1 Coríntios 15

1 Coríntios 15:10

Barnes comments that Paul is saying in this passage that… What I have is to be traced to Him, and not to any native tendency to goodness, or any native inclination to His service, or to any merit of my own. All my hopes of heaven; all my zeal; all my success; all my piety; all my apostolic endowments, are to be traced to Him. Nothing is more common in the writings of Paul, than a disposition to trace all that he had to the mere mercy and grace of God. And nothing is a more certain indication of true piety than such a disposition. C H Spurgeon discusses experiential manifestations of grace similar to those mentioned by John Newton in the preceding quote (this is a long quote but worth reading)… By this (experiential manifestations of grace) I mean that there are times, in our experience, when this truth starts up in letters of light, and we recognize it as an indisputable fact, not only taught to us as a Scriptural doctrine, but proved to us by our own personal experience. Let me just narrate a few instances. Brethren and sisters, have you ever had times when the fountains of the great deep of your depravity have been broken up? Have you ever been taken into the chambers of imagery, and has the Spirit of God there said to you, “Son of man, I will show you greater abominations than these;” and has he taken you first into one room, and then into another, and made you stand aghast while he has shown you the idols of your heart, the deep depravity that still remains in you, the pride, and sloth, and various forms of sin which still lurk and find shelter there? Have you ever had the filthy rags unrolled before your eyes? Have you heard the chattering of the unclean birds in the cage of your heart? Have you ever been fully conscious of the stench arising from your Old Adam nature? Has your spirit sickened at the very thought of the depravity of manhood in general, and of yourself in particular? Have you ever had your secret sins set in the light of God’s countenance? Have you ever been made be see the blackness of your own sin side by side with the brightness of divine favor? Have you ever been made to taste the exceeding bitterness of your sin even at the communion table— even while you realized the preciousness of the blood of Christ, and renewed your former fellowship with him? If so, then I know that my text has been true to you, as it has been also to me, and that you have said, as I have often been compelled to say, “By the glace of God I am what I am.” (If you've never read it you must read Spurgeon's Personal Testimony of Amazing Grace!) You have looked at your heart, and you have, seen its barren soil, and if there has been any wheat growing upon it, you have said, “This is the result of the grace of God.” You have looked at the huge black rock of your Old Adam nature, and when you have seen rivers of living water flowing out of the very midst of it, you have been obliged to say, “This mighty miracle could only have been wrought by the grace of God.” Flimsy views of human depravity lead to very indistinct ideas of the grace of God. There is nothing but deep soul ploughing that ever makes a man sound in the doctrines of grace; and I will defy any man, who has had a deep experience of his own odious depravity, to believe any other doctrines but the doctrine of grace, which are commonly called Calvinism. No, more than that, the mind, unless it be most graciously taught by the Spirit of God, will be apt to go beyond the true Scriptural doctrine, and to push the term beyond its legitimate sphere. There have been other occasions on which you and I have been forced to cry, “By the grace of God I am what I am;” namely, after some strong and terrible temptation. Have you never known what it is to feel some old lust, which you thought was dead, suddenly come upon you with a whirlwind power, and drive you before it, like a sere leaf of the forest, that could not resist its might? I have, sometimes, had this trying experience. When quietly meditating upon the things of God, some fierce and fearful impulse to sin has assailed me, as if a giant had seized me by the neck, and pushed me onward until, at last, I came to the very brink of some awful iniquity, and looked down upon it; and, just as it seemed as if I must plunge into it, my eyes have been opened, and I have seen the horror of great darkness, and I have exclaimed, “O God! how is it that I have not committed that sin? How is it that thou hast come to save me just in the nick of time, and stretched out thy hand to rescue me just when ’my feet were almost gone,’ when ’my steps had well-nigh slipped’?” Not only had I thought of slipping, but “my steps had well-nigh slipped. Then, thy mercy, O God, held me up!” I do not know whether you have had strong impulses of that