Many say - “The Bible says what it means and means what it says!” –  Actually, the Bible means what it means.  Must account for figurative and accommodative language – (idioms, apocalyptic, parables... )  The importance of context – (immediate and remote / who is speaking & who is being spoken to)  Properly defining terms – (what did the Hebrew and Greek terms mean when they were penned?)  Must include EVERYTHING the Bible says about a particular subject

Every Professed Christian Who Is A False Teacher Uses The Bible!  Historically, God’s words have been twisted to propagate error and promote lawlessness.

 Ps 56:5 — Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.  Jer 23:36 —... for ye have perverted the words of the living God...  Mt 15:6 —... Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

 Mt 22:29 — Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.  Galatians 1:7... there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.  2 Peter 3: which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

Every Professed Christian Who Is A False Teacher Uses The Bible!  The terms “Grace, Faith, & Works” are words that have been twisted and perverted for 2,000 years... Jude 1:3,4; Romans 6:1,2; James 2:14-26

Nullifies any necessary act of obedience on our part. A miraculous gift, merely mental consent, excludes any act of obedience on man’s part. Any thing one does. Makes grace void. Heresy when made necessary for salvation Any thing one does. Makes grace void. Heresy when made necessary for salvation

London Confession (1689) – Chapter 10 Those whom God hath predestinated unto life, he is pleased in his appointed, and accepted time, effectually to call, by his Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ; enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God; taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them a heart of flesh; renewing their wills, and by his almighty power determining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ; yet so as they come most freely, being made willing by his grace.

London Confession (1689) – Chapter 10 This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man, nor from any power or agency in the creature, being wholly passive therein, being dead in sins and trespasses, until being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit; he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it, and that by no less power than that which raised up Christ from the dead.

“Grace says you have nothing to give, nothing to earn, nothing to pay. You couldn't if you tried! Salvation is a free gift. You simply lay hold of what Christ has provided. Period. And yet the heretical doctrine of works goes on all around the world and always will. It is effective because the pride of men and women is so strong. We simply have to do something in order to feel right about it. It just doesn't make good humanistic sense to get something valuable for nothing.”

Grace - χάρις, charis - Grace - χάρις, charis - Usage Notes: has various uses, (a) objective, that which bestows or occasions pleasure, delight, or causes favorable regard; it is applied, e.g., to beauty, or gracefulness of person, Luke 2:40; act, 2 Cor. 8:6, or speech, Luke 4:22, RV, "words of grace" (AV, "gracious words"); Col. 4:6; (b) subjective, (1) on the part of the bestower, the friendly disposition from which the kindly act proceeds, graciousness, loving-kindness, goodwill generally, e.g., Acts 7:10; Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words

Grace - χάρις, charis - Grace - χάρις, charis - “... especially with reference to the Divine favor or "grace," e.g., Acts 14:26; in this respect there is stress on its freeness and universality, its spontaneous character, as in the case of God's redemptive mercy, and the pleasure or joy He designs for the recipient; thus it is set in contrast with debt, Rom. 4:4, 16, with works, Rom. 11:6, and with law, John 1:17; see also, e.g., Rom. 6:14, 15; Gal. 5:4;” Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words

16 Romans 11:6 (NKJV) 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. The Gospel is NOT a system based on MERIT – but forgiveness through Jesus Christ when we by faith obey Him –

“Unmerited Favor”  God Not Under Obligation to Man - Rom 4:4, 5; Mat 18:23-35  God’s Love is unmerited! – John 3:16; Rom 5:8; 1 John 4:9,10  The means of salvation is unmerited! – Mat 26:28; Rom 5:8- 10; Heb. 2:9  All spiritual blessings in Christ are unmerited – Ep 1:3; Col. 1:19; 2:9;

“Universally Extended”  “Has appeared to all men” – Titus 2:11; Eph. 3:3-8; Col. 1:6; John 1:9; Heb. 2:9; 1 John 2:1,2;  God’s will and desire is that all men be saved – 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9; Ezekiel 18:20-32

“Brings Salvation”  We are saved by grace – Tit 2:11; Rom. 3:24; 4:4; Eph. 1:7; 2:5-8; 2 Thes. 2:16; Tit. 3:5-7  We “lay hold of what Christ has provided” by submitting to His terms, which He has by His grace revealed to us – Eph. 2:8,9; Titus 2:11-13; 3:3-5

20 Ephesians 2:8-10 (NKJV) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

 For by grace (tēi gar chariti). Explanatory reason. "By the grace" already mentioned in Ephes. 2:5 and so with the article.  Through faith (dia pisteōs). This phrase he adds in repeating what he said in Ephes. 2:5 to make it plainer. "Grace" is God's part, "faith" ours.  Through faith (dia pisteōs). This phrase he adds in repeating what he said in Ephes. 2:5 to make it plainer. "Grace" is God's part, "faith" ours.  And that (kai touto). Neuter, not feminine tautē, and so refers not to pistis (feminine) or to charis (feminine also), but to the act of being saved by grace conditioned on faith on our part. Paul shows that salvation does not have its source (ex humōn, out of you) in men, but from God. Besides, it is God's gift (dōron) and not the result of our work.

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“Brings Salvation”  The doctrine of grace has been abused – Rom. 6:1,15; Jude 1:4  Something we can receive and then lose – Acts 13:43; Gal. 5:4; Heb. 10:29; 12:15  The grace of God that brings salvation includes conditions – Mark 16:15,16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Gal. 2:20; Titus 2:11-14

God's Universal Kindness, Love & Mercy. Mercy. 26 The Gracious Gift of God’s Son & The Gospel Faith – Repentance – Confession – Baptism - Faithfulness Not Of Works! Includes Works! “You simply lay hold of what Christ has provided” Includes Works! “You simply lay hold of what Christ has provided”

Charts by Don McClain Prepared November 8-12, 2011 Preached November 13, 2011 West 65 th Street church of Christ P.O. Box Little Rock AR Prepared using PPT – More PPT & Audio Sermons: Charts by Don McClain Prepared November 8-12, 2011 Preached November 13, 2011 West 65 th Street church of Christ P.O. Box Little Rock AR Prepared using PPT – More PPT & Audio Sermons: