Grace: How is it that it is given to us?

Let’s begin by seeing how grace was given to the apostle Paul and others. We see statements about this in at least nine passages of Scripture, so surely this must be something we should learn and know about.

Romans 12:1-3

¹ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

What we do in our service to God should be done because of what He’s already done for us that we’ve not deserved.  One of the reasons for us to study the Bible is to learn about these many things for which we should be grateful.

² And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

³ For I say, through the GRACE [CHARIS = grace, something not earned or deserved] GIVEN UNTO ME, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. [Emphasis added]

Romans 12:5-6

⁵ So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

⁶ Having then gifts differing according to the GRACE THAT IS GIVEN to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; [Emphasis added]

Romans 15:14-16

¹⁴ And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

¹⁵ Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the GRACE THAT IS GIVEN to me of God,

¹⁶ That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. [Emphasis added]

1 Corinthians 1:3-5

³ Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴ I thank my God always on your behalf, for the GRACE OF GOD WHICH IS GIVEN you by Jesus Christ;

⁵ That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; [Emphasis added]

Galatians 2:8-9

⁸ (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)

⁹ And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived THE GRACE THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. [Emphasis added]

Ephesians 3:7-8

⁷ Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of THE GRACE OF GOD GIVEN UNTO ME by the effectual working of his power.

⁸ Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; [Emphasis added]

Ephesians 4:7-8

⁷ But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

⁸ Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. [Emphasis added]

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

¹⁶ Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,

¹⁷ Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work. [Emphasis added

2 Timothy 1:8-10

⁸ Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

⁹ Who hath saved us, and 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,

¹⁰ But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: [Emphasis added]

We all should know that our salvation came to us from God by grace through faith alone.

Ephesians 2:4-9

⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

⁵ Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

⁶ And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

⁷ That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast. [Emphasis added]

A person’s works of righteousness have nothing to do with it.

Titus 3:4-6

⁴ But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

⁵ NOT by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration [PALINGENESIA = being born again (GENESIA = born & PALIN = again], and renewing [ANAKAINOSIS = make new or revived] of the Holy Ghost;

⁶ Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; [Emphasis added]

I suppose that after reading all these passages that speak of our subject you’ve got an idea as to what this is all about.  The “bottom line” to it all is that we’re as believers the beneficiaries of God’s grace.  We didn’t do anything and we’re not now doing anything that merits God’s blessing.  This is such a simple principle but one that man is so often unwilling to accept.  As believers we are the beneficiary of blessings we didn’t earn in any way. Again, most people are so unwilling to accept this.  One of my favorite sayings has become this one—“The only thing you have to contribute to your salvation is the sin that made it necessary.” And when I say we had nothing good to contribute to it, I DO mean NOTHING.

Salvation comes to people strictly by grace through faith alone. Many Bible passages speak of this but none any better than this one—

Ephesians 2:8-9

⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast. [Emphasis added]

How could the apostle Paul have made this any plainer.  But so many people are so resistant to this teaching.  As I’ve said, they seem “bound and determined” to want to add something. While there was a time when God demanded works as a manifestation of one’s faith, such is not how it is today in this which is called The Dispensation of Grace.

Ephesians 3:2-3

² If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

³ How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, [Emphasis added]

Because they don’t understand the principle of rightly dividing the Scriptures, they miss this entirely. Some have been so resistant to this principle that they’ve seen to it that this word “dispensation” has been completely left out and replaced from certain Bible translations. However, this is a perfectly legitimate word to be used in this passage and others. As noted above, dispensations simply means household law, meaning God has His principles that govern this time frame in which we are a part.  They are quite different from what went before this revelation to the apostle Paul.

In Ephesians 3:2 Paul makes the point that this revelation was given to HIM. What is he humbly telling us? This means the twelve apostles and all others who went before him knew nothing about this that he’s talking about. The idea that people could be saved without any works of righteousness at all was something entirely new. Paul speaks of this in numerous ways in all his writings.

Titus 3:5

⁵ Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; [Emphasis added]

Paul clearly tells us that our works of righteousness have nothing to do with it.

Romans 4:4-5

⁴ Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

⁵ But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. [Emphasis added]

Can this be made any plainer?  Please focus on what he says here.  But so many people want to cancel out the meaning of this with Scripture other than Paul’s even though we are told that he is OUR apostle and not these others.

Romans 11:13

¹³ For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify [MEGALUNO = make large, emphasize (or as we might say—make a “big deal” of) mine office: [Emphasis added]

The apostle Peter teaches something quite different from what Paul tells us. Note what he clearly says about the means of salvation he was preaching.

Acts 2:37-41

³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

³⁸ Then Peter said unto them, Repent [METANOEO = change your mind (and accept this Jesus as your Messiah)], and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

That wasn’t just a suggestion.  It was a command! Then he speaks of a promise that would be kept.

³⁹ For the promise is unto you [Israelites], and to your children, and to all that are afar off [Jews who had gone to Gentile nations], even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

⁴⁰ And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward [SKOLOS = perverted] generation.

⁴¹ Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. [Emphasis added]

Is it any wonder that some people claim the Bible is contradictory? It is NOT! But it is dispensational!  The whole Bible is FOR us but it is not all TO us or ABOUT us. Is this important? Extremely so! We don’t even have the same gospel Peter and those of “the circumcision” [Israel] were given.

Galatians 2:7-8

⁷ But contrariwise, when they [the twelve apostles] saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;

⁸ (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) [Emphasis added]

Verse seven that you just read is mistranslated in so many other Bible translations.  People wanted to make it line up with their false beliefs about this.  I have articles about all this on this website.  Any one of them will contribute to you having a correct understanding of this—

Gospel: Did Peter and Paul preach the same gospel?

Gospel: How did the prophets know our gospel?

Gospel: Is OUR gospel in “the four gospels?”

Gospel: Is ours in the gospels? II

Gospel: Where did the apostle Paul get the one he preached?

Gospel: Which gospel did the 12 apostles preach after the ascension?

Gospel: Which one is ours today?

What confusion and division people’s misunderstanding of all this has created! Everything you’ll read in these articles is backed up with Scripture. The apostle Paul’s words are not to be ignored.

Again, Romans 11:13

¹³ For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: [Emphasis added]

I even have whole articles that provide help for one’s understanding of that last phrase about how Paul “magnified” his office—

Paul: Do we make too much of him?

Paul: Was he the rightful replacement for Judas Iscariot?

Paul: What’s so special about his teaching?

Paul: Who exactly is this man to us?

I so much want you to see this marvelous truth. It will make such a wonderful difference in your studies of the Bible as it has for me and so many others.

Now, exactly what are these blessings, this grace that’s been given to all of us? Can you name some of them.  Many years ago, I came across a man who taught that there are at lease 36 of these blessings that become ours the very moment we gain salvation. How many could you name? However many of these there are, what you need to realize is that believers are all highly blessed people.  That’s ALL believers, not just some.  We are all truly wealthy in the way that it counts most.  Without a full explanation of their meaning, I’ll list a dozen of these blessings here for you. Because all these are provided for us at the point of our salvation there’s overlap.

1. Saved [or delivered] from God’s condemnation [Romans 8:1]
2. Positionally no longer a slave to sin [Ephesians 1:7]
3. Positionally seated in Heaven [Ephesians 1:3]
4. Positionally credited with the righteousness of God [2 Corinthians 5:21]
5. Fully reconciled to God [2 Corinthians 5:18]
6. Completely satisfied God’s just demands for salvation [Romans 3:25]
7. Pronounced as justified BY one’s faith IN Christ [Galatians 2:16]
8. Born again [regenerated] to be a child of God [Galatians 3:26]
9. Made a new creation [2 Corinthians 5:17]
10. Placed in the ministry [2 Corinthians 5:18-19]
11. Put under grace and no longer under the Mosaic Law [Romans 6:14-15]
12. Promised rewards for one’s faithfulness [2 Corinthians 5:10]

None of these things are given to people because of their conduct. They all come to people by grace through faith in Christ. Furthermore, they’re all provided for every believer as an expression of God’s grace. None of us have done or ever will do anything worthy of all the wonderful blessings He provides.

You may have been expecting the forgiveness of our sins to be on the above list of blessings.  But that’s something God provided for all people when Christ paid the penalty for them when He was on the cross.

2 Corinthians 5:21

²¹ For he [God the Father] hath made him [Jesus Christ] to be sin for us [when He was on the cross of Calvary], who knew no sin; that we might [have the potential to] be made the righteousness of God [for our salvation] in him. [Emphasis added]

A person can’t even get saved without believing this because believing in Christ’s cross work is an essential part of our gospel message.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4

¹ Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

² By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

³ For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

⁴ And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: [Emphasis added]

Here we’re clearly told that a person must personally accept what Christ did for him on the cross to get saved.  You’ll find complete articles about that on this website.  

Salvation: Is it really a gift?

Salvation: Are you certain that you have it?

Salvation: Are we saved because of our commitment to Christ?

If you know you’re not saved or concerned that you’re not, why don’t you get that matter settled right now once and for all time.  God has offered His grace to all of us.  We express our acceptance of it by accepting the Savior He graciously provided for us all.  Because God knows completely and perfectly every thought you’ve ever had, you can choose to accept Him right now and be saved forever.  This will be the best and most important decision you’ve ever made in your whole life. Please don’t make the mistake of delaying on that!