It makes all the difference in the world if you follow the true or a false gospel. The true gospel may be discovered by just studying the basic message in His Word. May this short guidline help you to get started.
The Apostle Paul spoke often on the basic message of the gospel of salvation. Let us begin this time with the following scripture,
"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness [comes] by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."
Galatians 2:21.
When the Bible was translated they used the word "frustrate" to mean `set aside.' Paul then is saying the way we would talk today, `I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness would come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.' The thought we keep in mind to find an explanation later, as to the `law' and how it relates to `grace' aspect. But notice the colon after
`God' and how the statement after that makes an ascertion followed by a consequence.
So, next we want to talk about what he means by that grace and God talk.
To do so, we take a look at a similar verse he wrote.
"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."
Titus 2:11-14.
The portion of this complete sentence we are interested in is highlighted in bold print.
In that portion Paul is saying, when God brings salvation to you (as he does to all men), that takes place by His grace.
This grace of God may come in a friendly gesture, a smile, a few encouraging words, helpful hands and basic honesty - things people of all belief systems, from all around the world are capable of, not just Christians.
It means that sometimes any one person has feelings like that and when he reacts on those feelings and then makes them his primary cause of how he lives, such a person may be saved just by the fact that he followed good motives given to him by God as it is given to all, Romans 2:13; 3:23,24,28.
Therefore, such persons who do not know God's law but follow the good, they follow the call of the grace of God.
However, man has a sinful nature which defaults to selfish ways. To follow the good ways, not because of religious orientation, is possible but may not be frequent because most people have some religious concepts which they try to live out. But basically, when we get up in the morning and our brain begins to function right away, everything (our ego, our self) is set to default when our brain begins to think. That is the natural interphase which drives us through the day.
So we ask, `How do we get the grace of God?'
Let us look at the following scripture for the answer which leads us on the right track.
"But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, has abounded unto many."
Romans 5:15.
The offence is the offence of the cross. To people at the time when Paul wrote this, for someone to have died on a cross was very offensive because most of the time they were some sort of bad people who died that way, so they thought. But Jesus Christ was an innocent victim. He died not for sins he committed but for the sins of the whole world and of all ages, that is, He died for all people who ever lived. Then He rose from the grave and offers His death, as a free gift for all to bring salvation. It is a gift of God. Because it is a gift you must choose to accept or reject it. But it is available for all people on planet earth. It is God's present for humanity.
Those who accept it, who are many people, they have accepted the free gift of salvation as a way to start their daily life from now on. They decided to turn about face, away from their former life of following selfish ways. But those who decided not to accept the invitation have basically chosen to live only this life without God.
Paul speaks of it this way,
"For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God."
Galatians 2:19.
What he is saying is, we can frustrate the grace of God by refusing to receive it, close our door to it when it comes to us. Someone may have a bad day and follow bad impulses, and reject God's free gift instead of making room for it in his heart and let it move into his or her life. If that decision, later in life, misses opportunities and never changes to accepting the grace of God, such will not be among God's people. We have only this life to decide but only God knows the heart.
Paul describes a person to whom this offer of God's grace comes, as having accepted it and decided to die to the law. In other words, he decided to stop committing wrong and selfish deeds. Sin cannot influence him anymore or cause him to do the bad deed. He has hit the reset button and that turns on the specifications which he, with God's help, programmed into his computer - not those of the factory.
He reprogrammed his computer, his mind, to be from now on motivated to follow Christ by reading His Word and accept what He logically teaches. His motivations are now Christ based. He develops the measure of initial faith he had, to bring fruit for a plenteous harvest. By the grace of God he has become dependent on Christ in Him as the master of his destiny by exercising his will power in the positive direction. Each time he decides in a positive way, he puts himself on God's side. Each time he does not, he reverts back to his old self.
He discovers, just like it took time to become the bad person he decided to escape from, so it takes time to mature in Christ. The path to a God oriented life takes time to bring ripe fruits. - So be patient and do not give up. Pray and occupy your time with His Word. - There is a hunger in the world to find meaning in life and live a life of hope.
"But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ."
Ephesians 4:7.
The now Christ oriented person had simply accepted God's grace offered to him or her and acted upon it. Such a person realizes that God emptied heaven so He could give people this vast supply of His grace. It is vast if we accept it or not - but it benefits only those who accept it.
What did we read in our start out text?
"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."
Galatians 2:21.
The thus found (accepting) person does not set aside God's appeal to accept His grace. He wants to die to sin. He learns that grace teaches us to say `No' to ungodliness. - He learns that God's law operates on a plane which is different from that of God's grace. One points out sin, the other saves from sin.
In reality this means the same in New Testament times, as it did in the days of the patriarchs - in OT times. The law in Galatians includes both laws, the 10 Commandments and the ceremonial law. When an Israelite came home at night and he thought back wondering if what he said or did that day was right before the Lord, he would read in the Torah the Law of God and knew where he failed. Next day, early in the morning then, he would go outside, choose a clean lamb and take it to the sanctuary. Before the altar of burned offerings he would place his hands on the head of the lamb, confess his sins and slay the substitute. Doing so, he looked forward to the coming Messiah who would save His people, and the grace of God would accept his offering and he could go home, in full confidence and joy of salvation. The conviction by the law and the freely chosen offering, was a propitiation for his sins.
"And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance . . . And if he bring a lamb for a sin offering, he shall bring it a female without blemish. And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering. . . . And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering . . . and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him."
Lev. 4:27, 32-35.
The priest, representing Christ, met the sinner at the altar of burnt offering - the man who did the right thing to seek the Lord right away to take care of his sins - Isaiah's mind goes also back to some who did not seek the Lord right away, and we read,
"Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved."
Isaiah 64:5.
. . . the forgiven man has now the assurance of salvation bestowed on Him by the grace of God.
"Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, my servants shall eat . . . my servants shall sing for joy of heart . . . ye shall . . . be . . . glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. . . . and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. . . . they shall build houses . . . plant vineyards . . . and eat the fruit of them. . . . they shall not labour in vain. . . . for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord."
Isaiah 65:13-23.
Thus the man, who once was a sinner, is now dressed in the white garment of the righteousness of the Lord even in OT times (2.Chr. 5:12; Rev. 7:13,14),
"If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove. And thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory."
Jer. 4:1,2.
So we learn that God is particular when it comes to who from earth will be in heaven. That must be so, for the cycle of sin shall not arise a second time.
"And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Matth. 24:30-42.
NOT FINISHED
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come."
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