All of Grace

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” -EPHESIANS 2:8-9 [KJV]

The more we are able to look away from our works, the law, and religious duties, the stronger will be our faith. Every person is married to the law as a covenant; and, while there is any fleshly nature left in us, we will find a strong motion in our hearts which tries to turn us back to the works of the law as a ground of acceptance before God! Oh, how easily and foolishly we fall into the error of the Galatians, imagining that we are more secure or more spiritual because of our good deeds or because of our dedication to religious duties [GALATIANS 3:1-3; 5:1-4].

Now, I say that the more we are able to suppress this direction of thought, the stronger will be our faith and the greater will be our assurance of a saving interest in Christ. A strong believer will cast out the bond-woman and her son, owning himself only a son of free grace, an heir of God through the Lord Jesus and His perfect, righteousness imputed [ROMANS 4:6-8].

The strong believer overlooks all duties, works, experiences, and even graces as a ground of acceptance with God and finds his confidence ONLY IN CHRIST! Like Paul, he counts all as loss and rubbish that he may win Christ and be found in Him [PHILIPPIANS 3:7-9]. He will not allow so much as one thread of personal righteousness in his covering. It shall be all of grace from top to bottom! He knows that grace reigns through righteousness imputed alone [ROMANS 5:21].

-Gospel report by preacher Henry Mahan, 1984 A.D.