Where Do We Stand on Grace?
Forthright has published an article about grace two days in a row. Randal Matheny had one on March 26 entitled, The Great Explanation. He wrote:
In recent times, out of necessity, Christians have had to emphasize the steps to salvation, and great good has been done through studies about faith, repentance, baptism, and obedience. This emphasis has been due to the false teachings about how we ought to respond to the grace of God.
My article on March 27 was called, Holy by Grace. I discuss the role grace has in salvation and holiness. I speak and write frequently about grace and feel it is absolutely essential to an understanding of salvation.
For years, few in the brotherhood spoke about grace, except in error. Because of that error, most sound brethren were spooked about the subject or were afraid of being labeled. Whatever the reason, grace was largely missing from our pulpits and no doubt brethren suffered in the pews.
The word seemingly became a code word for liberalism. However, no one needs to be afraid of what God’s Word says about grace. We can be sound and still refute false teaching on the subject.
I remember hearing as a young man that false teachers were saying that we had no part in our salvation and that if we contribute anything, then it is a denial of grace. They still teach this in the church, sadly.
While they were right to one extent, they missed the fuller picture. They needed the rest of the story because obedience cannot be denied even in a system of grace (Ephesians 2:10; John 14:15; Revelation 20:11-15).
Thankfully, more are teaching and preaching about grace in the Lord’s Church. That is wonderful.
My question is, where do you think the brotherhood stands on the subject? Are we, in a collective sense, still somewhat afraid of the subject?
Are we ever hesitant to use the word grace for fear of being labeled? I hope we are past that now. People do teach error on grace but we should not lump the truth on grace in with their false teachings. Satan wants truth silenced so his voice is the only one heard. Let us never be a contributor to helping Satan!
Charlton rhinehart, 
Eugene Adkins 6:24 am on March 28, 2012 Permalink |
I can’t speak for where everyone stands on grace, but I know I want to “stand” in it! (Romans 5:2; 1 Peter 5:12)
One thing that I always try to do when I talk about God’s grace to others is to make sure they understand that they cannot earn it but also that there is a personal responsibility to respond to it. Titus 2:11,12 and Titus 3:5 are excellent places for teaching this.
How great is the depth of God’s grace? To be honest, I think we struggle to comprehend it, but that doesn’t mean we can’t accept and enjoy it (http://wp.me/p20YNR-4Z).
Great question to get the morning going with Randal!
Eugene Adkins 6:27 am on March 28, 2012 Permalink |
Sorry :( I meant to say Richard. The morning was just starting to go…
Stephen R. Bradd 9:37 am on March 28, 2012 Permalink |
Good thoughts brothers. I enjoyed the article you linked to Eugene.
Richard Mansel 9:39 am on March 28, 2012 Permalink
Thanks!
Weylan Deaver 11:52 am on March 28, 2012 Permalink |
Good thoughts. In the nature of the case, salvation must be by grace, since God does not owe it to us. It is not owed because the wages of sin is death. And, if it is not owed, then, if it is given at all, it must be by grace. However, grace in no way rules out obedience to God’s terms for receiving grace. God could give us a checklist of 1,000 things to do each day for the rest of our lives and salvation would still be by grace. For years, the denominational world has offered the unbiblical concept that obedience and grace are incompatible, which is completely foreign to the way the New Testament approaches the subject.
Charlton rhinehart 10:13 pm on March 28, 2012 Permalink |
I was raised in the church, and I was flooded with teachings on grace and deprived of the basic Bible teachings the coc was founded to restore. The interesting part is I know that more than half of the churches across America also are this way, because the teachers in my “home church” we’re taught this view from the major coc universities. I have been to many conservative and even some extreme conservative churches since, but I have yet to find one that will not give God’s grace credit for our salvation. Grace is far too clear in scripture to miss. I am under 30, so I was raised in different times than most, but I have to disagree that we are ashamed of grace. As you can probably tell, I am opposed to those who abuse grace, but even I enjoy teaching on it because I want to see it taught in truth. I have never met a preacher that is afraid to mention grace, but I am proud of the preachers that choose their words carefully when teaching on it. We should be cautious when teaching on grace so as to not imply it is obtainable without obedience and repentance. Just because we teach the whole truth, does not mean we are ashamed of grace, nor does it mean we discredit it. I see many of the churches giving in to the worlds view of grace, but very few standing for God’s truth on grace.