Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: never the less I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
The grace of God towards the human family which is manifested through Jesus has pros and cons that are associated with it, and depending on the mind upon which grace falls, it can have a positive or a negative effect. God’s purpose in granting us grace is because without it, no one would be saved.
Some folks believe that grace is all good, producing the desired effect God intended, but when we drill down further, we discover that this isn’t always the case. Grace does not always guarantee a favorable outcome, and at times it may seem as if grace was wasted upon persons who couldn’t care less about what Christ did for us on Calvary.
Yet, the grace of God is given in promise form, so that any person may avail themselves of it, and be saved if he or she so chooses. Again, grace isn’t only given in response to a specific request by persons, God gives grace to those who do not ask for it, and to those who may trample it under their feet.
It’s because of His goodness and mercy, why grace is granted, not because we deserve or even requested it, and because of His love for us grace is poured out in copious showers, upon believers and unbelievers alike. When we read in the Bible that Noah found grace, he was not the only one to whom grace was given.
Every single antediluvian was a beneficiary of God’s grace, what they did with it made all the difference, but as far as receiving it is concerned, they all were participants in God’s grace, for God had continued to feed and care for them, right up until the day of the flood. Let’s read:
Genesis 6: 3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
By itself, when received into the heart by faith, the grace of God is a good thing, but when it is resisted for various reasons, it can cause persons to become presumptuous, self-righteous, even more stubborn than they previously were. That’s because the same sun that hardens concrete also melts butter.
God’s grace was manifested towards pharaoh, but it did not have the desired effect, because of the king in question. God could have brought the last plague first, and pharaoh would have buckled under a load of pressure, but as grace was manifested, he dug in his heels even more, until he went completely mad.
Thus, the grace of God manifested to him which was intended to save him was not a savor of life unto life simply because of the type of heart it fell upon. And because of this pharaoh turned grace from a pro to a con, by his response.
Therefore, if a person is stubborn, proud, or mean spirited, that in and of itself does not determine the destiny of that person. It’s their response to God’s grace that becomes the deciding factor.
God is not so much concerned with fact that we are sinners; He is more concerned with what persons do with the remedy provided through the grace found in Christ. Pharaoh was not the worst person who’d ever lived on the planet, for if God could reach the people of Nineveh, He could have reached pharaoh.
When we read in the scriptures that God hardened the heart of pharaoh, the correct interpretation of that statement is that God did everything He could do to save pharaoh, but those waves of mercy were relentlessly beaten back time and time again, until it culminated in his demise.
But with Nebuchadnezzar, God’s grace produced the change of heart which God intends, and what took place with the Babylonian king could’ve taken with pharaoh; but the soil of the heart was different and that singular fact affected the outcome.
Thus, there are some fundamentals about the grace of God that should be understood by His servants as persons are preparing to make the final push against the gates of hell, to retrieve the sons, and daughters of God who are still sitting in darkness at this time.
Some of the stereotypes we’ve become accustomed to will be overturned, some of the perspectives we previously held would need to be revisited, and the fresh anointing from God, who desires that all men be saved, and come to a knowledge of the truth, is to be adopted.
[1] The grace of God is given to every person, and every inhabitant of earth is a beneficiary of God’s grace, directly and indirectly. Let’s read:
Titus 2: 11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.
Hosea 1:10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.
Acts 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.
35 But in every nation he that fears him, and works righteousness, is accepted with him.
[Ms. 52 par 27] The Lord has His representatives in all the churches in the world. These representatives have not had the light of truth presented to them under circumstances that brought convictions to their hearts and minds; therefore, they have not severed their connection with God.
[2] God puts more grace where it is urgently needed and this fact explains in part why some persons who may not be believers, seem to be having less issues and problems than the believer. Let’s read:
Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.
Some Christians tend to stumble over the fact that the unbeliever might have things going so smoothly, while the servant of God may be under pressure, or trial, day in and day out. At times this can be quite difficult to swallow, especially if the Christian might be trying their best to live in harmony with God.
But the pros of grace often allow unlikely persons to prosper and do very well, even when to mortal eyes it may seem as if they are living carefree lives. This is not to say that the Christian’s life is inevitably always doom and gloom; it is not, but sometimes, there is a stark disparity that can cause persons to stumble.
This is what took place with David’s chief musician, as he compared his lot in life with those who did not fear God. The pros and cons of grace he just did not understand for as he observed and compared his lot with theirs, there seemed to be an inversion taking place, as far as the dispersion of grace is concerned. Let’s read:
Psalms 73:2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well-nigh slipped.
3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.
7 Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.
12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.
13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.
14 For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
[3] To the majority of earthlings, one of the cons of grace is that it is free. In other words, the freeness of God’s grace can cause a person to stumble.
The human agent generally prefers to pay for things, for doing so produces feelings of accomplishment, ownership, and achievement. But with grace, all of that is left in the dust at the Cross, where it’s Jesus alone who gets the glory.
