“Grace, grace! Marvelous grace! Grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Grace, grace! God’s grace! Grace that is greater than all our sin.”
The grace of God is the heart of the gospel. Without God’s grace, there would have never been a promise in the Garden to send a Redeemer to save man. Without grace, God’s chosen nation of Israel would have been destroyed long before the promised Messiah ever arrived. If it were not for God’s grace, Jesus would have never given up His glory and taken on flesh and blood. Without grace, there would have been no cross to atone for our sins. Without grace, there could be no free offer of salvation in the gospel call. Without grace, there would be no reason that anyone of us would have been drawn by the Spirit to hear and receive the good news of Jesus Christ. Without grace, not a one of us would ever have any hope (much less assurance!) of eternal life. Without grace, none of us can ever “approach the throne of grace and find mercy and grace in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Without grace, we would be “without hope, and without God in this world” (Ephesians 2:12).
Certainly, the grace of God is an essential to the gospel message. The Reformers thought so – they spoke of sola Fide, sola scriptura, soli Deo gloria, and sola gratia. Unless salvation was all by the grace of God (sola gratia), then God could not receive all the glory alone (soli Deo gloria). They preached and taught about a grace that was truly greater than all our sin!
In this issue, we are but scratching the surface of God’s wonderful grace. Each article deals with an aspect of God’s grace. Some consider God’s grace as an attribute of God (Pink, Vincent). One article examines the abundance of grace found in God (Spurgeon). Others consider the effects of grace on our lives (Calvin, Watson). Our final article by Charles Spurgeon, “Grace, The Only Way of Salvation,” provides an excellent reminder of the fact that we are all saved only through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We pray that you may know His grace and that you may grow in His grace and give Him praise for all that He has done for sinners such as us!
By His Grace, Jim & Debbie
Teaching Resources International 