IT BLOWS ME AWAY! - Part 2

With last week's blog, I began a five-part series about God's Amazing Grace. We started with God's Prevenient Grace based on Romans 2:4. If you haven't read that one yet, I strongly encourage you to stop right here and read last week's post first. Each of the posts in this series is built on the previous ones. This week let's explore God's Saving Grace! His Prevenient Grace is given to everyone, but not everyone accepts His Saving Grace.

Remember, grace is God's Riches At Christ's Expense! "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were (spiritually) dead in our trespasses (sins) made us alive together with Christ - by GRACE (caps added) you have been saved - and raised us up with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that . . .He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED THROUGH FAITH." (Ephesians 2:4-7) "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His Grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:23-24)

To be saved, in theological and Biblical terms means to be forgiven and delivered from sin and its eternal consequences. In this life, we do live with some consequences for our sinful acts and poor choices, but the eternal consequences are erased. Praise the Lord! To be saved is to be set free from sin, separation from God and eternal residency in hell. It includes death to and freedom from sin (as taught in Romans chapter 6), a new perspective that transcends the human point of view, and becoming a new spiritual creation (Romans 5:16-17), peace with God (Romans 5:1), life as adopted children of God (Galatians 4:4), baptism into Christ's death (Romans 6:4), raised to new life (Romans 6:4-11) and the receiving of the Holy Spirit. "Then Peter said to them, ' Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' " (Acts 2:38) You see, the Holy Spirit is the agent of the new (spiritual) birth, who effectively appropriates the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus, and upon our repentance and faith we are saved from our sin.

SAVING GRACE is given to us:

A. Through genuine CONFESSION OF SIN. Confession means agreeing with God; He is Right! I am a sinner; I must repent and confess my sins to God and ask for His forgiveness. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteosness." (I John 1:9) Don't be misled, we have all sinned. (Romans 3:23) "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (I John 1:8) "If we say we have not sinned, we make Him (God) a liar, and His Word is not in us." (I John 1:10) "For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." (Romans 10:10) Justification means the act of God that moves a person from a state of sin to a state of grace and righteousness. It's a legal term meaning once-for-all and eternal, similar to a judge declaring a law- breaking person "not guilty" in a court of law. It is God treating us as though we had never sinned, (though we surely had committed sin) and declaring us to be innocent. Remember though: Justification is based squarely on our confession, repentance, faith and salvation!

B. Through genuine REPENTANCE. Repentance is being genuinely sorry for our sins, and if we are truly sorry, we will purposefully turn away from sin and a life-style of unrighteousness and turn to God. It is not just a good idea to repent; it is absolutely necessary in order to be saved. Jesus told His disciples to proclaim "repentance and forgiveness of sins in His name to all. . . .(Luke 24:47) "The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise (to come back to earth in the last days) but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish (for eternity) but that all should reach repentance." (II Peter 3:9)

C. Through the REALITY OF FORGVENESS OF SINS. "And you, who were dead in your trespasses, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all of our trespasses by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the Cross." (Colossians 2:13-14) JESUS PAID THE DEBT WE OWED TO FREE US FROM THE DEBT WE COULD NEVER PAY!

D. Through BRINGING US RECONCILIATION WITH GOD. ". . .that He might reconcile us to God. . .through the Cross. . . ." (Ephesians 2:16) "For since while we were enemies (of God) we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, NOW (caps added) that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have NOW (caps added) received reconciliation." (Romans 5:10-11)

Let's then consider the following truths regarding GOD'S SAVING GRACE! First, the CERTAINTY OF SALVATION THROUGH GRACE! "For by grace you have been saved through faith." (Ephesians 2:8) ". . .by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:5) "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us. . . ." (Ephesians 1:7-8) Second, the CHARACTER OF SALVATION THROUGH GRACE! It is a spiritual quickening. Quickening in the Bible means to "revive or make alive." The Psalmist in Psalm 119 asks God 11 times to revive or give him life by means of His Word. Ephesians, chapter 2 as we've noted already, speaks often of us being "made alive in Christ Jesus." It is a spiritual Out-Pouring. It is the out-pouring of God's riches of grace, mercy, love and sacrifice. (Romans 2:4) It is a spiritual resurrection. The Scripture repeatedly uses the phrases "risen with Christ", "raised up in Christ" and in Ephesians 2:6, we read that He "reseated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Salvation is also a spiritual display. God displays to the world, through those of us who've been saved, the matchless and glorious character of the salvation He provides. . . ."so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:7) He shows the entire world all that He has done for us in Jesus! We are the "show-case" of His Saving Grace! His saving grace is a spiritual reconciliation. "At one time, we had :no hope and were without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace. . . ." (Ephesians 2:12-14a) "For through Him we have access in the Spirit to the Father." (Ephesians 2:18)

An easy way to remember the impact and practical steps to salvation in Jesus Christ is this: The Three C's:

CONVICTION: WHAT YOU FEEL (PREVENIENT GRACE)

CONFESSION: WHAT YOU SAY (I AM A SINNER)

CONVERSION: WHAT YOU DO (YOU FOLLOW JESUS)

I am reminded of the words of the most famous of old hymns:

"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me,

I once was lost but now I'm found

Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, (prevenient grace)

And grace my fears relieved;

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed! (saving grace)

Some well might ask, What do I have to do to be saved? The Apostle Paul and Silas in prison for their faith in Jesus gave the answer. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved." (Acts 16:31) The Bible clearly and unequivocally states that the ONLY way to be saved is THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

God has showered us with His Prevenient Grace and extends to us His unmatched and glorious Saving Grace. "Consequently, He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him (Jesus) since He always lives to make intercession (praying for us). . .for us." (Hebrews 7:25) We have a choice to make: either draw near to God or stay away. We are the only one who can make this choice; no one can make the choice for us. What's our choice today?

I continue to be "blown away" by God's Amazing Grace! Why? Because God's Saving Grace is amazingly Biblical, True and Good Theology!