Musick-al note # 297
God saves man by His grace which is a gift from Him. Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” Paul said that we can obtain righteousness only by faith in Romans 4:16, “Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace.” Correctly understanding this verse we know that God offers salvation through His grace and man accepts that grace through faith and in no other way. Salvation will always be by grace – the free gift of God. However there are many passages such as Heb. 5:9 that show that he is our Savior when we OBEY him. Paul tells us that “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation unto all mankind” (Titus 2:11), but not all mankind has accepted that grace. When one accepts the offer of grace on the terms by which it is offered that is in faith, one will obey his commands (Romans 6:17-22). If you refuse to obey, you refuse his grace. For example, if you were starving, and a person said, “Come to my house and I will give you all the food you need”, it would be his grace that you have food to eat. You would not be earning it or meriting it but just receiving it. If you did not do what he asked to go to his house, enter and sit at his table and eat, you would be rejecting his grace. Obedience does not purchase the free gift of God’s salvation but is rather the acceptance of His grace by one’s faith in God.
Gordon Musick
Musick-al Notes 