How refreshing it is to our souls to think of the grace of God; for what do we not owe to that grace? May the God of all grace guide us, whilst for a little we dwell upon this blessed aspect of His character towards us poor sinners!
The very fact that we are sinners at once brings in the necessity, that if God act toward us at all, it should be by grace. The Scriptures recognizes but two ways of our dealing with God, and He with us, and those ways complete in themselves, either all works, i. e. obedience, or all grace, i. e. the ground of works being entirely forfeited, so that entire grace can alone reach the case. Now, that there has been a flaw somewhere in his obedience, the most hardy would, scarcely dare to deny, and, therefore, if we are to be saved it must be by grace. But without entering on that question now, let us trace a little the stream of grace. That it was grace that set God in motion towards us, for the purpose of our salvation and complete blessing, the Scriptures declares to us. For speaking of the calling with which He calls us, " the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto Himself " (Eph. 1:55Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, (Ephesians 1:5)), He says it is " to the praise of the glory of His grace wherein He hath bestowed His favor upon us in the Beloved." For so I believe it ought to be rendered. Not so much His bringing us to acceptance in Christ, as He subsequently does, as the original movement of His heart towards us in Christ at first. (The word is the same as, " Hail, Mary, highly favored," i. e. the subject of favor.) And as it was grace that began, so grace has equally showed itself forth in all its ways. The dispensational wisdom, wherein God has brought forth His grace, shines marvelously forth. He waited till the law had run its full course, " as a school-master unto Christ," until it had shown by its heavy yoke, which they could not bear, the helplessness of the sinner, man, and the inefficiency of the blood of bulls and goats (Heb. 10), to meet the manifest need. He waited, and then in the fullness of time He sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under law. What forbearing grace and wisdom! How necessary for us! It came, therefore, at the right time; for " when we were yet without strength (proved to be so dispensationally), in due time Christ died for the ungodly." And, indeed, as I said, God has taken occasion thus to set forth and show forth His grace, and that it is grace. " God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Nor is it this only; but look at the whole calling of the Church, look at what God did for the Church at once, in the resurrection and exaltation of Christ -He took it from the horrible pit, out of which it was hewed (Eph. 2:1-31And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (Ephesians 2:1‑3)), and at once, at one bound, taking us just as He found us, but putting away our sins by the blood of Christ, " even when, or though, we were dead in sins, He quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." And, indeed, the next verse tells us this is to be the thing specially displayed and illustrated hereby hereafter, " That in the ages to come He might show forth the exceeding riches of His grace, in His kindness towards us in Christ Jesus." And how it loves in that passage to dwell on this one thought of grace; cutting away everything which for a moment could intercept the view. " For by grace are ye saved through faith," and that very faith (the hand by which we receive it) not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not surely of works, for we are His workmanship, and how can the workmanship boast itself against the Workman, as though it were anything in itself?
Then, again, look at the place where into we are brought by it. It is not merely a number of blessings, as we have it in our translation (Eph. 1:33Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (Ephesians 1:3)), but one unbroken, unclouded charter of blessing" all spiritual blessing, in heavenly places in Christ Jesus."
To return. The more we study the salvation and blessing of the Church in Eph. 2 and i., the more do we see that it is, must be of grace. The depth and height of it cuts every string of human claim or strength.
Take another view. Look at the Person in whom this grace comes-,God's Son, His only begotten Son, in whom He was ever well pleased, one with the Father; what do we read in that? It is the deepest of all. 'Tis an unspeakable gift. He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. " Angels desire to look into it."
" That it is grace alone carries on the work which itself began, we know to our joy. It is, indeed, God only that works in us, to will and to do of His own good pleasure: " Thou also hast wrought our works in us " (Isa. 26:1212Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. (Isaiah 26:12)). Further, we know that—
" Who grace has brought, will glory bring,
And we shall reign with Him."
He will thus crown His own work.
I say, then, it is well, often amidst the trials and corruptions of the Church, our own failures and trials, to look away from all to that grace, which stands forth bright and independent of all for us. It refreshes our souls, it animates us afresh, it inspires the freshest and the brightest confidence in God, and again girds us for our work. " Hearken unto me," says the Lord to Israel's remnant (Isa. 2), " ye that follow righteousness: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, anti to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father, and to Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him." The result is full confidence. " For the Lord will comfort Zion: He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody."
It is both refreshing and profitable to think of the simple grace of God; for the same spirit that works in the unconverted to assert salvation by works, works also in us to bring us into bondage, to becloud our apprehensions of the simple grace of God, and thus cut us off, more or less, from the fountain of all joy, and of all strength. For our strength will always be in proportion to our simple apprehension of the grace of God. If that fountain is disturbed, the waters will surely become muddy in our souls. And how decisive is the Spirit of God, knowing the importance of clearness here. He admits of no compromise. Gal. 5:44Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. (Galatians 5:4)-"Christ is become of no effect to you, whosoever of you are justified by law [wholly, or in part, for the Galatians did not give up Christ altogether, but would have Christ and something else]; ye are fallen from grace." That is, ye have left the ground of grace, which admits of no compromise.
Yes; the sum of the Gospel will ever be found in its fullness in those words of the Apostle, Titus The grace of God that bringeth salvation bath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, godly, and righteously, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar, or special people, zealous of good works." This is God's golden chain, grace running through all. That grace may, in every way, in heart, and life, have its full effect with us, may well be our prayer.