The phrase “saving grace” is commonly heard in popular songs and films, and Christians have included it in poetry, novels, and theological books throughout Church history. Why is the term so essential to Christians and even to non-Christians who experience its great mercy? Why is it essential to understanding the Christian story?
Where Does the Bible Use the Phrase Saving Grace?
While the precise phrase “saving grace” isn’t present in the Bible, the concept of being saved by faith is found throughout Scripture. It’s one in all those cases where we make a theological phrase to explain an idea the Bible clearly discusses (just like the phrase “Trinity”).
Most notably, we see the concept of saving grace in Ephesians 2:8-9:
“For by grace, you may have been saved through faith. And this isn’t your personal doing; it’s the gift of God, not a results of works, in order that nobody may boast. For we’re his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should always walk in them.”
Historians and students agree that the apostle Paul wrote this epistle to the church in Ephesus around 60 A.D. Christ’s real saving grace was superb news in its first-century context. Under the Roman Empire, most individuals followed pagan religions that didn’t guarantee a spot in a state of Paradise unless they offered many sacrifices—and even that probably wouldn’t be enough. The gods were depicted as fickle and might be benevolent or malicious. The pagan beliefs included cult worship of the present Roman emperor, who might be probably the most fickle “god” anyone worshipped. The Christian message of saving grace was counter-cultural and enriching. It offers the assured hope of being with Christ in Heaven through his death and resurrection.
How Do Christians Define Saving Grace?
Following Scripture’s description, the church has all the time defined saving grace as a free gift bestowed on humanity by Christ’s death and resurrection in the primary century.
We don’t deserve the free gift of God’s saving grace due to our fallen state, but it surely is bestowed upon us if we confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord. Paul writes in Romans 10:9-10:
“If you declare together with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and consider in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For it’s together with your heart that you simply consider and are justified, and it’s together with your mouth that you simply profess your faith and are saved.”
Saving grace isn’t present in morality, cultural religion, or a philosophical system but within the person of Jesus Christ. One is redeemed through faith in Christ alone. This is the gospel’s central message passed from the apostles and included within the Nicene and Apostles’ Creed.
The gift of unmerited grace implies that salvation can’t be earned. Although humanity didn’t need to be redeemed after the Fall, Christ, the Great Artist, loved humanity enough to return and offer hope and redemption through His Death and Resurrection.
Though many terrible things have been done within the name of Christianity, and far harm has been caused due to fundamentalism, true historic Christianity is really excellent news for people from all walks of life. This was the case in the primary century when people from very poor, wealthy, and middle-class backgrounds heard the message of agape love being taught by the early church after the resurrection of Christ. Christ commands the Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations by reflecting the saving grace that breaks the bonds of sin and death.
The excellent news for on a regular basis people worldwide, no matter their social status, cultural background, or personal circumstance, is that saving grace could be experienced by the ability of the Holy Spirit.
What Separates Saving Grace from Common Grace?
The distinction between saving grace and customary grace is immensely essential within the Christian worldview. Common grace is the theological view that everybody has a revelation of God’s goodness, glory, and sweetness, irrespective of their culture, worldview, or social status. In his letter to the Romans, Paul makes this argument when writing concerning the reality of God’s existence and goodness revealed within the natural world.
“For because the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his everlasting power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that individuals are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)
In the Christian worldview, the laws of physics alone didn’t create the universe. Physical reactions alone cannot explain the origin of morality, human consciousness, love, art, and spiritual experience. The more logical and delightful explanation is that every one of this got here into existence by the Great Artist Christ.
example of common grace from scripture comes from Acts 17. In this chapter, Paul debates with different philosophers in Greece about divine revelation and humanity’s seek for redemption. Since God is revealed through his creation, human beings are without excuse and do have a revelation of God’s glory through the creation.
Paul identified to the philosophers that the statue of the unknown god of their city indicated a seek for God even in the event that they hadn’t found him yet and declared that the unknown god they were trying to find was Christ himself. Some thinkers scoffed at this, while others found Paul’s message peculiar and interesting. St. Paul saw his vocation as spreading the message of the saving grace of Christ to all different kinds of individuals craving for redemption.
Although saving grace is a free gift offered by a very good, loving, and holy God, it doesn’t mean one can proceed living a duplicitous lifestyle. The fruits of the spirit are evidence of saving grace in a Christian’s life. As Paul states concerning the fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no such thing as a law.”
Saving grace is the theological view that for somebody to experience true freedom and hope in Christ, they have to repent of their sins and acknowledge Jesus as Messiah and King. This journey requires an act of give up, which is essential within the Christian life and requires each day dying to oneself. example of give up from scripture is when Jesus says in Matthew 16:25, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.”
Surrender is difficult for human beings since we’re broken sinners who wish to be right and hold on to our pride. The modern gods of technology and one’s own social status make this act of give up incredibly difficult to undergo. Jesus’ proclamation of being the way in which, the reality, and the life challenges the naturalistic spirit of the age.
How Do We Receive Saving Grace?
Many people in our confused, polarized, postmodern world are in search of hope, redemption, and meaning. Although different worldviews offer their very own answers to the human condition, the gospel of Jesus Christ offers the last word hope to the human seek for meaning and purpose. I give an example from personal experience for instance how I got here to receive saving grace on my faith journey.
When I used to be a confused agnostic, I used to be concerned with many alternative religions and spiritual paths. As interesting as they were, I discovered no yet another compelling than Jesus of Nazareth. Why? After asking different historical and existential questions, I got here to know the person of Christ. This was only possible by acknowledging that I used to be a broken sinner while also being loved beyond my comprehension by Christ. Christ loved me and all of humanity enough to empty himself of his glory from the heavenly realm, to be born as a human in the primary century, suffer a horrific execution by crucifixion, and rise again on the third day. Jesus’ Resurrection is what began the Christian movement and fulfilled all of the Old Testament prophesies concerning the suffering servant. Going from being a confused agnostic to experiencing the truth of the saving grace of Christ modified my life.
Photo Credit:©Getty Images/Boonyachoat
Justin Wiggins is an writer who works and lives within the primitive, majestic, beautiful mountains of North Carolina. He graduated together with his Bachelor’s in English Literature, with a give attention to C.S. Lewis studies, from Montreat College in May 2018. His first book was Surprised by Agape, published by Grant Hudson of Clarendon House Publications. His second book, Surprised By Myth, was co-written with Grant Hudson and published in 2021. Many of his recent books (Marty & Irene, Tír na nÓg, Celtic Twilight, Celtic Song, Ragnarok, Celtic Dawn) are published by Steve Cawte of Impspired.
Wiggins has also had poems and other short pieces published by Clarendon House Publications, Sehnsucht: The C.S. Lewis Journal, and Sweetycat Press. Justin has a terrific zeal for all times, work, community, writing, literature, art, pubs, bookstores, coffee shops, and for England, Scotland, and Ireland.
This article is an element of our Christian Terms catalog, exploring words and phrases of Christian theology and history. Here are a few of our hottest articles covering Christian terms to assist your journey of information and faith:
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