OVERVIEW ON LESSONS 4 TO 6 (SOTERIOLOGY)

On these lessons (the provision of grace Part 2; and the presence of sin Part 1 & 2), we learn that grace is the source of evrything God provide us with. If there was no grace we would have to earn God’s favor in everything from breathing to holiness. The bible is unequivocally clear that “all have sinned” and as a result deserving of eternal punishment due to our moral depravity.

Without the doctrine of sin we are not able to embrace God’s grace. In a culture where positivism is embraced, sin can not be confronted as a deliberate refusal by deliberate purpose to deal with it and depravity. I have learned that grace, Greek “charis” – does not only end in our salvation from sin and transgressions but it is all the way the supply of God to us in every situation.

We are saved by grace though faith. That is God’s work of salavtion without us doing anything to repay Him. It is not of works lest any of us should boast (Ephesians 2v9). Romans 5v14 discards our assumptions on what we may think about what happened from Adam to Moses. We believe what the bible says to be true against all human philosophies and assumtions.

Lastly, we are taught that grace does not just provide salvation, strength during trials but it also provides us with the ability to serve. In 1 Peter 4v10-11 we embrace the stewardship responsibility given to each one of us through the speaking od doing gifts. These gifts are provided by God to us freely as the stewards of His manifold grace. Just like light shining differently on a diamond so are we supplied with such grace. There is no christian that has a gift that is more in value and that carries a higher hierarchy that others – we are all gifted differently to serve one another and at the end God receives the glory due to Him. God does whatever He wants at any time because he knows better and always have our best interest at heart.

When we are facing trials his grace provides us with strength as seen when Paul went through a time of being buffeted by the messenger of satan but God said that His grace was sufficient enough even during that physical torment. Ours is to grow in this grace and see how marvelous it is for all circumstances. Amen.