For by Grace (favor extended) you are (exist) saved (saved by a savior) through (across to the other side) Faith (be persuaded to trust).1
Grace is fundamental to the gospel, this good news is brought about by God's great love for us, For by Grace. Some say we shouldn't teach Grace, people will sin if we do. Without the teaching of Grace, men will rely on their flesh to fulfill the Righteousness of God. Was not this the requirement under the old covenant? For by the Law you are saved. And the people became very good at following the Law through the flesh but their hearts were far from God and full of all kinds of uncleanliness. Jesus came in Grace and Truth, to not teach grace is to not teach truth. So what if they do sin? God wants us to be like Him, this is the object of Grace, our hearts toward him. For by Grace (motivated by love) through faith (work of God) we are saved, this is the wisdom of God. The message of Grace is, come as you are, come to the fountain of living water, come eat the bread of life, labor into that which is eternal.
I would rather have a clean heart, struggling with sin in my flesh than have an unclean heart looking externally clean. And here is the separation of the old from the new. "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."4 What did Jesus mean by this? The righteous under the old covenant were those who met the requirements of the Law. They fulfilled the commandments, but as Jesus said, their hearts were far from God. They had added many traditions and doctrines in the name of not sinning. But Jesus said by doing these they actually break God's commandments. They tithed 10% from their abundance but they devoured widows homes, turning tithing into a sacrificial offering when it is to be a firstfruit response of our hearts to God's love. Their hearts were far from God, and this Greatest Commandment to Love God and the one like it, they did not follow. Jesus told the people their righteousness must exceed this righteous requirement of the Law. Repent, the Kingdom of God is at hand.
The teaching of Grace ensures us that our motivation is to be pure, it is the first fruits of our heart God desires. It is by God's Grace the new covenant exists, He loved us so much he provided a way through His firstborn, to meet the requirements of his righteousness. Jesus, who is a first fruit of a new creation. Robert Morris in His book "The Blessed Life" explains the principle of the first fruit.8 These principles of God still exist today. The lesson of the Mosaic Law was that it was powerless through the flesh to overcome sin. Today is no different, we are powerless through the flesh, but because of Grace, God gives us way to have power over sin and surely it is not through the Law but Through faith. This word for through is diá, our word for diameter comes from it, properly it means across (to the other side). How do I get across to the other side to please God? faith. To the other side of the old covenant to the new covenant so that I meet His requirements? faith. From the Law which is powerless to a salvation which empowers? faith. From being alienated without hope into adoption as sons? faith. For by Grace I am redeemed, forgiven, and given life abundantly, this is good news brought to us by Grace through faith.
For by the Law, am I saved? "For powerless being the Law in that it was weak through the flesh, God of himself, His son, having sent in the likeness of flesh, of sin, and for sin, judged sin in the flesh, that the requirement of the Law should be fulfilled in us, not according to the flesh, walking but according to the Spirit."1 Under the new covenant, God's righteous requirement is met, through His Grace, His mercy triumphs His judgement.2 This is an amazing and profound statement. The righteous requirement of the Law was met in Jesus Christ, who came in the form of human nature, of flesh and sin. He lived an indestructible life, one without sin, and he condemned or judged sin in the flesh. God loved greatly, He changed His requirement, when we walk according to the Spirit the requirement is fulfilled, this is Amazing Grace.4
For by Repentance am I saved? Jesus came to the Jew first then to the Gentile. John prepared a way for him, the message was one of repent and be baptized, it was directed to God's people the Jews. Repentance was essential to God's people as it is today, the Jews were under the old covenant, the requirement of the Law to fulfill Gods righteousness. Water for the remission of sin, the purification and cleansing by water was one they would have understood. John said the one to come, whose shoes he was not worthy to tie, would cleanse not by water but by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. Again a message to God's people to repent, they were required to change, He was changing the requirements, bringing in a new covenant. A Gentile woman approach Jesus asking Him to cast a demon out of her daughter, no doubt she had heard of the works of Jesus. Jesus told her, and I paraphrase, it wasn't time for her, let the children, the Jew, eat first. Today His people are to repent and be baptized; confession and cleansing by his spirit.
For by Serving, am I saved? I was an alien from the house of God, a stranger to the covenant of promise, to the inheritance as a son, having no hope and without God in the world. But through the blood of Christ I was brought near, adopted as a son. No longer a servant in bondage but a son. The servant does not abide in the house forever, but a son receives inheritance. Christ made both one, abolishing the enmity, the middle wall of separation, the law of commandments contained in ordinances. He made peace so as to create one new man from the two. What the law could not do in that it was weak in the flesh, Christ did. Through the cross, Christ abolished the law, putting to death the enmity, so that in one body he reconciles both to God. "For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father."6 I was a servant, a bond-servant in debt, but by Grace He adopted me, now a son ownership is my right.
