"By the grace of God I am what I am!" 1 Corinthians 15:10
The very expression the grace of God implies and denotes
that the sinner's condition is desperate to the last degree, and
that God may justly leave him to perish; yes, it is a wonder of
wonders that he is not already in Hell!
God is sovereign in the exercise
of His grace. This of
necessity, for grace is favor shown to the undeserving, yes, to
the Hell-deserving.
Grace is the antithesis of justice.
Justice demands the impartial enforcement of law.
Justice requires that each shall receive his legitimate due, neither
more nor less.
Justice bestows no favors and is no respecter of persons.
Justice, as such, shows no pity and knows no mercy.
But after justice has been fully satisfied, sovereign grace flows
forth.
Grace has been defined as the unmerited favor of God.
If unmerited, then none can
claim it as their inalienable
right.
If grace is unearned and undeserved, then none are entitled
to
it.
If grace is a gift, then none can demand it.
Therefore, as salvation is by grace, the free gift of God--then He
bestows it on whom He pleases.
Because salvation is by grace, the very chief of sinners is not
beyond the reach of Divine mercy.
Because salvation is by grace, boasting is excluded, and God gets
all the glory.
Grace is a divine provision for those who are . . .
so
depraved, that they cannot change their own
nature;
so averse from God, that they will not turn to Him;
so blind, that they can neither see their
malady nor the remedy;
so dead spiritually, that God must grant spiritual
life.
Grace is the sinner's last and only hope; if he is not saved by
grace, he will never be saved at all.
Grace levels all distinctions, and regards . . .
the most zealous religionist--on the same plane as the most
heinous criminal;
the chaste virgin--on the same plane as the foul prostitute.
Therefore God is perfectly free to save the chief of sinners, and
bestow His mercy on the vilest of the vile!
--A.W. Pink
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
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