Can Grace ALONE
Save You?
2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Many times I’ve heard it said that Grace is “unmerited favor”. Of course, that’s a definition of Mercy, not Grace…
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Grace through Faith? How does that WORK?
What is Faith? Believing? Believing WHAT?
2 Cor. 12:9 says that the “Power of Christ” comes through Grace.
Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
If we are under Grace, sin shall not have dominion…?
One way to know that you are mistaken about something is that it is hard to understand.
Lots of Bible words have been changed by preachers and teachers over time until they DO NOT WORK!
Many large and prosperous “ministries” have been made by changing how we use words:
-Word of faith (changed what the word “faith” means)
-Holiness (changed what the word “holy” means)
-Name it and claim it (changed what the word “name” means)
-Prosperity Gospel (changed what “prosperity” means)
-Kingdom now (changed what the word kingdom means)
Example: If a preacher or teacher says that “justification” is God acting
“just as if I had never sinned”, he has misled the people and
confused them. They are LESS ABLE to win souls…
Let’s consider the words GRACE and FAITH and see how God saves us by using Grace and Faith together! J
What does GRACE mean?
Grace = pre-disposed to be kind or favorable toward someone
(Note: if someone is only “disposed” to help you, we say they are “kind”.)
How about FAITH?
Faith = to be persuaded or convinced
(Note: to “have faith” in someone doesn’t mean that you believe they exist.)
SO… How are we saved “by grace through faith”?
Let’s consider how some people have saved us by grace through faith!
Example 1: Lifeguards
Grace (pre-disposition to help) is shown by:
All of the preparations made by your lifeguard:
-Training: your lifeguard paid for and completed special training
including tests that ensure before-hand that he or she can
swim, get you out of the water, perform CPR, etc…
-Time: your lifeguard accepted the job (and gives up some other job if
he or she had one).
Also, your lifeguard is ALWAYS watching you (not reading or texting).
We want our lifeguards to be FULL of grace!!
Now, Faith is our part! We should have faith in our lifeguards in case we get into trouble.
We show Faith when we:
-Obey our lifeguard and do what we are told to do. (no running on the
pool deck, etc…)
-Relax and let him or her take over our situation. (many have
drowned because they “fought” the lifeguard)
(Note: our lifeguards give us good reasons to have faith in them.)
Example 2: Doctor
Grace (pre-disposition to help) is shown by:
All the preparations he or she made to be your doctor:
-Training: your doctor paid for and completed many years of training.
-Time: your doctor’s time is dedicated to you. (he or she doesn’t
wander off during surgery or decide he’s not interested)
Also, your doctor is ALWAYS watching your vital signs during surgery.
We believe our doctors always WANT us to survive and be well!!
If you don’t have FAITH in your doctor, you go looking for another…
Do you have faith in your doctor?
-does he/she want to save you?
-does he/she know how to save you?
-is he/she covered by your plan?
Ok, so God’s GRACE is his pre-disposition to help us!!
Jesus has shown us His GRACE by:
-being born in the form of a humble man (the Bible tells us that He left
the glories of Heaven…).
-lived a life without sin to be our substitute. (that took 33 years…)
-healing and helping EVERYONE that came to Him (clearly, HE likes
us a lot)!!
-dying on the cross in our place. (He considered it a privilege to pay for
all your wrong-doings)
-after He rose from the dead, He went right to Heaven to argue for
us!!
-He sent the Holy Spirit to comfort us.
Does Jesus WANT to save you?
Does Jesus KNOW HOW to save you?
Does Jesus have YOU in His plan?
YES!!
Did Jesus do ENOUGH to convince you that you can trust your life to Him?
Jesus knew that one day you would realize that you need a Savior.
One day you would finally see that a life without Christ is a sad and
painful life.
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Jesus ALREADY has what you need!
Repent and surrender your life to Him and be saved
by GRACE through FAITH!
