"The Glory of His Grace."

Considerations by William Gadsby from Ephesians 1 Verse 6

The word grace is in almost everybody's mouth who makes a profession of religion. "Salvation is all of grace," "We must be saved by grace," are words frequently spoken. But if you will allow the bulk of professing Christians to tell their own tale you will find that they either do not understand the meaning of grace, or else they do not mean what they say.

There is a large body of professing Christians who say that salvation is all of grace, and then roundly assert that if God does not give all men a chance of being saved, He is an unjust God. What a horrible idea! God unjust if He does not give all men a chance of being saved! I that be true, then instead of salvation being all of grace it is a debt that God owes to rebel man. And if He does not pay that debt then He is an unjust God, and there can be no real thanks due to Him, for He only does that which to leave undone would impeach His justice. How then can salvation be all of grace as they say?

Grace is free, unmerited, undeserved favour; and if God would be unjust if He did not give guilty man a chance of being saved, then salvation cannot be of grace, it is a debt. Salvation is either entirely of grace, entirely of works, or of works and grace together.

Now let us hear what God the Holy Ghost, by the apostle, says on this subject.

"Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace; otherwise work is no more work." Romans 11:5 - 6.

Thus, beloved, you see that salvation is entirely of God's free grace and not a debt that He owes to rebel man. Nor does it in any way proceed from the works of man, but is the rich, free, undeserved favour of God to poor, worthless, guilty sinners, who have awfully merited His righteous indignation. And this rich bestowment of grace is without the least idea of grace is without the least idea of worth or worthiness in them upon whom it is bestowed, for "He hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his won purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." 2nd Timothy chapter 1 verse 9. It is all "To the praise of the glory of His grace." Ephesians 1 verse 6.