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In Matthew 16:26, Jesus asked, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? The question shows the importance and value of the soul. Knowing the soul’s value, there is no wonder why God extended His grace towards man for the salvation of his soul.
Today I want to consider the grace of God and its role in mankind’s salvation. We should first know that God’s grace is the kindness or the favor that God extends to people. It is His “unmerited favor,” a gift offered to men that they do not deserve. In His Word, God demonstrates that grace. We learn in Deuteronomy 7:6-8, that God extends His grace not because men in and of themselves deserve it, but because of His love for mankind. That love is demonstrated in the parable of the “Prodigal Son” in Luke 15:11-32. This gift of God is not just for some, but for all men who will seek God and obey His commands. Paul wrote, “the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11). While the grace of God is for all men, only “the humble” will receive it (James 4:6).
While we know God’s grace is for all men, there are some who deny they need the grace of God and others who do not realize that they need it. The truth is all men need God’s grace because of the sin in their lives. Paul said, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Then he said, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
The truth is, no man can pay the debt owed because of their sins. However, because of the work of God through His Son and His sacrifice on the cross, we can have the redemption and forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7). We can have salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9, Acts 22:16), spiritual renewal (Ephesians 2:4-7) and justification (Titus 3:7).
Even the Christian relies on the continued grace of God as they strive to live the life of a Christian. In Acts 13:43 we are commanded “to continue in the grace of God.” If we fail to continue in God, we forfeit the grace of God (Galatians 5:4). We are expected to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1). We are to do all this as we live according to what the grace of God teaches (Titus 2:11-13). In fact, it is the grace of God in which we are to be grounded (Hebrews 13:9).
The question we must ask is are we Children of God by faith and by grace? You can be a child of God by accepting the grace of God through obedience to His commands to hear his Son, believing in Him, repenting of past sins, confessing Jesus as the Son of God and by being buried with Him (Jesus) in baptism.
(Tony Hoss is minister of the Centerview Church of Christ, Elizabethton)