19/01/2025
Grace In the Bible
β’ The narrative of God's relationship with humanity, commencing with the fall of Adam and Eve, fundamentally illustrates the concept of grace through His decision to spare them from immediate destruction.
β’ This account details the historical unfolding of His unmerited favor toward humanity as He restrains evil and actively endeavors to redeem His followers from the consequences of their sinful rebellion.
β’ Grace must be understood in the context of humanity's fall. Consequently, one's grasp of sin profoundly shapes their perception of grace, and vice versa. A comprehensive understanding of the destructive and pervasive effects of the fall highlights our profound need for grace to address our fundamental issues.
β’ It is essential to recognize that grace should not be reduced to a mere emotional response from God. He does not overlook humanity's sins or treat individuals as if nothing has transpired.
β’ The original relationship established in Eden has been irrevocably damaged. In Adam, we exist under condemnation and death as a result of our rebellion. Grace necessitates divine action, as sin requires atonement. A biblically grounded understanding of grace must first consider the context of the Old Testament sacrificial system and its eventual fulfillment through the work of Jesus Christ. To engage with the concept of grace is to acknowledge the plight of fallen humanity alongside the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace in History
β’ The central figure is Augustine, the fifth-century bishop of Hippo Regius in North Africa. Augustine's life and writings had a profound impact on subsequent discussions about grace. His personal experience with grace was deeply significant, which he articulated to the public in his captivating and intricate work, Confessions. This book later sparked the well-known Pelagian controversy. The Confessions serves not only as an autobiographical reflection on grace in Augustine's life but also as a declaration of God's grace, illustrating a humble and complete reliance on God. Additionally, it artistically explores themes of fall, love for God, and the power of sin, with Jesus Christ providing the resolution to his struggles.
(But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. 1 Corinthians 15:10)
β’ Justification by Grace: Martin Luther
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faithβ and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of Godβnot by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8β9
On the Bo***ge of the Will β response to Erasmus. It is his masterful articulation of the notion that the human
will is bound and that our intuitive sense of complete freedom with regard to decision making is an illusion when it comes to the matter of salvation. For Luther, if any element of justification lay decisively with the human will or with a human work, there could be no assurance of salvation.
Luther strongly aligns himself with Augustine's teachings when it comes to the doctrine of grace. He perceives his efforts as a contemporary struggle against a renewed form of Pelagianism. By emphasizing God's sovereignty, human depravity, and the necessity for unilateral divine intervention, he effectively embodies a tradition that traces back to the early church.
β’ Grace Reformed: John Calvin and the Reformed Tradition
Calvinβs most well-known work, containing his most famous articulation of grace and predestination, is his Institutes of the Christian Religion, a book he first published in 1536 and then spent the rest of his life revising and expanding. Calvinβs first concern in considering election is not to speculate about the origin of evil or why one is chosen and another reprobated. It is rather to focus on Christ.