kind; many of God’s people have, and especially those who, before conversion, plunged deeply into sin. You have sometimes had almost on your lips the oath which you have hated in your inmost heart; iniquity has come before you in a fascinating guise, and although you abhorred it, yet, for the moment, a strange hallucination of dazzling be witchery seemed to lay hold of your spirit, and if you had yielded to it, you would have been like Samson when he fell into the hands of the Philistines. So it is that we are often compelled to say, as we look back upon marvellous providences and divine interpositions, “Truly, by the grace of God we are what we are, and by that grace alone have we been preserved from falling into sin.” I think, too, that this truth has often been brought home to us when we have witnessed the fall of others. You have, perhaps, walked to and from the house of God with some notable professor of religion, and he has instructed you on many points. He seemed to be a man of deep experience and devout life. Your heart has been knit to him, and you have said, “Here is a brother indeed;” and you have, possibly, envied him his great attainments and his fluent speech. Then, suddenly, you heard that he had fallen into some terrible sin; you made enquiries, and you found that it was only too true. You were present, one night, at the church meeting, when the solemn sentence of excommunication was pronounced upon him; and while the minister uttered it, all the members wept, and prayed that the poor fallen one might be brought to repentance, and that his soul might not be the prey of Satan. At such a time as that, you have said, “By the grace of God I am what I am,” and you have said, with good John Newton, — “When any turn from Zion’s way, (Alas, what numbers do!) Methinks I hear my Savior say, ’Wilt thou forsake me too?’ “Ah, Lord! with such a heart as mine, Unless thou hold me fast, I feel I must, I shall decline, And prove like them at last.” Such instances may act as beacons to warn us of pride, and to teach us again the lesson that by the grace of God we are what we are. Then, brethren, I think there are other seasons when we learn this lesson; that is, in times of great dullness in spiritual matters. Heavenly trade is not always brisk, even in the best market, that is, in the breast of the believer. Spiritual mariners do not find that the wind always blows; and thus, though we should always have our sails up, (which, alas! is not always the case with us) even then the wind would not always blow, for it “blows where it will.” Like the sea, we have our ebb as well as our flood-tide. Do you not know what it is to go to the throne of grace, when — as for words, you can find plenty of them; but as for heart, and soul, and vigor in prayer, — if your salvation depended upon your fervency, you must perish? Have you not gone to the mercy-seat, and groaned there, — and groaned most of all because you could not groan as you ought. You have taken your wants to the throne of grace, but you have had to bring them away again. You have gone up to the house of God; and though you could find no fault with the sermon, there was, somehow or other, nothing in it for you. You went home to read your Bible; and though you knew that it was a precious book, it did not seem precious to you. It might be like a honeycomb (Ps 19:10), but you could not get any of the honey out of it. You had lost all spiritual appetite, and you felt as if you were drawing near to the gates of death. You remember, too, how you then sought the society of the godly, yet you received no consolation from them. Heavenly things seemed to be but dreams, the substantial things of eternity did not affect your spirit as they should have done; and you could only cry, with the psalmist, “My soul cleaves to the dust: revive me according to thy word.” (Ps 119:25) And at such times, and especially if your prayer has been graciously heard, you have been compelled to say, “It is my natural state? to be cold and dull; and if, at any time, I run swiftly in the heavenly race, — if my sails are filled, and my bark is wafted towards paradise, — surely this is by the grace of God.” Just one more remark upon this point. Times of great mercy often operate upon some of us so as to bring us very low, and to make us feel “By the grace of God we are what we are.” Simon Peter had this experience. When his boat was full of fish, so that it began to sink, he fell on his knees before his Master, and said “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (Their greatness of God’s mercy to him convinced him of his own undeservedness; and it has been the same with some of us. The more the glory of God’s grace has been revealed to our souls, the humbler have we been made to lie at his feet. When the Lord has piled up his