Leadership Thought: Did You Receive Jesus by Works or by Grace?

Dear Friend,

In the first chapter of his book, What’s So Amazing About Grace, Phillip Yancey writes, “The world thirsts for grace in ways it does not even recognize; little wonder the hymn ‘Amazing Grace’ edged its way into the top ten charts 200 years after composition. For a society that seems adrift, without moorings, I know of no better place to drop an anchor of faith” (p.13). 

Yancey, in his classic book on grace, spells out some amazing truths about this often-misunderstood word. Yesterday with a group of men from U- Turn for Christ, an addiction ministry that meets at our church, we were examining the first part of the third chapter in the book of Galatians where the Apostle Paul asks the Galatians, “Did you receive the spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith” (v. 2)?  

We discussed how difficult it is for people to understand and accept grace because of our inherent pride which prevents us from accepting  the fact  that we have nothing to do with our salvation. In fact, the Bible says all our good works, even the very best of them, are nothing more than filthy rags. They are simply a stench in the nostrils of God.

In a course on evangelism, I took many years ago, the leader reminded us that when speaking to an unbeliever, one must repeat to them a 1000 times that they are saved by faith and not by works. Now he was using hyperbole to make an important point. It is so hard for people to accept the concept of grace and that salvation has nothing to do with what they do, but everything to do with what God has done.

Anyone who thinks he has anything to do with his salvation should take 20 minutes to read through the wonderful 6-chapter book of Galatians. If you do, I am confident that you will lose any vestige of  belief that you have anything to do with your salvation. You will quickly learn that God loves you just the way you are. He loves the good, the bad and the ugly, and He loves you as you are, as well as who and what you will become when you yield your life to Him.

Those words from Amazing Grace: “I  once was lost but now I’m found, Was blind but now I see” should be an unforgettable reminder that we played no part in our salvation. If you question this, read the first three verses of the third chapter of Ephesians, but don’t stop there, for the “but” in verse 4 unlocks the truth about your salvation in verses 4-6.

We are saved by "grace alone, through faith alone, by Christ alone"-nothing more and nothing less. See Eph. 2:8-9.

Writer and speaker, Peter Briscoe sums up grace when he says “Grace is amazing- and I use  ‘amazing’ in its truest sense. When we contemplate grace, it should leave us shaking our heads in wonder, and raising our hands in prayer. In pure undiluted form, grace is stunning ...yet, I'm afraid that our flesh tends to water it down over time.” 

Yes, grace is amazing, and hard to believe. It stuns any pride within that would suggest we have anything to do with our salvation except to Admit we are sinners, Believe Jesus saved us, and Confess we want to make Him Lord of our lives. While as simple as A, B, C, is, it still can be difficult for the D of faith, the ‘Decision’ requires you to surrender your pride and trust in Jesus alone for your salvation. If you do, however, I know you will rejoice that you did.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom