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All of Grace (Part One)
“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!” – Romans 6:14,15
The substance and essence of the true gospel is the doctrine of God’s grace. Without it the gospel is dead. God deals with sinful folk upon the footing of pure mercy. Finding them guilty and condemned, He devises a plan for their rescue from sin and its consequences.
Out of free favour He has provided, in the death of His dear Son, a way, by means of atonement, that His mercy can be justly bestowed. He receives all those who place their trust in this atonement, selecting faith as the way of salvation, that it may be all of grace.
Grace commences to save, and it perseveres throughout the sinner’s life, depending not on the sinner’s own merit, but grace, and grace alone.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” – Ephesians 2:8,9
“So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” – Romans 9:16
Now this doctrine of grace is repugnant to the carnal mind, for it is so humbling to human pride, making so light of the nobility of human nature. Therefore out of their carnality, they object that, “If great sinners are freely saved, then men can more readily become great sinners!” And, “If when God’s grace regenerates a person and it abides with him, then doesn’t it infer that they may live and sin as they like, and yet be saved? After all, God is merciful, let us be more sinful and do as we like, for we can easily obtain forgiveness afterwards.”
It is so diabolical an inference that it is to a regenerated mind incomprehensible! Surely, no intelligent being can really persuade itself that the goodness of God is a reason for offending Him more than ever, or to consider the grace of God to be a motive to sin. Their objections simply highlight the carnality of their condition.
If God is good to the undeserving, some will still go into sin, but there are others whom God calls, whom the goodness of God will lead to repentance. These chosen ones scorn the beast-like argument – that the more loving God is, the more rebellious we may be; and they feel that against a God of goodness it is an evil thing to rebel.
The doctrine of grace, the whole plan of salvation by grace, is most promotive of holiness. It helps us to say, “God forbid,” to the question, “Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace?”
“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
The gospel of the grace of God promotes real holiness in persons by remembering that salvation is more than deliverance from hell and an entrance into heaven. Salvation is also:
Salvation from the power of sin.
Deliverance from the love of sin.
Rescue from the habit of sin.
Setting free from the desire to sin.
This deliverance from sin is the gift of divine grace, how can the gift of divine grace therefore produce sin? On the contrary, the free distribution of God’s gift produces holiness.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
Tell all persons everywhere that God freely and of His infinite grace is willing to renew them, to give them a new heart and a right spirit and make them new creatures in Christ Jesus. Can any evil consequences come of the freest proclamation of this news? I say to every one of you, whatever your past condition, God can renew you according to the power of His grace; so that you can be made to live by His Spirit.
That renewal will be seen in holy thoughts, and pure words, and righteous acts to the glory of God. In great love He is prepared to work all these things in all who believe.
Now we see the power of God’s great love! It penetrates the heart of stone and breaks the shackles of bondage.
The Law commands obedience, but cannot promote it.
The Law fails,
But love wins.
Extracts from, “The Doctrines of Grace Do Not Lead To Sin.”
By Charles H. Spurgeon, delivered on Sunday morning, August 19th, 1883
at Exeter-Hall England.
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