THE GRACE OF GOD
Part 2 of 3
C.D. Cole
March 28-2023
Blog Post
In the preceding chapter we gave several good and
harmonious definitions of grace by others, and added our own
thoughts in an attempt to help our readers understand the
meaning of grace. In this chapter we wish to lead our readers
into the various aspects of grace. Wherever grace operates it
has a throne and so we shall write on
THE REIGN OF GRACE
“That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace
reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ
our Lord” (Rom. 5:21). Paul personifies SIN and GRACE and
speaks of them as two royal figures, two queens on their
thrones. He then shows what each gives to her subjects. Sin
has death in her painted hand, while grace has eternal life in
her white and charming hand.
1. Grace is more powerful than sin. Here is the sinner’s only
hope, although until quickened by the Spirit of grace, he does
not know it. No man can rescue himself from the tyranny of
sin. Sin is too much for any man. Men are taken captive by
the devil: “And that they may recover themselves out of the
snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will” (II
Tim. 2:26). Men may reform, but they cannot regenerate
themselves. They may give up their crimes and their vices,
but they cannot give up their sins. “Can the Ethiopian change
his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good,
that are accustomed to do evil” (Jer. 13:23).
2. Grace reigns lawfully. The reign of grace is a righteous
reign. Grace is not against the law. Grace does not seek to
destroy justice that would be to divide God against Himself.
Grace honors the law by giving the Lord Jesus Christ, who
satisfied the law by becoming our Surety, and bearing the guilt
of our sins in His own body on the tree. God dealt with His
Son in justice that He might deal with sinners in grace.
3. Grace reigns by Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ is not the
source but the medium of grace. Grace has its source in the
heart of God, and operates according to the sovereign will of
God. The word reign suggests a king or a queen on a throne.
And a throne speaks of power, and resources. The power of
grace is the power of God. This makes it fitting to speak of
irresistible grace. Surely we can speak of an irresistible God!
The resources of grace are to be found in God. The blood of
God’s Son is the capital stock of grace. When His blood loses
its value then grace has become bankrupt and the believer
will be lost. But this shall never be!
“Thou dying Lamb, thy precious blood
Shall never lose its power,
Till all the ransomed church of God
Be saved to sin no more.”
4. Grace reigns in every phase and step of salvation. “Twas
grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me
home.” Salvation is a comprehensive term, including within its
scope all the aspects and stages of deliverance from sin.
Every aspect and every stage of salvation is of grace, and this
precludes human merit at any and every point. Salvation from
beginning to end is of grace.
4a) Grace reigns in foreknowledge. The first thing God ever
did for His people was to foreknow them. In His
foreknowledge He set His affection upon them. He foreknew
them with the intention of blessing them. He loved them with
an everlasting love, and this love was a gracious love, and in
no wise was it merited.
4b) Grace reigns in election. Election is of grace: “Even so
then at this present time also there is a remnant according to
the election of grace” (Rom. 11:5). Election was not on the
ground of foreseen merit in sinners, but of gracious love in
God. In II Thess. 2:10 Paul speaks of “them that perish
because they received not the love of the truth, that they
might be saved; “and then exclaims with reference to the
saints: “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you,
brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the
beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the
Spirit and belief of the truth” (II Thess. 2:13). We have two
things in this text: first, why men are saved; and second, how
they are saved. They are said to be saved because God
chose them unto salvation. And they are saved by being
sanctified by the Spirit and by believing the truth, the truth of
the Gospel. This is what made them differ from “them that
perish: “because they received not the love of the truth.” Had
it not been for the choice of God and the sanctification of the
Spirit, the Thessalonians would also have rejected the truth.
Therefore, God is to be thanked for their salvation. Now, why
did God choose them? Was the ground of God’s choice
foreseen faith, or some other good in them: or was it grace in
Himself? Rom. 11:5,6 gives the answer: “Even so then at this
present time also there is a remnant according to the election
of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works:
otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it
is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”
“Tis not that I did choose Thee,
For, Lord, that could not be;
This heart would still refuse Thee,
But Thou hast chosen me.”
4c) Grace reigns in predestination. To predestinate is to
determine destiny beforehand. Predestination is never said to
be unto damnation, but unto salvation. God causes nobody to
be damned; sin is the thing that damns men. But God is the
cause of salvation. “For whom he did foreknow, he also did
predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he
might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Rom. 8:29).
