Titus 2:11-14; Romans 3:24-25

How does the grace of God bring salvation?

Ø Grace brings salvation through the WORKS of grace.

Titus 3:7 says we have been justified by His grace.  This is problematic for a holy God, to justify (declare righteous) sinners.  And yet He has done this.  How has He done this without sacrificing His holiness?  The answer is by the work of Christ, the Person of Grace who was the perfect Lamb of God.  

Rom. 3:24-25 says this justification requires a 2-fold work by Christ.  First was the work of redemption by which He paid the ransom price for sin by shedding His own blood.  Second was the work of propitiation by which He took our punishment, the wrath of God, upon Himself.  He died in our place (Isa. 53).  In all this we were thus justified freely by His grace.  Which leads to a third thought on how grace brings salvation.

Ø Grace brings salvation by the WORDS of grace.

Since the Person of Grace has done the work of grace, the guilty sinner must be informed that his plight is no longer hopeless.  The gospel that saves is the word of His grace (Acts 14:3; 20:32).  Specifically …

·        2 Tim. 3:15: Holy Scripture is able and is essential to save.  Scripture must be part of our approach to “witnessing.”  Paul notes how this work in Timothy’s life through his mother and grand-mother.  It’s not the fame nor power of the preacher; it is their use of Scripture.

·        James 1:21: It is the implanted word that is able to save.  A. T. Robertson says it is the rooted word, sown in the heart.  The word must find good soil in which it can produce the fruit consistent with faith (Matt. 13:18-23).

·        John 5:34: Jesus spoke words that they might be saved.  What words?  A review of the chapter tells us.  First He set Himself forth as God our Savior (the one through whom eternal life comes, John 5:16-30).  Then He gave evidence to affirm His claims (John 5:31-47). 

·        Rom. 1:16-17: The gospel is God’s power unto salvation.  The gospel tells us who Christ is (Rom. 1:1-4) and what He has done (1 Cor. 15:1-5).  The gospel reveals God’s righteousness, how a holy God justifies the sinner!

·        Romans 10:14-17:  The word of God must be preached because faith comes by hearing that word!  Jesus said His words are spirit and they are life (John 6:63).  Even when Paul was chained in prison he knew that the word of God would never be chained (2 Tim. 2:9).

Grace brings salvation through the works of Christ (that is finished) and the words of the gospel (that preaching is ongoing) which is the doctrine of God our Savior which all believers must adorn!