God's Saving Grace (Episode 119)

The grace of God manifests itself in countless ways. Anytime He shows us His goodness when we deserve otherwise, that constitutes grace. This podcast episode focuses on the grace of God pertaining to our salvation. This grace is sometimes referred to as God’s saving grace.
The doctrine of salvation is the most important Christian doctrine in the entire Bible. We can disagree on, even be wrong about some aspects of Christian theology and still be OK. But we can’t afford to be wrong on how to be saved because that has eternal consequences.
In his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul writes, “By grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:5, NASB). Grace refers to things that are unmerited, meaning things we don’t earn or deserve. Accordingly, God’s saving grace refers to our unmerited salvation through Christ.
 Paul said what he said because God saved us “even when we were dead in our transgressions” (verse 5a). In other words, we did not earn our salvation. And there is a good reason for that. We can’t, no matter how hard we try. None of us deserves salvation. The only way we can receive salvation is that God gives it to us when we place our faith in Christ.
God's Grace Under the Law
But those who lived under the Old Testament (OT) dispensation were under the Law and not under grace. So, were they more righteous than we are so that they earned their salvation by successfully keeping the Law? Or did God lower the bar and grade the OT believers on a curve so they could make it into heaven?
To answer that question, consider what the Bible reveals about Abraham. At the age of 75, he and his barren wife Sarah were childless. Given their reality, it was not naturally possible for them to have a child. Nevertheless, God promised Abraham to bless them with a child. Moreover, God promised to bless Abraham with as many children as there were stars in the heavens. This because he would become the father of nations.
"Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness" (Genesis 15:6, NASB). This means that even Abraham was justified by what he believed and not by what he did.
The point is that no one has ever earned salvation or righteous standing with God. Even the OT believers were recipients of God’s saving grace.
Sad but true, so many people in the world today need to be saved. The good news is that everyone can afford to be saved because Christ has paid the cost for all who believe to be saved.

Obedience to God Under Grace (Episode 112)

The Bible clearly states that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ. But in some places, the Bible seems to suggest that we must live in obedience to God to be saved. So, how do we reconcile these biblical mandates for obedience with grace, since grace is unmerited? Why can’t Christians just live how they want to? Frank King addresses that subject in this episode.
The overarching message of the Scriptures is that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). And we know that grace pertains to those things that are unmerited. We pervert that message when we impose upon the gospel of grace some performance-based requirements to be saved. Some who preach today are guilty of doing exactly that.
 For instance, if we argue that one must give a tithe of his money to church to be saved, we pervert the gospel of grace. Or you must attend church every week. Or that you must involve yourself in the work of the local church. Any attempt to subject one’s salvation to works such as these constitutes perversion of the message of grace.
You are not saved by how much money you give, how often you attend church, how much work you do in the church, none of the above. We are saved by grace through faith in Christ. Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Of course, pastors want church members to be good financial stewards. And to attend church regularly and to get involved in serving the Lord. But they must be careful not to pervert the gospel by implying that one’s salvation requires their obedience in those areas.
The Rest of the Message of Grace
But the message of the gospel of grace can be perverted in another way as some do. It can be presented as a license to live a life of sin and pleasure and still name the name of Christ. God forbid! For when we become saved by grace through faith in Christ, we are also born again through faith in Christ. Accordingly, we will live in obedience to God.
In Christ, we became a new creation. According to the Bible, old things were passed away, and all things became new (2 Corinthians 5:17). The evidence that God has changed us is that we obey God. We don’t have to obey Him to be saved. But we will live in obedience to God because we have been saved.
Genuine Christians don’t live a life of practicing sin. For instance, in 1 John 3:9, John writes, “No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (NASB).
If someone says he is a Christian while living a sinful life, either his is not a Christian, or he is living a disobedient life as a Christian. The apostles’ letters are written on the premise of genuine Christian behavior.
What we are talking about here is the life-changing power of the gospel. Absolutely no one who truly meets the Lord Jesus Christ can remain the same and live the same after meeting the Lord. Through Him, we are translated from death to life.

The Doctrine of the Grace of God (Episode 49)

What if the cost of salvation was so high that some people could not afford it? The good news is that we are saved by the grace of God. Accordingly, anybody who wants to be saved can afford to be saved. The grace of God is not an option but a must for salvation. "By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight" (Romans 3:19, KJV). Our attempt to be justified through obeying God's many commandments will do no more than cause us to see our need for a Savior.
In this episode, Frank King focuses on God's amazing grace. Grace refers to those things that are unmerited. In other words, those things that can’t be earned by good works or purchased with money. Salvation is a gift from God. He loved the world so much that He sent His Son to die in our stead so that whoever believes in Him would have eternal life. This is God's simple plan for salvation.
Jesus was the only one worthy to die on the cross to redeem us. Everyone who places his faith in His redemptive work on the cross is saved by grace through faith in Him. The grace of God is a humbling thing because no one can boast about his or her salvation. We can get to heaven only by trusting in what Jesus did on the cross for us.
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay

Christ Died to Set Us Free from Legalism (Episode 45)

Jesus came to set us free. When He died, He delivered us from the penalty of sin. He also died to deliver us from the bondage of sin. "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine. And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free," Jesus said (John 8:31-32, NASB).
This podcast episode focuses on something else that Jesus died to deliver us from. That is to set us free from the bondage of legalism. This term refers to the dos and don'ts and the traditions of men and religion that negatively impact our relationship with God. For instance, some church leaders believe woman should not wear pants or wear jewelry. Or that a more contemporary style of worship has no place in the house of God. The list goes on and on and on.
Through His death, Christ nailed legalism to the cross to set us free. Sad but true, many Christians still subject themselves to the bondage of legalism. It is important to note that not all ordinances of men and religion are bad in and of themselves. But we must give no ground to those that negatively impact our liberty in Christ. Or those that, if we were to obey them, have the effect of making the Lord's commandments null and void in our life.
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay