Once we come to Christ, we no longer are under the Law’s jurisdiction. Now we can live according to the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ.

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Romans 8:1–2 (NASB95)

This means that Christ now lives his life through us. With his help, we can live as God desires and deserves.

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” Galatians 2:20–21 (NKJV)

The Law is a harsh taskmaster of a husband, who constantly demands us to perform to a standard to which we cannot attain, and he never lifts a finger to help us. He only condemns our failures. By dying with Christ, we died to the Law, which released us from our previous relationship with it, so that we can be married to a new wonderful husband, Jesus, who loves us and gives us all the help we need.

So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. 5 When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. 6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit. Romans 7:4–6 (NLT)

The New Covenant

Since the Law was incapable of saving us due to our being fatally flawed people because of sin, God instituted the New Covenant to completely replace the Old.

But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises. 7 If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. 8 But when God found fault with the people, he said: “The day is coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 9 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt. They did not remain faithful to my covenant, so I turned my back on them, says the LORD. 10 But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 11 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the LORD.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already. 12 And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” 13 When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear. Hebrews 8:6–13 (NLT)

The New Covenant is a bilateral (between two people) covenant. It is an agreement between the Father and the Son. Jesus “became” this New Covenant, which means our salvation is in a person called the Savior. Here is a conversation between the Father and the Son, which the prophet Isaiah was privileged to hear.

“I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, 7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house. 8 I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images. 9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, And new things I declare; Before they spring forth I tell you of them.” Isaiah 42:6–9 (NKJV)

Jesus did not come to merely tell us about this New Covenant. He embodies it. He did not come to merely show us the way to heaven: he is the Way. He did not come to simply tell us about life: he is the life. He did not come to only proclaim truth: he is Truth.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6 (NKJV)

Jesus died to absorb the punishment for our violation of the Old Covenant, thus removing the accusation of guilt and condemnation from us. By rising from the dead, he showed that God had accepted his sacrifice on our behalf. When he rose, so did we. Now we enjoy the righteousness to which he attained. It has been given to us without any cost to us whatsoever. As long as he lives, so will we.

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:20–21 (NKJV)

Now we live in the power of the Spirit, not in the old way of trying to keep the Law.

But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit. Romans 7:6 (NLT)

As a result, we no longer ever need to fear being condemned or rejected by God. We have passed from death to life, never to return to that bleak place of death and hopelessness again.

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. 25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. John 5:24–25 (NKJV)

Chosen Before the World Was Made

Some people live by a hybrid gospel. They believe that when we come to Christ, all our sins are forgiven, but the ones we commit after that might cause of to be lost again. The true gospel teaches us that Jesus died for all our sins – past, present, and future.

This important truth begins with the truth that God chose us to belong to him before he ever created the world.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, Ephesians 1:3–5 (NKJV)

Obviously, his choice for us to belong to him was not based on anything beyond his mercy and love. It could not have been based on our merit, since we had not yet done anything to win his favor. Besides, we know that it is impossible for us to be good enough to deserve his favor; so, it had to be based solely on grace.

What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” 16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. Romans 9:14–16 (NKJV)

God could only show such mercy because Christ’s sacrificial death made it possible for all our sins – past, present, and future – to be covered by that one sacrifice. Since what God does is eternal (Ecclesiastes 3:14), his choice for us to become his children through the New Covenant is binding. He will not change his mind about us.

“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Numbers 23:19 (NKJV)

For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. Romans 11:29 (NLT)

There is not any possibility that we can somehow forfeit our relationship with God because it does not depend on us.

This is the essence of the New Covenant and is exactly what the Bible teaches.

But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. Hebrews 10:12–14 (NKJV)

Think about it. When Jesus died for our sins, every one of our sins was in the future.

His one sacrifice covered all sins for all time for those called, chosen, and brought to Christ through faith.

It covered the sins committed prior to his crucifixion by the Old Covenant saints, and it covered every sin that would be committed afterward, too.

When we are born again, our spirits are made righteous or “perfect” in God’s sight. In the spirit, we are blameless (Ephesians 1:4) because Jesus took our blame upon himself. We are being daily transformed in our thinking, words, and behavior, so that we are gradually becoming inside and out what God already accomplished in our spirits. (Hebrews 10:14) This salvation process will be complete when Jesus raises our bodies from the dead. At that point, we will properly reflect the glory of the Lord, spirit, soul, and body.

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 1 John 3:2–3 (NKJV)

Therefore, since what God did is perfect and forever, it is impossible for us to commit some sin that God did not foresee or will catch him off guard, making him retract his grace from us. Jesus said that we will never be condemned because we have already passed from death to life. (John 5:24) I did not say this. The Lord Jesus, the judge of all mankind, said this. We should believe him.

This does not give us freedom to sin. Just the opposite. God’s grace teaches us to walk in consecration to God.

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Titus 2:11–14 (NKJV)

If we choose to continue in sin despite his goodness and grace, we can expect to encounter his discipline. He loves us too much to allow us to proceed down a path that will hurt us and damage our testimony of the truth of the gospel.

For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. Hebrews 12:10–11 (NLT)

Conclusion

Although much more can be written about the grace of God, keeping these four points in mind will help us to understand better how to live by grace through the power of the Spirit.

We don’t grow spiritually by trying harder, but by trusting more.

The more faith and consecration we have, the greater will be our ability to cooperate with the Spirit to accomplish all that God desires.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8–10 (NKJV)

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