Why were people predestinated to such glory? Was it
because of their foreseen faith or goodness? In Eph. 1:5,6 we
have the answer: “Having predestinated us unto the adoption
of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good
pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace,
wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”
4d) Grace reigns in our calling. “Moreover whom he did
predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them
he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified”
(Rom. 8:30). The word “called” is never in the New Testament
applied to those who are the recipients of a mere external
invitation of the gospel. It always signifies an inward and
effectual call, a call that brings to Christ and salvation. And
this call is of grace according to II Tim. 1:9: “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, “and in
Gal. 1:15: “But when it pleased God, who separated me from
my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace.”
“Twas sovereign mercy called me,
And taught my opening mind;
The world had else enthralled me,
To heavenly glories blind.”
4e) Grace reigns in justification. Justification may be defined
as the judicial act of God in which He declares the believer to
be no longer under condemnation, but to have a standing of
righteousness before Him. Justification and condemnation are
antonyms. The justified person is free from the guilt of sin. Is
this blessing a matter of merit or of grace? Rom. 3:24: “Being
justified freely (without any cause in me, C. D. C.) by His
grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
“Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called:
and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he
justified, them he also glorified” (Ro 8:30).
4f) Grace reigns in conversion. In conversion a change is
wrought in the sinner. There is a change from darkness to
light, from death to life, and from the power of Satan unto
God. There is a change of opinion so that he believes what he
once rejected; a change of affection so that he loves what he
once hated. What explains such a change? Does the sinner
convert himself? Does darkness create light? Does death
beget life? Does filth produce purity? Then, and not till then,
can the sinner convert himself. If God converts the sinner,
does He do it as a matter of obligation or grace? Paul gives
grace credit for his conversion. After speaking of himself as a
persecutor of the saints, he says, “But by the grace of God I
am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me
was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all:
yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (I Cor.
15:10).
“O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be”
4g) Grace reigns in glorification. “Whom he justified them he
also glorified” (Rom. 8:30). Glorification is the complete
deliverance from every aspect and vestige of sin. It is the
crowning work of redemption by which we will become
personally glorious and in glorious surroundings. It takes in
the body as well as the soul. Our salvation is not complete as
long as these bodies of ours remain in the grave or, if living,
continue mortal. Let time write wrinkles upon the brow; let
sorrow’s scalding tears wet the cheeks; let sickness and pain
twist and torture this body into a shapeless mass; and let
death turn it into a veritable dust-heap; still grace shall win for
us and fashion it into a glorious body like unto that of our dear
Lord. “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and
hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at
the revelation of Jesus Christ” (I Peter 1:13). “Beloved, now
are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we
shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be
like him; for we shall see him as he is” (I John 3:2).
PROVISIONS OF GRACE
Grace, like the Good Samaritan, not only meets the present
emergency, but provides for future and eternal blessings. Let
the trembling sinner be told that there are ample provisions of
grace in the Lord Jesus Christ. Every one who feels the
plague of his own heart may come to Jesus Christ for healing.
He gives all a gracious invitation and assures a hearty
welcome. Hear His words: “All that the Father giveth me shall
come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast
out” (John 6:37). Though vile as Manasseh, filthy as
Magdalene, guilty as the cross thief, He will not turn away the
poor in spirit. He turns no real beggar from his gate, though
full of sores and vermin. His heart is lined with sweet
compassion, and His hands are filled with the richest gifts. He
has supplies for all needs: legs for a lame beggar, eyes for a
blind one, cordials for a faint one, garments for a naked one, a
fountain for a filthy one; Yes, and a rope for a sham beggar
who asks for mercy and talks of merit. “This is a faithful
saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (I Tim.
1:15).
“How firm A foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word;
What more can He say than to you He hath saidTo you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?”
GOD’S GRACE IS MANIFOLD
There is sustaining grace for seasons of sorrow, triumphing
grace for times of temptation, persevering grace for days of
discouragement. There is teaching grace, living grace, and
dying grace. But time and paper would fail me to tell of the sin
of frustrating grace by teaching salvation by works, and of
abusing grace, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness,
by pleading grace as a license to sin. Grace has delivered
every believer from the guilt of sin, from the love of sin, and
will yet deliver from the very presence of sin. Until the dear
Lord returns to complete His work of grace, every believer will
experience with Paul the inward workings of sin, and confess
with him, that “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would,
that do I not; but what I hate, that do I” (Rom. 7:15).
“Grace all the work shall crown,
Through everlasting days;
It lays in heaven the topmost stone,
And well deserves the praise.
“Only one life to live and soon is past
Only what’s done for Christ will last!”
Hoping to make the time I have left count for the glory of God.
THE GRACE OF GOD Part 2 of 3