Dear BPCWA worshipper, The word “grace” is very much on our lips as Christians. We often rightly give credit to God’s grace for the ability to do anything. We sing many hymns about God’s grace. We may know theologically about grace, but do we really think much about it, and are our hearts moved by it?

What is grace? Grace means God’s favour, kindness, and goodwill. Charis, the Greek word for “grace”, contains the idea of a kindness that God bestows upon one what he has not deserved. The key point about grace is that it is an undeserved kindness of God. Whether we refer to enabling grace or salvation grace, they are underserved graciousness from God. Salvation is undeserved because we could never do any good thing that will get ourselves into heaven. “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isa 64:6). Hence, God tells us that “by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8). The fact that we will be able to go to heaven is absolutely through God’s goodness upon a hopeless, helpless, undeserving, sinful enemy and hater of God. This is grace, because “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1Jo 4:10). All creatures are supposed to serve the Creator. But in our fallen state, we are unable to do as we should. Yet, our Christ enables His redeemed children, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (Jn 15:5).

Grace witnessed. Have you ever considered how amazing God’s grace is? When asked, we can say that we are saved by grace. But each time we come across a living testimony of someone’s salvation, we understand and see more of God’s grace. God tells us that “we were enemies” (Ro 5:10) when He offered to us the “gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ” (Ro 5:15). We are familiar with the malefactor next to Christ on the cross who acknowledged that his condemnation was received “indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds” (Lu 23:41) and at the last hour “said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom” (Lu 23:42). While certainly not on a deathbed, this criminal of criminals was given salvation just before his life ended on this earth. God did not expect him to earn his salvation through meritorious works. This was a man so hardened that just before this “deathbed” conversion, we are told that “they that were crucified with him reviled him” (Mk 15:32) and he was numbered among them who mocked Christ even as he was hanging on the cross (Mt 27:44). Almost to the end of his life, this dying thief was a hater of Christ. And that is exactly what we must marvel about God’s grace extended to him even at his last hour. The hardened hater was humbled and turned to Christ. Grace did not demand vengeance to pay for the insults received. Christ, who had received and heard the earlier insults cast upon Him by the thief, saved him unconditionally and immediately. If salvation was not by grace but by works, the thief was doomed. But the thief’s penitent cry was met with grace, “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Lu 23:43). What marvellous and infinite grace of God! We too have heard the more recent testimonies in our midst of such grace demonstrated, in 2 cases who received Christ in their final hours. An elderly lady who for most of her life was an idol worshipper and rejected the gospel would have her heart transformed by the gospel.  Though unable to go to church for health reasons, she has destroyed her idols and now reads the Bible and readily memorises Scripture, and prays. Though more than 90 years old, she is now a babe in faith. More recently, we heard another account of a man who indeed now is in the very presence of the Saviour he embraced weeks before his death. A self-made, fiercely independent man, he humbled himself in his final months on his sickbed to turn to Christ for salvation. There was no opportunity to do good works to atone for his own sins as he was bedridden. Yet, he experienced and enjoyed God’s saving grace the moment he turned to Christ as Lord and Saviour! In Christ, he found a yoke that was easy (where once he found no pleasure) and a Christ who lightened the burden of his soul in his illness and uncertainty about his eternity. Rest came finally to his soul (Mt 11:29) and when his appointed time came to depart from this earth, he could truly rest in peace – for only those in Christ can do so because they now have peace with God through Christ.   

Truly, these accounts must help each and every one who is truly saved understand and realise what grace is. The fact that we can go to heaven and have that assurance when our days are up is not because of anything we have done. The rich, the poor, the intelligent, and those lacking in mental agility in their final years will all enter heaven the same way – saved by grace alone. It will be based on nothing that they have done. All will only go in by grace through faith (Eph 2:8) in Christ’s finished work on the cross.

Grace appreciated. Does salvation by grace mean that you can just utter, “I believe, so save me by your grace”, but have no intent to repent? If you have such a mindset, let me tell you with utmost certainty that you are presently not a child of God because you bear no trace of your Father, no love for Him, and no evidence of the Spirit’s working. Salvation faith to be saved by grace involves a believing faith that genuinely includes not just the mind, but also the heart and the will. The mind knows the true gospel, the heart no longer desires to continue in sin, and the will aims to turn from sin. Grace is appreciated, not despised. The mind, heart, and will all view sin as abhorrent to the kind grace they have received. Humble yourself and turn to God for salvation today. Without that, you will end up like the other malefactor who is even now in hell suffering the unending torments for his sin. But for those of you who through this pastoral have gleaned a more conscious understanding of God’s salvific grace, what does this mean for you? Certainly, it is not so that you will continue to live without regard for the Christ who died for you. Salvation is not merely getting “a free heavenly insurance policy”, after which you continue to live your life the way you wish. As Paul asks rhetorically, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” (Rom 6:1). The answer must be a vehement “No, no, no!”. “Therefore, brethren”, having understood grace, “we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh” (Ro 8:12). We know that there is a glorious hope that awaits us and the “sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Ro 8:18). If you are a child of God, you will love Him, and living as He commands is no torture chamber. Grace is freely offered but having received it, we are debtors (Ro 8:12) to Christ to live in the Spirit. We do so because we appreciate how gracious God has been to our hopeless state. Brethren, let us stop living as if this life is all there is and live it to satisfy ourselves. Live to repay the debt of love you owe for the free grace you have received.  Most of all, the more we realise what grace is, the more we realise how unworthy we are to receive any grace at all, and the more we will love God!

Ro 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Yours in our Lord’s service,
Pastor