Recent teaching has emphasized what we all know, God’s grace is what makes salvation available for us today. God loves us, and sent His Son to die on the cross to deal with the cancer of sin that had enslaved humanity. Jesus died, and His sacrifice allows our redemption before God! “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11).
The Bible is clear that God’s grace, though extended to mankind, does not bring salvation to all men. A simple truth: All men have the opportunity for heaven, not all men will go to heaven. Hell is as real a place as heaven, our eternal presence before God. On the day of judgment at Christ’s coming, there will those on the right (who will go to heaven), and those on the left (who will go to hell).
Some don’t fully understand that. Grace is God’s means of bringing salvation to all men. Doesn’t that settle it? No, there are many things that God’s grace (by design) does not do.
For example, God’s grace does not make it impossible for a Christian to sin and even to fall away (lose their salvation) because of that sin. The warnings of this reality permeate scripture. Notice Christ’s warning to Jewish Christians who were retreating into their dependence upon the Law of Moses. “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:4). This truth is also seen in the call to care for your erring brother, “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sin” (James 5:19-20). Notice, this is an exhortation for all Christians about a brother wandering from truth, to turn him back to save his soul!
A primary reason for this truth is that grace is intended to deal with sin. It is not a magic elixir that turns sin into righteousness. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1-2). This is why Paul continued in verse 12 of the chapter, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.” A wonderful passage which establishes this truth that a Christian is no longer to sin, is Paul’s words in Galatians 2:18. So, I become a Christian, and then return to my sinful predilections, “For if I build again those things I destroyed [sin], I make myself a transgressor.”
To this point, grace does not make vain, unlawful worship all of a sudden true and pleasing to God. Just like Nadab and Abihu (cf. Leviticus 10:1-2), God will punish His children if their worship to Him is not acceptable. “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:22-23).
Further, immorality does not become pure. God does not give a pass to Christians to live immoral lives. We are to be sanctified, pure, we are to be holy because He is holy! “…Those who practice such things [sin] are deserving of death” (Romans 1:32).
One thing many are guilty of when they emphasize the reality that we are saved by grace, is their minimization of various other aspects of the faithfulness God requires. For example, a great emphasis is placed upon the truth of God in scripture, but some who champion grace unfortunately downplay the importance of truth. “For the law was given through Moses, but grace AND TRUTH came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). As is true with false worship or immorality, grace does not change error into truth. Nor does it make the truth revealed by God unimportant! Paul wrote the Galatians, “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:6-8).
Ultimately, grace in no way abrogates God’s anger and displeasure toward those who persist in sin after Christ’s death on the cross. It does not sanction any continued fellowship with sin. We are told “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?” (2 Corinthians 6:14-15). God requires us to be separate, and live sanctified lives. Grace simply does not save us if we are not willing to repent! Do not despise God’s goodness by doing despite to (insulting) His grace, which is intended to lead us to repent. Those who are unwilling to live diligent lives reserve for themselves the wrath of God, “who ‘will render to each one according to his deeds’” (cf. Romans 2:4-11).
We truly have peace with God and stand because of His gift of Christ (cf. 1 Peter 5:12). This grace of God in which we stand, gives us reason to “rejoice in the hope of the glory of God” (cf. Romans 5:1-2). This is our reason to be diligent. Our hope in God. His reward for the faithful. But let no one deceive you, take care, because it is possible to fall from grace! “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law. YOU HAVE FALLEN FROM GRACE” (Galatians 5:4). To do so is to lose your soul!
