The Litmus Test weblog

Grace… faith… works… such common words, but what do they mean? What is grace, and how does it work? What is faith, and where does it come from? Where does it lead? What are the works that cannot save us, and the works we are saved to do? And for that matter, what is salvation, anyway? In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul was not preaching the gospel, but rather giving the disciples understanding about what had happened to them and what lay ahead of them — the process and the purpose of salvation. The gospel is found in the Gospels. The letters of Paul and the other apostles consist of instruction and correction for those who are already in salvation.[1] That is why we must look to the Gospels to find the foundation of these familiar terms Paul uses in his letters.

There is a process or a progression involved in salvation, and in the Gospels and the book of Acts there are many examples of people going through that process, or in some cases stopping short of salvation.

Grace

First comes grace, the unmerited favor of God. As it relates to salvation, grace is the working of God in a person’s life to protect him, prepare him, and bring him to the time and place where he can hear the gospel from someone who has been sent with the authority to proclaim it.[2]

It was grace to Peter that he had fished all night without catching anything, and that he happened to be cleaning his nets in that particular place where the Master wanted to teach that day, and that the Master chose his boat to speak from.[3] It was grace that caused the Master to pass by the sycamore tree where Zacchaeus was waiting, and to notice and call to him.[4] It was grace that caused the Ethiopian eunuch to happen to be passing near Philip and to be reading the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, and it was grace that caused Philip to hear from the Spirit the urging to approach the chariot and ask the eunuch whether he understood what he was reading.[5] And it was even grace to the “rich young ruler” that the Master came to teach in his town.[6]

So grace brings a person near in order to hear the good news. But what happens next depends on the one who speaks and the one who hears.

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1] It is ironic that most of the popular “plans of salvation” make little use of the Gospels and much improper use of Paul’s letters. As a result, very few people have actually heard and obeyed the gospel.

[2] John 7:17-18

[3] Luke 5:1-10

[4] Luke 19:2-10

[5] Acts 8:27-39

[6] Mark 10:17-30

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