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Becoming a Christian does not entitle us to Heaven.  We are still deserving of Hell, but Christ who was in Heaven, not just deserving of Heaven, he was in Heaven, died so that those that believe in, and obey him could by grace receive a gift that none of us can earn; eternal Life in Heaven as opposed to eternal death in Hell.

Ephesians 2:8-9

God's grace is an amazing gift.  Grace is a beneficial disposition towards us that compelled God to act on our behalf.  Man sinned and forever forfeited fellowship with God and was doomed to eternal condemnation.  The only way we could be restored to fellowship was for God to die in our place.  God was under no obligation to provide us with salvation.  Instead of letting us suffer eternal separation from Him, He graciously sent His Son into the World where He willingly offered His life in the place of ours as payment for the penalty we deserved. 

Grace might be the most misunderstood word in all of the Bible.  Some believe grace means that it doesn’t matter what you believe – God will accept you.  Others believe that grace excuses all sin.  Still others say salvation is by grace alone; obedience is not necessary.  But what does God’s Word really teach about this all important word?

As I travel across this nation working in various places, I meet a lot of people who claim Jesus Christ as their savior and when you engage them in conversation about their beliefs, they have this notion that grace and faith are the tickets to heaven and in a sense they are right.  But their understanding of just what grace and faith is as a comprehensive Biblical term is not always in line with reality.   They know that grace and faith is there but they really don't have a clear understanding of just what grace and faith are and how each one of these functions in our justification and subsequent salvation. 

For the purpose of this lesson, we are going to examine these two vital and essential elements that play such an important role in our lives as Christians and try to gain a better understanding of them from an overall Biblical perspective. 

First of all, what is Grace?

The title of this lesson is answered “No” by multitudes throughout the world.  But is that true?  The only reliable answer comes from God’s Word. Let’s first note Ezekiel 18:20-24.  “The soul who sins shall die.  The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son.  The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.  But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.  None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live.  Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?  says the Lord God, and not that he should turn from his ways and live?  But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live?  All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.”

The text for our lesson is found in Ephesians 2:8-10

There is great religious contradiction today about the role of God's grace in the salvation of man.  There are a number of variations on beliefs and we aren't going to have time to examine them all so what we are going to do is look at what the relationship of Grace and Faith is in the salvation of man and that should serve to eliminate what they are not. 

Many people today use Ephesians 2:8-10 to say that God's grace is available by faith exclusive of and apart of any action on the part of the believer, and upon this belief, one is saved and then lives a life of obedience to God's will.  They believe Paul's words, "It [meaning salvation] is a gift: Not of works" means that one is saved completely apart of any action on his or her part whatsoever.  This is a belief that can be put to the test easily.  Scripture defines belief as a work in John 6:29, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent".  According to Jesus, believing is a work of God.  In 1 Thessalonians 1:3 Paul writes concerning faith, "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father".  Paul, who wrote Ephesians 2:8-10 also wrote that faith is a work to the Christians in Thessalonica.

In our last lesson, we looked in detail at Biblical obedience.  At the end of the lesson we touched on God's grace.  It is the purpose of this lesson to make an in depth study of God's grace from a Biblical perspective. 

Grace produces forgiveness through the blood of Christ:
Ephesians 1:7, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace"

Grace provides salvation from the condemnation of sin:
Ephesians 2:5, "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)" Acts 15:11, "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they".

David Hersey

Can A Christian Fall From Grace?

A Child of God can fall from Grace.

 Gal 5:4
“Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”   Paul wrote this to “the churches of Galatia” (Gal. 1:2); to those who had been called “into the grace of Christ” (Gal. 1:6); who had received the Spirit and begun in it (Gal 3:2,3); whom “Christ hath made free” (Gal. 5:1); and who were called “children of God” (Gal. 3:26; 4:6).

The Galatian Christians had been “removed…unto another gospel” (Gal. 1:6); “bewitched” (Gal. 3:1); desired “to be under the law” (Gal. 4:21); were trying to receive circumcision (Gal. 5:2,3); and were not obeying the truth (Gal. 5:7).  Paul said “Christ shall profit you nothing” (Gal. 5:2); “ye are fallen (from ekpipto (ek-pip'-to); to drop away; specially, be driven out of one's course; figuratively, to lose, become inefficient: ) from Christ (Gal. 5:4); “ye are fallen from grace,” if you “would be” justified by the law.

Since our salvation is by grace (Eph. 2:8) and all “spiritual blessings” are “in Christ” (Eph. 1:3) then a child of God who falls “from grace” and is “severed from Christ” is lost if they remain in that condition.

David Hersey

A Christian Can Fail of Grace

Can a child of God live in such a way that they could fail of the grace of God?

The text for this study is:

Heb 12:14-15
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; (KJV)

David Hersey

Grace and Error

Bobby Stafford

The Grace of God

John Johnson