In the last couple of decades, there have been so many theologies and perspectives to the very crucial topic of grace in the kingdom. Some have argued that we do not need to be cautious of the way we live our Christian lives, as we have been redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb. They are of the opinion that once you are a Christian, you are ever a Christian, and sins have even been forgiven before the sins are committed. They have tried hard to substantiate their view with the Apostle Paul epistle to the Ephesians: 2:8-9, “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.” They also say “What then is the significance of the death of Jesus on the cross if they are still being marked a sinner under the dispensation of grace?”
As some have justified their viewpoint on the above premise, some have an extremely strong belief that grace does not give anyone a ticket to do whatever they like. Hence, they hold a view that your good works and the human effort to try and keep their heads above waters only are the requirements for grace. The portion of the epistle of James on grace has now been misinterpreted to reflect this opinion. “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:24-26). It is then a fundamental truth which distinguishes the divine understanding and the human reasoning. If the second opinion is the overall meaning of grace, it would be worthless to rely on it, as grace is not really free. It means that our salvation and justification have to be worked for by us.
Both viewpoints have been scanned and proven misconceptions. In his letters, Paul the apostle was not talking about “good works” in the sense of “charitable acts”; rather, he says “works of the Law” (Gal 2:16; 3:2-12; Rom 3:28), which denotes the Jewish/Mosaic commandments on circumcision, sacrifices and food restrictions. With regards to James epistle, the word “works” means acts of charity; care for widows, orphans, the vulnerable and love for neighbours (James 1:27; 2:8; 2:15-16).
In the same vein, the Apostle Paul is not opposed to “good works” or “charitable actions”; he sees them as essential values in our Christian race (although not the basis) of authentic Christian living: “For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Gal 5: 8-10) Equally, James in his letter, does not have a remote view to faith; he accepts it, and then lays an emphasis on the fact that authentic faith must be put into action in order to have grace in top gear.
“Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:25-26).
Now, the truth is that we need to have the profound knowledge of the extent at which we are blessed, having access to the free gift of grace in Christ Jesus. The early giants of faith in the scriptures; Abraham, Noah, Esther, David and Moses found grace which they did not work for and they were blessed beyond measures, even as the Lord used them for His glory. You and I are also qualified for this kind of upgrade, provided we engross ourselves with the grace-faith mentality. On grace, I have delved into a deep study of theological perspectives of some foremost leaders in our generation. One of them is Terry Virgo, and he is of the opinion that:
“The problem for many Christians is that they always feel condemned. But the answer to condemnation is never simply to improve our performance. It is to reckon on our position through grace. God has justified us freely as a gift. Condemnation is to do with guilt, not with feelings or improved performance. If we, through grace, are declared ‘not guilty’ by God, then we cannot be condemned. Only the guilty man stands condemned. It is God who justifies, and if God has declared us ‘not guilty’, Satan cannot take us to a higher court. There is none. There is no condemnation for us, not because we have been doing well lately, or because we have set ourselves a new standard, but because we are in Christ Jesus. He has carried our guilt on the cross. The more we come to enjoy that truth, the more we will know how to refuse Satan’s constant barrage of accusations aimed at getting us down.
If Satan can get us off our ground in Christ Jesus and onto the ground of our effort, he knows he has us in his grip. We may succeed for a while with New Year resolutions but even before the chill winds of February, condemnation looms large all over again. The law always kills in the end.”
– Terry Virgo in Transforming Grace