Thus, if salvation was a thing that money could buy, millions would have signed on. The freeness of the grace of God can be a very hard pill for human pride to swallow, and because of this fact, concepts such as penances and indulgences will have more curb appeal, than believing in Christ alone.
To many people, the prospect of working, or paying one’s way into heaven is much more attractive than believing. Indeed, if tickets to heaven were being sold by Ticket Master for $100.00 a pop, they would have sold out by now.
And it is because of this why with very many people, God’s grace is rejected. The fact that Jesus died on the cross and did everything free of charge, denies the human agent any credit, and if works would not be considered as a contributing factor to eternal life some persons would have nothing to do with it. Let’s read:
Romans 6: 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
It was the freeness of grace that caused Naaman to be fuming at the prophet Elijah, when he was told to go wash in the Jordan seven times. If Elijah had told him to do a thousand pushups, or five hundred crunches, Naaman might have jumped eagerly at the suggestion.
But to go wash in Jordan seven times was way too simple, and free, and since he could not pay for the healing, he went away in a rage. In fact, when we observe the narrative closely, we will discover that Naaman had intended upfront to pay for grace, for in his mind, he doesn’t think that it should be free. The very concept seems to bother him. Let’s read:
2nd Kings 5:1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper.
2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife.
3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would heal him of his leprosy.
5 And the king of Syria said, Go and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.
10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
11 But Naaman was angry, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
13 And his servants came near, and spoke unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldn’t you have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
The issue of the freeness of God’s grace is not only restricted to healing, because it applies to concepts of salvation which are held by many persons, who believe that some contributing factor on their part is a must in order for eternal life to become a reality. The Biblical teaching that it is a gift from God that is completely free, just does not sound right to some persons.
In fact, some individuals would only accept a hybrid version of salvation, where the goodness of God in Jesus is coupled together with meritorious works on their part, in order for it to seem viable. In other words, to accept salvation as a straight up gift, free and clear, does not sit right with many persons.
This can be verified by the following scriptural cases in which some folks advanced the concept of doing some sort of works or good deeds, so that salvation could be earned. This is not to say that such persons cannot be reached, they can be reached, but we are just unraveling the concept of merit, as it pertains to salvation. Let’s read:
Exodus 19: 5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine.
6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him.
8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord.
Exodus 24:7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient.
Not long after making that solemn promise, they were found at a block party at the foot of Mt Sinai, complete with calypsonians and other reggae artists who provided the music Israel needed to foster the reveling that soon followed.
Some persons in commenting on the wild scene try to make it seem more conservative than it really is, but the Bible removes all the political correctness and describes a scene of riotous revelry at the foot of the mount.
The people obviously did not understand the pros and cons of grace, for when God said to them “If you will obey my voice” He was not expecting, nor was He intending that they should attempt this sort of heavy lifting on their own.
God’s will was that the people should access His grace to enable them in their efforts to obey, as is the case with every aspect of the Christian life. It is not by might nor by will power, or by determination or even by decision.
One can decide to obey God but without the motive power to do so, obedience will devolve into a bland, joyless experience which only produces the external rites, works, and efforts, without the heart and soul being in the mix. God’s will is that persons will serve Him with joy and gladness, not because they feel an obligation to do so against their will. Let’s read:
Psalms 40: 8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
Psalms 100:1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations.
Here again is the same issue of freeness, as it often pertains to the Pros and Cons of grace, occurring in the experience of the prodigal son, who, after he had spent his father’s goods on girls, gadgets, blings and things, felt that he had to do something to gain favor with his father. He just could not see himself as being a candidate for grace. Let’s read:
Luke 15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee.
19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
By the way, the prodigal son, and the elder brother suffered from the same problem as Naaman, who had a hard time understanding that God’s grace is free. The elder brother pointed to his faithfulness over the years as the reasons why he was entitled to the father’s favor. Let’s read:
Luke 15: 29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends.
30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
In other words, what the elder brother is saying is that there is an issue of entitlement, based upon his own meritorious works, as opposed to the prodigal son who did not deserve anything, based upon what he had failed to do. The fact is that none of us have ever deserved God’s grace, for it is a free gift, given by God because of His goodness alone.
When a Christian is sick, he or she is not entitled to healing, when financially broken, the Christian is not entitled to a cash bailout from God, and when he is in trouble, he is not entitled to deliverance.
God may choose to do so because of His grace, but to say that a Christian is entitled to these things, just because he or she is doing the right thing, is to put grace in a meritorious format, which the Bible never teaches. Here is the same issue of merit, pertaining to God’s grace, over and over again. Let’s read:
Luke 7: 2 And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.
4 And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this.
5 For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.
Matthew 19: 16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
John 6: 28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
The issue of the freeness of God’s grace without any meritorious work can be difficult for one to swallow, especially if persons believe that they are wiser than God, because the simplicity of belief is often found to be anathema to their intelligence.