mercies till they were like the great mountains, and his faithfulness has been like the bottomless depths, then have we been obliged to say, “These great things are indeed of God, they could not have come of man.” At such times, we have felt that we could sit before the Lord, as David did, and ay, “Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?” God sometimes overwhelms his children with mercy quite as completely as he ever does with affliction. Pride may be overcome in two ways. It is sometimes overcome by trouble that crushes a man; but, at other times, the same result is produced by almighty grace, which, in Overwhelming waves of love, rushes in upon the man’s spirit, till, submerged in love and mercy, he can only resign himself to its depths, and feel yet ever feel that he cannot feel enough — the wonders of God’s grace, and his own littleness in comparison with God’s amazing favor. God sometimes humbles his children by putting them in the dark, but he sometimes does it in another way, as David said, “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou are mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” (Ps 8:3,4) How often have we also had to say, with David, “How precious so are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!” So I hope it will be with each one of us, that the greatness of God’s mercy to us, as a church, and as individuals, will lead us to say, “By the grace of God we are what we are.” (1Corinthians 15:10 Lesson on Divine Grace)… And I would add, to sing hymns of praise to His grace, like … Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing Thy grace; Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise. O to grace how great a debtor Daily I’m constrained to be! Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee. Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing Grace (favor) (5485) (charis [word study]) is derived from chairo which means to rejoice and which gives us our English word charity. Even as beggars need "charity" so sinners need grace, for we are all spiritual paupers outside of Christ, but "God gives where he finds empty hands"-Augustine [cp Mt 5:3-note]. Grace in simple terms is God's unmerited favor and supernatural enablement and empowerment for salvation (justification) and for daily sanctification (progressive sanctification). Grace is everything for nothing to those who don't deserve anything. Grace is what every man needs, what none can earn and what God Alone can and does freely give (Ro 8:32-note "freely give" = charizomai from charis = a grace gift!). Grace addresses man's sin, while mercy addresses man's misery. The gift of grace makes men fit for salvation, miraculously making separated strangers into God's beloved sons (1Th 1:4-note, 1Jn 3:1-note, 1Jn 3:2-note, 1Jn 3:3-note). Charis - 155x in 147v in NAS (The best way to study a word like "charis" is to observe all the NT uses in context - this would make an edifying study - Consider working through a few passages a day as your devotional exercise and be sure to read the passage in context. Record your observations and then check them with more formal lexicons) - Luke 1:30; 2:40, 52; 4:22; 6:32, 33, 34; 17:9; Jn 1:14, 16, 17; Acts 2:47; 4:33; 6:8; 7:10, 46; 11:23; 13:43; 14:3, 26; 15:11, 40; 18:27; 20:24, 32; 24:27; 25:3, 9; Ro 1:5, 7; 3:24; 4:4, 16; 5:2, 15, 17, 20, 21; 6:1, 14, 15, 17; 7:25; 11:5, 6; 12:3, 6; 15:15; 16:20; 1Co 1:3, 4; 3:10; 10:30; 15:10, 57; 16:3, 23; 2Co 1:2, 12, 15; 2:14; 4:15; 6:1; 8:1, 4, 6f, 9, 16, 19; 9:8, 14, 15; 12:9; 13:13; Gal 1:3, 6, 15; 2:9, 21; 5:4; 6:18; Ep 1:2, 6f; 2:5, 7, 8; 3:2, 7, 8; 4:7, 29; 6:24; Php 1:2, 7; 4:23; Col 1:2, 6; 3:16; 4:6, 18; 1Th 1:1; 5:28; 2Th 1:2, 12; 2:16; 3:18; 1Ti 1:2, 12, 14; 6:21; 2Ti 1:2, 3, 9; 2:1; 4:22; Titus 1:4; 2:11; 3:7, 15; Philemon 1:3, 25; Heb 2:9; 4:16; 10:29; 12:15, 28; 13:9, 25; Jas 4:6; 1Pe 1:2, 10, 13; 2:19, 20; 3:7; 4:10; 5:5, 10, 12; 2Pe 1:2; 3:18; 2Jn 1:3; Jude 1:4; Rev 1:4; 22:21. NAS translates charis with the following English words = blessing(1), concession(1), credit(3), favor(11), gift(1), grace(122), gracious(2), gracious work(3), gratitude(1), thank(3), thankfulness(2), thanks(6). The English word grace is from the Latin gratia meaning favor, charm or thanks. Gratia in turn is derived from gratus meaning free, ready, quick, willing, prompt. Webster defines grace as the… unmerited love and favor of God which is the spring and source of all benefits men receive from Him, including especially His assistance given man for his regeneration or sanctification. (Grace is) a virtue from God influencing man, renewing his heart and restraining him from sin. (Compare this more "modern Webster" with Noah Webster's original definition of grace) Grace is God's generous favor to undeserving sinners and needy saints who are… Saved by Grace (Ep 