To understand Grace is to understand its purpose: “The Grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men…” (Titus 2: 11). Also in John chapter 3 verse we read: “For God so love the world that He gave His only Begotten Son that whosoever believe in Him will not perish but have eternal life (salvation).
So then the purpose of Grace is the salvation of men, and it comes with a teaching to show man how he must live after salvation namely: “teaching all men to shun all ungodliness and worldly lust and to live soberly, walk uprightly and godly in this present world” (Titus 2: 12). Grace then is not for licentious living as some have interpreted Grace. Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 6 verse 1 asked:” shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound”
How do we come to terms with this singular thing that is vitally important to all men, for we all have need of salvation as it written “for all (men) have sinned and have come short of the glory of God (Romans 3: 23).
Every man can relate with sin, either at the level that man’s default nature is a sinful nature by reason of the fall of Adam or at the level of his conscious actions and thoughts. Either way man needs salvation for we have a God who is the Judge of the whole earth and who judges every action and motives of man; and since no flesh shall be justified in the sight of God, He made His salvation open to all men (Grace that brings salvation has appeared to all men).
At the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, the gospel of Luke recorded in chapter 2 verse 14 the joyful refrain of the heavenly hosts saying: “Peace on earth and goodwill to all men …” The goodwill of God to all men is that Grace by salvation has come to all men, and by which we have been saved through faith in Him. How can a door that brings man so great a salvation be a door to licentious living ? God forbid, and it portrays poverty of understanding and knowledge of Grace. What saves us cannot return us back to what we were saved from; that is why Grace teaches us to shun all ungodliness and every worldly lust.
The account of the transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ related by all the gospel brings a vivid parallel and understanding of Grace. In Matthew chapter 17 from verse 1 and following, the Lord Jesus took three of the disciples up a mountain and there the Lord Jesus was transfigured, His divine nature was revealed to the three disciples namely Peter, James and John. There appeared to them also Moses and Elijah depicting the law (Moses) and the prophet (Elijah) and a voice came saying of Christ, “this is my Beloved Son in whom am well pleased, hear Him”. The disciples were witnesses to the superiority of Christ to Moses and Elijah and were terrified when they had the voice, showing the majesty of Christ Jesus, the Grace that has brought salvation to all men.
Now below at the foot of the mountain where this awesome event was taking place were other disciples and a crowd of people who were perplexed because they could not deliver from the torment of the devil in the life of a young man. But when Christ Jesus came down from the mountain, He brought salvation. The event of transfiguration shows the divinity of Grace that brings salvation. Christ Jesus coming down from the mountain to men shows He is the embodiment of grace. The bible says in Christ Jesus dwell the fulness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians2:9). Just like He, our Lord Jesus brought succour to the young man and delivered him from the power of Satan, so Grace embodied in Christ Jesus has brought salvation to all men and deliverance from the powers of darkness, but this can only be realised through faith in Christ Jesus.
We see the purpose of Grace, and we see Him who is the embodiment of grace, we cannot be therefore any different from Him if we are truly partakers of Him and His salvation.
Grace has come to raise a brand new set of men, to impart in us a new nature (if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: 2 Corinthians 5:17). When the disciples asked the Lord Jesus why they could not cast out the demon tormenting the young man, He told them this kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting (Mathew17: 21). It is a continuous, intentional thing to keep at. Likewise, the new nature (godly nature) which Christ Jesus imparted in us through faith in Him, can only be nurtured and developed as we continuously shun all ungodliness and every worldly lust and live soberly, walk uprightly and godly. Anything short of this is not grace, and it has to be by faith that it might be of grace.
Grace is not a concept. Just as we can relate tangibly with the law and the prophets, so also we can relate with grace, for it is tangible, and Christ Jesus is the embodiment of grace. Concepts do not bring salvation and salvation is in no other but Christ Jesus who gave Himself a ransom for men and rose again from the dead for He is the salvation that has appeared to all men, and He will stand as Advocate for all men that put faith in Him on the day of judgment. The law cannot save for it is a mirror that shows the nature that is in man namely: covetousness, murder, lying, hypocrisy, sexual immorality, hatred, rebellion, witchcraft, lust, jealousy, idolatry, anger, selfish ambition, strife, sedition, heresies, drunkenness, orgies and the like (Galatians 5:19-21). Concerning the law, if a man offend in one, he offends in all. Prophets cannot save either, they are messengers that will be judged also. We see therefore the majesty of Grace, for salvation comes by Grace alone.
The purpose of Grace which is, salvation and what it teaches which is, godly conduct after our salvation, is sufficient for us to sit up and not take it as a licentious thing. The divinity and majesty of Grace should confer an awe on us. It is time we let the understanding of grace seize upon us for our salvation and to guide our conduct, so we can enjoy all the true riches of God through grace.
