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Living by Faith: God's Grace (Part Two)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

God's grace is not merely a one-time act of justification but a continuous power that supports and fulfills our needs throughout our spiritual journey. This divine assistance, often understood through the Greek term charis, embodies a sense of benevolence and favor, extending far beyond secular connotations of charm or beauty to a profound spiritual significance. In its biblical application, grace is the unmerited power given by God to enable us to move forward, to grow, and to succeed in the responsibilities He has placed upon us, whether male or female, young or old, within the church. This power of grace is not limited to forgiveness at the point of justification but permeates every step of our salvation, from beginning to end. It is the divine strength that allows us to respond to His requirements, to continue in faith, and to fulfill His purpose for us. God's grace, as a gift of power, is evident in the daily provisions and guidance He offers, much like the manna, the cloud, and the pillar of fire provided to Israel in the wilderness, ensuring that we are empowered to reach the spiritual Promised Land. Furthermore, this grace is freely given, not out of obligation or compulsion, but because it reflects God's unchanging nature and purpose. He owes us nothing but death due to our sins, yet through His benevolent grace, He provides the power to overcome and to live according to His will. This unearned assistance is crucial for our regeneration and sanctification, underscoring that our salvation is entirely a result of His gifting, directed and led by Him from start to finish.

Living by Faith: God's Grace (Part Three)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Grace implies empowerment by God for service, accomplishment, and spiritual growth. The apostles adapted the Greek term charis, which in secular usage already conveyed the idea of being gifted, influential, enabled, and empowered, and infused it with far greater spiritual significance. In the Bible the emphasis shifts from physical gifts to spiritual gifts freely given by God to those He calls, so that grace becomes the very power by which Christians are enabled to live a new life in Christ. This power is entirely unmerited; God is not obligated to bestow it, yet He gives it because such generosity belongs to His unchanging character. The same power produces godly faith, supplies the strength to overcome pride and worldliness, and equips believers for every good work that glorifies the Creator and serves the body of Christ. All Christian works are therefore the fruit of God's creating grace, while the works themselves can never earn that grace. Because grace is the source of godliness, it continually humbles those who receive it and moves them to yield to the One who alone forms them into the image He desires.

Living by Faith: God's Grace (Part Four)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Grace as power begins with the recognition that God functions as Creator and Inventor, shaping human beings as His invention through a process that equips them with abilities and powers to fulfill His purpose of forming character identical to His own. This equipping occurs as a continuous flow rather than a single event, illustrated by the phrase grace upon grace, which depicts successive benefits stacked one upon another and supplied from the fullness of Jesus Christ. The flow supplies knowledge, understanding, wisdom, healings, protection, forgiveness, and strength to overcome flaws that would otherwise destroy the covenant relationship leading to marriage with Christ. Scripture presents this power most directly through the promise of the Helper, the Spirit of truth, who abides forever, teaches all things, and brings to remembrance the words of Jesus. The same power is described as an enduement from on high that enables witness to the ends of the earth and empowers sober, righteous, and godly living while denying ungodliness and worldly lusts. Grace therefore functions as the apostles' comprehensive term for the unearned divine energy that accomplishes every aspect of salvation, from calling and justification onward through sanctification. Because the gifts precede any human merit, they eliminate grounds for pride and keep the relationship dependent upon the living Christ, who personally supplies every need for the spiritual creation. The same generous character that sends sun and rain upon all is focused with wisdom upon those being prepared for the Kingdom, always providing a way through trial and remaining faithful to the covenant pattern established in the Old Testament. Thus grace as power sustains the entire process by which God writes His character permanently upon the heart, ensuring that the works produced glorify Him and remain the permanent possession of those who voluntarily cooperate with His ongoing activity.