2:8, 1:7) Sure by Grace (Ro 5:2) Secure by Grace (Ro 3:24) Strengthened by Grace (2Co 12:9, 2Co 9:8) Supplied by Grace (He 4:16) Somebody by Grace (Ep 3:7,8) Satisfied by Grace (Ep 2:7) Surprised by Grace (1Co 15:8-10) (Adapted from Alan Carr) Warren Wiersbe has some excellent words on the grace of God… The believer who lives in the sphere of God's grace is free, rich, and running in the lane that leads to reward and fulfillment. The believer who abandons grace for Law is a slave, a pauper, and a runner on a detour. In short, he is a loser. And the only way to become a winner is to "purge out the leaven," (1Co 5:7) the false doctrine that mixes Law and grace, and yield to the Spirit of God. God's grace is sufficient for every demand of life. We are saved by grace (Ep 2:8, 9, 10), and we serve by grace (1Co 15:9, 10). Grace enables us to endure suffering (2Co 12:9). It is grace that strengthens us (2Ti. 2:1), so that we can be victorious soldiers. Our God is the God of all grace (1Pe 5:10). We can come to the throne of grace and find grace to help in every need (He 4:16). As we read the Bible, which is "the Word of His grace" (Ac 20:32), the Spirit of grace (He 10:29) reveals to us how rich we are in Christ. "And of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace" (Jn 1:16). How rich we are! (Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary - New Testament. 1989. Victor) The Christian goes “from grace to grace” (Jn 1:16). The Christian life begins with saving grace (Ep 2:8,9, Ep 2:10). It continues with serving grace (1Co 15:9, 1Co 15:10); then sanctifying grace (Ro 5:17; Ro 6:17). God also gives sacrificing grace (2Co 8:1-9), singing grace (Col 3:16), speaking grace (Col 4:6), strengthening grace (2Ti 2:1), and suffering grace (2Co 12:9). “He gives more grace” (Jas 4:6NKJV). (Wiersbe, W. W. Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books or Wordsearch) (Bolding added) Whatever begins with God's grace will always lead to glory --Warren Wiersbe J C Philpot… What but sovereign grace—rich, free and super-abounding grace—has made the difference between you and the world who cannot receive Him? But for His divine operations upon your soul, you would still be of the world, hardening your heart against everything good and godlike, walking on in the pride and ignorance of unbelief and self-righteousness, until you sank down into the chambers of death! Octavius Winslow agrees declaring "Christian! the only thing that makes you differ from the vilest being that pollutes the earth, or from the darkest fiend that gnaws his chains in hell, is the free grace of God!" C H Spurgeon agrees writing: "All that we have received has come to us by the way of free grace! If our sense of our own unworthiness is clear, if we know what worse than nothings we are, what a mass of sin and corruption we are by nature, we shall never think that we receive anything from God by the way of merit. Still our proud hearts need to be told over and over again that all the blessings we enjoy come to us by the free and sovereign grace of God! The bread on your table is flavored with grace. Your meat has mercy for its sauce. Every drop of water which cools your tongue tastes of mercy. Charity clothes you. Infinite love feeds you. And as for your spiritual blessings, where are your streams found, whence do they gush—but from the inexhaustible fountain of eternal love? God forbid that we should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ—and in the love which shone from that cross to such poor, unworthy ones as we are! Those are charming bells indeed—free grace and dying love! Through the ivory gate of grace, all mercies come to sinners." (A Song Concerning Loving Kindnesses) Ah! but for free and sovereign grace, I still had lived estranged from God, Till hell had proved the destined place Of my deserved but dread abode. But O, amazed, I see the hand That stopped me in my wild career; A miracle of grace I stand; The Lord has taught my heart to fear. To fear His name, to trust His grace, To learn His will be my employ; Till I shall see Him face to face, Himself my heaven, Himself my joy. --L M H Pace Phil Newton explains that theologians speak of three types of grace: (1) Common grace, that which is given to everyone, e.g., air to breathe, warmth of the sun, etc.; (2) Saving grace, that which is the sovereign work of God in regenerating and calling sinners to himself that they might believe the gospel and be saved; (3) Sanctifying or sustaining or "walking" grace, that which is given by God to assist the believer in his spiritual maturity… We do not dispense grace nor manipulate it. It is not ours to demand of God but by its very nature, a gift of God. Multitudes of examples are found in the Old Testament of Israelites attempting to presume upon God's grace: