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    266
    Salvation by Grace Alone

    from NCW 68 May-July 2000

    With unmistakable emphasis the apostle Paul declares: "By grace you have been saved through faith" (Eph.2:8, NASB). He wants to dispell the notion that salvation is in any other sense "of ourselves", and asserts its gratuitous character as a "gift of Yahweh". This text is of the highest importance in determining the cause of men's salvation. Three views are possible, and have actually been held at all times within the Christian Church:

    • (1) The sinner effects his salvation by his own efforts at goodness (Pelagianism);
    • (2) The sinner begins, and Yahweh completes the sinner's salvation (Semi- Pelagianism), or Yahweh begins, and the sinner completes his salvation (Synergism);
    • (3) Yahweh alone effects the sinner's salvation (Monergism).

    The last is in accordance with the teaching of Scripture:

      "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 Ruach haQodesh; Which he shed on us abundantly through Yah'shua haMashiach our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:5-7, KJV).
      "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 the Messiah Yah'shua before the world began" (2 Tim.1:9, KJV).

    The statement in Ephesians 2:8 is made from the premises that man is dead in trespasses and sins (v.1), and a child of wrath by nature (v.3), hence unable to help himself out of his misery under sin. What is this grace that saves the sinner? It is an affection in Yahweh, which springs from His "mercy", "love" (v.4), and "kindness" (v.7). The same righteous Yahweh who has a horror of sin (Ps.5:4ff) loves the sinners in spite of his sin, with an active desire to reclaim him. This desire of Yahweh is saving grace: it always has sin for its correlate:

      "Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little" (Luke 7:47, KJV).
      "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Rom.5:20, KJV).

    Saving grace exists in Yahweh together with His holiness and righteousness. How can this be, Scripture does not explain; it merely says that the gospel which proclaims saving grace "made known to us the mystery of His will, acording to His kind intention" (Eph.1:9, NASB). Out of the same divine mind have come the stern law with its grievous injunctions and terrible doom, and the sweet evangel of pardon and peace to sinners. Saving grace, then, is never any quality in the sinner by which he propitiates Yahweh against Whom he has sinned; it is never some virtue infused into the sinner by which the latter is enabled to procure his salvation; but it id always that remarkable disposition in Yahweh to be favourable to the sinner, benignus Dei favor erga peccatores (the benign favour of Yahweh towards sinners), or, as Luther put it: "the gracious kindness which Yahweh bears towards us in His heart." It is, therefore, utterly unmerited on the part of the sinner, and cannot be purchased:

      "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price" (Isa.55:1, KJV)
      "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give" (Mt.10:8, KJV).
      "Grace be with all them that love our Lord Yah'shua haMashiach in sincerity. Amen" (Eph.6:24, KJV).
      "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, Yahweh resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble" (Jas.4:6, KJV).
      "And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely" (Rev.21:6, KJV).
      "And the Ruach and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Rev.22:17, KJV).

    It reaches back into the eternal counsel by which Yahweh decreed to save fallen man:

      "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love" (Eph.1:4, KJV)

    and embraces the sending of the Redeemer and all His work for men. Saving grace is always grace in the Messiah who effected the sinner's reconcilliation with Yahweh:

      "And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Yah'shua haMashiach" (Jn.1:16-17, KJV).
      "To all that be in Rome, beloved of Yahweh, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from Yahweh our Father, and the Lord Yah'shua haMashiach" (Rom.1:7, KJV).
      "Grace be unto you, and peace, from Yahweh our Father, and from the Lord Yah'shua haMashiach" (1 Cor.1:3; cp. 2 Cor.1:2; Gal.1:3; Phil.1:2; Col.1:2 KJV).
      "Looking unto Yah'shua the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of Yahweh" (Heb.12:2, KJV).

    It embraces, furthermore, the entire evangelical plan of salvation from repentance over sin through conversion, justification, sanctification, preservation in faith, to glorification:

      "And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace" (Ac.18:27, KJV).
      "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in the Messiah Yah'shua" (Rom.3:24, KJV).
      "By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of Yahweh" (Rom.5:2, KJV).
      "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of the Messiah may rest upon me" (2 Cor.12:9, KJV).
      "And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in the Messiah Yah'shua" (1 Tim.1:14, KJV).
      "Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in the Messiah Yah'shua" (2 Tim.2:1, KJV).
      "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, Yahweh resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble" (Jas.4:6, KJV).
      "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb.4:16, KJV).
      "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Yah'shua haMashiach. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen" (2 Pet.3:19, KJV).

    And lastly, it embraces the means by which Yahweh communicates salvation to the sinner:

      "Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands" (Ac.14:3, KJV).
      "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers" (Eph.4:29, KJV).

    Before faith in the Messiah has been created in his heart man does not cooperate with the grace that is offered him:

      "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Ruach of Yahweh: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor.2:14, KJV).

    And yet grace does not operate in an irresistable manner:

      "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! [you were unwilling]" (Mt.23:37, KJV).
      "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Ruach haQodesh: as your fathers did, so do ye" (Ac.7:51, KJV).
      "Because the carnal mind is enmity against Yahweh: for it is not subject to the law of Yahweh, neither indeed can be" (Rom.8;7, KJV).

    But after the gospel of grace has won his heart by its persuasive power, he does work together with the Holy Ruach in the sanctification of his life:

      ""Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise" (Eph.6:2, KJV).
      "This I say then, Walk in the Ruach, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh" (Gal.5:16, KJV).
      "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in the Messiah Yah'shua, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Ruach" (Rom.8:1, KJV).

    However, not by his own natural power, but by the power of the new spiritual life, which saving grace has created in him:

      "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing" (Jn.15:4-5, KJV).
      "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of the Messiah may rest upon me" (2 Cor.12:9, KJV).
      "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us" (Eph.3:20, KJV).

    This explains the exhortation in regard to grace and growing in grace which Scripture addresses to Christians:

      "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is" (1 Cor.3:13, KJV)".
      "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of the Messiah Yah'shua... I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of Yahweh in the Messiah Yah'shua" (Phil.3:12, 14, KJV).
      "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 the Messiah Yah'shua before the world began" (2 Tim.1:9, KJV).
      "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of Yahweh; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled...Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve Yahweh acceptably with reverence and godly fear" (Heb.12:15, 28, KJV).

      "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Yah'shua haMashiach. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen" (2 Pet.3:18, KJV).

    Sometimes "grace", by metonomy of effect of cause, denotes gracious products of saving grace in the converted, their godly conduct and serving love, or their virtues and good works:

      "Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Ruach of Yahweh calleth Yah'shua accursed: and that no man can say that Yah'shua is the Lord, but by the Ruach haQodesh" (1 Cor.12:3, KJV).
      "Let the word of the Messiah dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord... Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." (Col.3:16; 4:6, KJV).
      "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of Yahweh" (1 Pet.4:10, KJV).

    But this is not saving grace, but a manifestation of its presence and operation in believers; for otherwise their salvation would be by works, which thought Scripture forbids:

      "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of Yahweh: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph.2:8-9, KJV).


    Key to changes made in the KJV

    Yahweh = God
    Yah'shua haMashiach = Jesus Christ
    Yah'shua = Jesus
    The Messiah = Christ
    The Messiah Yah'shua = Christ Jesus
    Ruach haQodesh = Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit)
    Ruach = Spirit

    This page was created on 12 June 2000
    Last updated on 12 June 2000

    Reproduced with Thanks