This is one of the reasons why, as Paul studied and observed the Pros and Cons of God’s grace, he was inspired to pen the following words. Let’s read:
1st Corinthian 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom.
23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness.
The laymen in our day, who are being prepared for the latter rain must seek to understand thoroughly the pros and cons of grace, as well as the freeness of the gospel, for as we have stated before, God is scheduled to go off script, in His bid to save to the uttermost, those of His people who are still sitting in Sunday churches.
Many of God’s people who currently attend church on Sunday, do not have the light and knowledge we have at our disposal, and therefore, based upon the freeness of the gospel there are things that may not be required of them that might be required in those who know better.
At the very forefront of our understanding of God’s grace is the fact that it is never based on merit, and thus, there are certain aspects of Adventism which should not be forced upon the invisible remnant, if and when God so directs.
For instance, even though diets and foods are used as an opening wedge to reach individuals, we must remember that eating vegetables is not the gospel.
The health message is described as the right arm of the gospel but it is not the gospel, and therefore, an understanding of the freeness of God’s grace should drive laymen in our day to preach present truth in a manner that will put the real issues at the front, and center of their efforts.
In Revelation 14, the focus of the everlasting gospel is worship, it’s not diets and foods, and thus, even if some were to use the opening wedge of the health message to perk a person’s interest, vegetables and exercise should not be permitted to overshadow the real issue on the front burner, for God is able to save to the uttermost, His people in protestant churches who are still eating meat.
The grace of God and the gift of eternal life are free, and therefore, the Christian does not score salvific points by eating either veggies or meat, as far as our salvation goes.
Now, it is true that there are definite benefits to be experienced in real time by appropriating the health message to oneself, and we are bidden to teach the people how to live healthy lives. But as far as being meritorious, veggies are an absolute non-starter.
Stereotypes, and formatted ways of doing things we have become accustomed over the years will have to be revisited, for vegetarians are not more worthy than meat-eaters. In fact, neither of them is worthy to begin with, for it is the freeness of God’s grace which brings salvation to all men.
For example, under the outpouring of the latter rain if a Sunday keeper were to accept the Sabbath, but may not fully grasp the health message, they’re not to be coerced into doing so, because the issue that will be at stake is the keeping of all God’s commands including the fourth, not diets and foods.
Therefore, if against all odds, such persons were to accept the Sabbath truth, at a time when it will be quite perilous to do so, the laymen should not insist on vegetables, as a must. The grace of God is able to cover those gray areas that may not be understood by our Sunday keeping brethren. Let’s read:
[LTMS LT 2 1899 Par 50] As the right arm is to the body, so is the reformatory health missionary work to the third angel’s message. But the right arm is not to become the whole body.
As was stated before on several occasions, God will be doing some very strange things, using ways and means that we may not be accustomed to, the same way that He introduced Peter and his fellows to the freeness of God’s grace, without the shackles of the rite of circumcision.
Therefore, our minds must now be trained to follow where God leads the way, even if it is a path that we are not accustomed to. The servant of The Lord, in her commentary upon the Latter Rain, describes to us the unorthodox ways and means that God would employ in finishing up the work of salvation. Let’s read:
[Last Day Events pp 206] The Spirit is poured out upon all who will yield to its promptings and, casting off all man's machinery, his binding rules and cautious methods, they will declare the truth with the might of the Spirit's power. When divine power is combined with human effort, the work will spread like fire in the stubble. God will employ agencies whose origin man will be unable to discern.
[Last Day Events pp 195] We may be sure that when the Holy Spirit is poured out, those who did not receive and appreciate the early rain will not see or understand the value of the latter rain. Only those who are living up to the light they have will receive greater light. Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we shall not discern or receive it.
[Last Day Events pp 209] There is to be in the [Seventh-day Adventist] churches a wonderful manifestation of the power of God, but it will not move upon those who have not humbled themselves before the Lord, and opened the door of the heart by confession and repentance.
In the manifestation of that power which lightens the earth with the glory of God, they will see only something which in their blindness they think dangerous, something which will arouse their fears, and they will brace themselves to resist it. Because the Lord does not work according to their ideas and expectations, they will oppose the work. “Why,” they say, “should we not know the Spirit of God, when we have been in the work so many years?”
The third angel's message won’t be comprehended, the light which will lighten the earth with its glory will be called a false light, by those who refuse to walk in its advancing glory.
Therefore, in all of our preaching and teaching, let’s never lose sight of the fact that God’s grace is free, and that the Pros and Cons of His grace will produce results that we may not expect. Most of all, let us be willing to be led by His Spirit, not restricting Him to those formats and orthodox ways and means we’ve become accustomed to over the years.
In harmony with this purpose, we will end with a passage of Scripture, which reminds us that we are to be tethered to The Living word, because it is the Person of the book we are following. Let’s read:
Romans 8: 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
God Bless!