e.g., manna given by grace but this grace presumed upon by those who failed to heed God's command to gather on Fridays enough for that day and the Sabbath. Why do we need grace? We are limited by our own weakness, sinfulness, and imperfections. We struggle with the pride that asserts our own strength, our own ability, and our own wisdom to the neglect of trusting the Lord. This does not mean that we are to fail to utilize all that God has entrusted to us by way of mind, personality, resources, and abilities. But it does mean that there is a difference between leaning upon ourselves and learning to lean upon the resources of our Lord. (Walking By Grace - James 4:6-10) “Did we in our own strength confide, Our striving would be losing; Were not the right Man on our side, The man of God’s own choosing. Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He; Lord Sabaoth is His name, From age to age the same, And He must win the battle.” Martin Luther TEACHING GRACE Paul gives a great explanation of the "instructing (teaching, disciplining) effect" of grace in Titus 2:11ff writing… Titus 2:11 For (explains Titus 2:10-note how bondslaves were able to adorn the doctrine of God) the grace of God has appeared (In the form of a Person, the Messiah - Jn 1:14, 16, 2Ti 2:1-note), bringing salvation to all men, (Titus 2:11-note) Titus 2:12 (the grace of God) instructing (paideuo = the training or disciplining as one would in raising a child to maturity - The present tense = continually training us, so if we don't partake of this "instruction" and "empowerment" it is not for lack of supply - cp 2Co 12:9-note) us to deny (Ed: Beloved, do not try to "deny" things in your own strength or by trying to keep a set of "do's and don't's" which is simply a form of legalism - Read about the effect of "legalistic" rules on our old flesh nature in Ro 7:5-note]. We will always fail miserably. Grace and law are like oil and water - they do not mix. Never! Admit you cannot deny the world, the flesh and the devil in your own strength and cast yourself upon the abundant, sufficient grace of God to deny) ungodliness (asebeia) and worldly desires and to live (to live a graceful life we must continually be grace filled) sensibly (sophronos), righteously (dikaios) and godly (eusebos) in the present age, (Titus 2:12-note) Titus 2:13 looking for (prosdechomai = looking expectantly as our lifestyle [present tense] = continually. E.g., Arising each morning, asking "Could this be the day?" and then living like it! -- What we are looking for will or should radically impact what and Who we are living for! No longer our own possession) the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus (Titus 2:13-note) Titus 2:14 Who gave Himself for (huper = in our place = Our Substitute) us, that He might redeem (lutroo) us from every lawless deed and purify (katharizo = same verb James uses to command us to cleans our hands! Jas 4:7-note) for Himself a people for His own possession (periousios, cp 1Co 6:20, 7:23, 1Pe 2:9-note, Lv 20:26, Dt 26:18, 19, Ex 19:6), zealous (Christians should be radical) for good deeds . (Titus 2:11-note, Titus 2:12-note, Titus 2:13-note, Titus 2:14-note) Grace of God - This specific phrase occurs 21x (twice in 1Co 15:10) in 20 v in the NAS - Lk 2:40; Acts 11:23; 13:43; 14:26; 20:24; Ro 5:15-note; 1Co 1:4; 3:10; 15:10; 2Co 1:12; 6:1; 8:1; 9:14; Gal 2:21; Col 1:6-note; Titus 2:11-note; Heb 2:9-note; He 12:15-note; 1 Pet 4:10-note; 1Pe 5:12-note The phrase God of grace expresses the Source of the Grace, God Himself "the God of all grace" (1Pe 5:1-note), Who reigns as sovereign on "the throne of grace" (He 4:16-note), and Who Alone "gives grace and glory" (Ps 84:11-Spurgeon's note) The grace of God is described as… Glorious (Ep 1:6-note) Abundant (Acts 4:33) Rich (Ep 1:7- note) Manifold (many-sided, multi-colored, variegated) (1Pe 4:10-note) Sufficient (sufficing, enough, adequate - there is never a shortage) (2Cor 12:9-note) Grace of God - Notice that 1Co 15:10 begins with the grace of God and fittingly ends with the grace of God. Paul is but an instrument (Acts 9:15), a vessel (2Ti 2:21), a "fruit bearing branch" (Jn 15:5, 16) through which the grace of God works effectively and energetically. Paul was what he was by the grace of God and labored as he labored by the grace of God! From start to finish and all in between, our life is to be saturated with the grace of God if we would desire to bear any fruit that endures the fire of judgment at the Bema seat (1Cor 3:11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 2Co 5:10-note). Now we can understand why Paul's emphasis on humility in 1Co 15:9-note, "sets him up" for reception of God's amazing grace in 1Cor 15:10, for James teaches that "God is opposed (antitasso in the present tense = continually) to the proud (huperephanos), but gives (present tense = continually) grace to the humble (tapeinos)." (Jas 4:6-note, cp 1Pe 5:5-note). Paul understood "the gravity of grace." "THE GRAVITY OF GRACE" Hughes describes the "gravity of grace" writing that it… works like the earth’s water system, which always flows from the highest to the lowest. Just as the waters of Niagara roll over the fall and plunge down to make a river below, and just as that river flows ever down to the even lower ranges of its course, then glides to still more low-lying areas where it brings life and growth, so it is with God’s grace. Grace’s gravity carries it to the lowly in heart, where it brings life and blessing. Grace goes to the humble. This is the spiritual law behind Proverbs 3:34, which James has quoted in Jas 4:6: “‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” The unbowed soul standing proudly before God receives no benefit from God’s falling grace. It may descend upon him, but it does not penetrate, and drips away like rain from a statue. But the soul lying humbly before God is immersed—and even swims—in a sea of grace. So while there is always “more grace,” it is reserved for the lowly—the humble. (Hughes, R. K. James : Faith that works. Preaching the Word. Crossway Books) The great Puritan writer Thomas Watson speaks of the spiritual dynamic which "activates" grace noting that… Grace can never thrive where pride and self-conceit grow. As a body with cancer cannot thrive—so neither can the soul thrive, which is cancered with pride and self-conceit. A proud head—makes a barren heart! Despite all that God used Paul to accomplish, the fact that grace continued to flow down indicates that he maintained an attitude of humility. Matthew Henry… It is God's prerogative to say, I am that I am; it is our privilege to be able to say, "By God's grace we are what we are." We are nothing but what God makes us, nothing in religion but what his grace makes us. All that is good in us is a stream from this fountain. Paul was sensible of this, and kept humble and thankful by this conviction; so should we. Nay, though he was conscious of his own diligence, and zeal, and service, so that he could say of himself, the grace of God was not given him in vain, but he laboured more abundantly than they all: he thought himself so much more the debtor to divine grace As Thomas Brooks wrote… Humility is both a grace, and a vessel to receive grace. There are none that see so much need of grace as humble souls; there are none that prize grace like humble souls; there are none that improve grace like humble souls; therefore God singles out the humble soul to fill him to the brim with grace, while the proud are sent empty away. Comment: This basic Biblical axiom begs the question - How's your (my) "humility quotient?" John the Baptist was a man who understood that grace was free to the soul that was humble declaring that… A man can receive nothing (Greek = word meaning ABSOLUTELY nothing!), unless it have been given him from heaven. (Jn 3:27) Spurgeon… In what humble tones Paul speaks! He will not deny what grace has done in him and by him, but he will ascribe it all to grace. Brethren, you are not to shut your eyes to the gracious change which God’s Holy Spirit has wrought in you. You may speak of it, and speak of it often, but always guard against taking any of the honour to yourselves, and be especially careful to put the crown upon the right head (cp Ps 115:1) Grace: — Greater than Our Sin Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt, Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured, There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt. Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within, Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin. —Julia H. Johnston The grace of God is the love of God in action, calling sinners like "Paul the persecutor" to new life in Christ, the very One he was persecuting… I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel (Gal 1:6) (Paul testifies to the calling power of grace) But when He who had set me apart, even from my mother's womb, and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood (Gal 1:15, 16) And it was for this He called you through our gospel (remembering the gospel is the "gospel of the grace of God" = Acts 20:24), that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2Th 2:14) (God) Who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works (we could never earn this "call" from God), but according to His own purpose (cp Ep 1:9) and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus (Where is the grace?) from all eternity (When did God call us by grace? We weren't even created when He called us! cp When He choose us [election] = Ep 1:4-note), (2Ti 1:9-note) And His grace toward me did not prove vain -