"For by Grace are you save through Faith, And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Cornerstone
I would rather have a clean heart, struggling with sin in my flesh than have an unclean heart looking externally clean. And here is the separation of the old from the new. "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."4 What did Jesus mean by this? The righteous under the old covenant were those who met the requirements of the Law. They fulfilled the commandments, but as Jesus said, their hearts were far from God. They had added many traditions and doctrines in the name of not sinning. But Jesus said by doing these they actually break God's commandments. They tithed 10% from their abundance but they devoured widows homes, turning tithing into a sacrificial offering when it is to be a firstfruit response of our hearts to God's love. Their hearts were far from God, and this Greatest Commandment to Love God and the one like it, they did not follow. Jesus told the people their righteousness must exceed this righteous requirement of the Law. Repent, the Kingdom of God is at hand.
The teaching of Grace ensures us that our motivation is to be pure, it is the first fruits of our heart God desires. It is by God's Grace the new covenant exists, He loved us so much he provided a way through His firstborn, to meet the requirements of his righteousness. Jesus, who is a first fruit of a new creation. Robert Morris in His book "The Blessed Life" explains the principle of the first fruit.8 These principles of God still exist today. The lesson of the Mosaic Law was that it was powerless through the flesh to overcome sin. Today is no different, we are powerless through the flesh, but because of Grace, God gives us way to have power over sin and surely it is not through the Law but Through faith. This word for through is diá, our word for diameter comes from it, properly it means across (to the other side). How do I get across to the other side to please God? faith. To the other side of the old covenant to the new covenant so that I meet His requirements? faith. From the Law which is powerless to a salvation which empowers? faith. From being alienated without hope into adoption as sons? faith. For by Grace I am redeemed, forgiven, and given life abundantly, this is good news brought to us by Grace through faith.
For by Grace are you saved. God's own working or exemption from a usual requirement is spoken of as dispensation.8 This Dispensation of Grace speaks to the dispensing of a new covenant with exemptions to old requirements, of following the Law.9 And it speaks to both becoming one, a new man, a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit, a new family were we are adopted as members of his household, his Church, which rises to become a holy temple in the Lord, and is to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.10God doesn't change, lets be clear. So the idea God changed his requirements would mean he changed? No, this mystery he set forth from the beginning, the prophets were given a glimpse, they searched the scriptures for this life, it was always a part of God's plan, so there was no change. Only that he loved us so greatly that He would give us Grace. And his righteousness doesn't change. Before His righteous requirements were to be met through the Law, to follow the Law was the requirements He gave under the old Mosaic covenant. Under the new, under Grace, it is the righteousness of one man, Jesus, who fulfilled the requirements. God created something different. Jesus was the "firstfruit" of a new creation. The righteous requirements are met, For by Grace you are saved. The requirements are met through Grace by faith and we are given the power to conquer the flesh, to meet His righteousness, this power is given to us by His Spirit, "that the requirement of the Law should be fulfilled in us, not according to the flesh are walking but according to the Spirit."10a
For by the Law, am I saved? "For powerless being the Law in that it was weak through the flesh, God of himself, His son, having sent in the likeness of flesh, of sin, and for sin, judged sin in the flesh, that the requirement of the Law should be fulfilled in us, not according to the flesh, walking but according to the Spirit."1 Under the new covenant, God's righteous requirement is met, through His Grace, His mercy triumphs His judgement.2 This is an amazing and profound statement. The righteous requirement of the Law was met in Jesus Christ, who came in the form of human nature, of flesh and sin. He lived an indestructible life, one without sin, and he condemned or judged sin in the flesh. God loved greatly, He changed His requirement, when we walk according to the Spirit the requirement is fulfilled, this is Amazing Grace.4
For by Repentance am I saved? Jesus came to the Jew first then to the Gentile. John prepared a way for him, the message was one of repent and be baptized, it was directed to God's people the Jews. Repentance was essential to God's people as it is today, the Jews were under the old covenant, the requirement of the Law to fulfill Gods righteousness. Water for the remission of sin, the purification and cleansing by water was one they would have understood. John said the one to come, whose shoes he was not worthy to tie, would cleanse not by water but by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. Again a message to God's people to repent, they were required to change, He was changing the requirements, bringing in a new covenant. A Gentile woman approach Jesus asking Him to cast a demon out of her daughter, no doubt she had heard of the works of Jesus. Jesus told her, and I paraphrase, it wasn't time for her, let the children, the Jew, eat first. Today His people are to repent and be baptized; confession and cleansing by his spirit.
For by Serving, am I saved? I was an alien from the house of God, a stranger to the covenant of promise, to the inheritance as a son, having no hope and without God in the world. But through the blood of Christ I was brought near, adopted as a son. No longer a servant in bondage but a son. The servant does not abide in the house forever, but a son receives inheritance. Christ made both one, abolishing the enmity, the middle wall of separation, the law of commandments contained in ordinances. He made peace so as to create one new man from the two. What the law could not do in that it was weak in the flesh, Christ did. Through the cross, Christ abolished the law, putting to death the enmity, so that in one body he reconciles both to God. "For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father."6 I was a servant, a bond-servant in debt, but by Grace He adopted me, now a son ownership is my right.
"For by Grace are you save through Faith, And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Cornerstone