Soul, Death, & Grace Chapter 13
MORE ABOUT GRACE:
THE MANIFOLD POWER

In addition to the survey of the role of grace as it relates to the soul of man and its consequent affect on the nature of man’s death, it seems to this researcher almost a requirement for our study to be complete, for us to take the time to present a survey of statements regarding grace in its wider spectrum, that is in its function as an agency, “as real as the air we breathe,” whose purpose is now only partially perceivable, as a part of the general concept of salvation.

Therefore, for those readers who desire a more developed presentation of this concept as it appears in the sources being reviewed we offer the following survey.

Regarding the phrase “Grace of Christ” or “Christ’s grace” we find teachings such as the following:

 

Soul, Death, and Grace

All that God requires may be accomplished through the grace of Christ (COL, p. 301). This grace alone can enable man to resist and subdue the tendencies of his fallen nature (HM, p. 428). Christ’s grace alone can make men holy (SC, p. 60), quicken the faculties of the soul (SC, p. 18), and restore man physically, mentally, and spiritually (MH, p. 143).

Ask Christ to keep you by His grace (SC, p. 52), and His grace will be as a wall of fire round about your soul (MM, p. 143). All depravity can be overcome by Christ’s assisting grace (4T, p. 349); it can accomplish for men what all their efforts cannot do (CH, p. 424).

Christ’s grace is free, it cannot be purchased (GC, p. 129), but is communicated by Christ through the promises of God’s word (HM, p. 122).

Church members are to be channels of Christ’s grace to the world (Ch. S., p. 21).

God’s law and Christ’s grace are inseparable because God’s law can be obeyed through Christ’s grace (5 BC, p. 1097), which, when it is imparted, enables man to overcome sin (1 SM,. 380f.); implanted in the heart it casts out evil passions (DA, p. 305), implanted in the soul it creates enmity against Satan (GC, p. 506).

Christ’s grace gives life to the soul (DA, p. 181), while the church is the depository of that grace (TM, p. 50)

Satan can be successfully repulsed only by Christ’s grace (2T, p. 409), therefore we are to publicly acknowledge the work of His grace in our lives (MH, p. 100), which grace is bestowed daily for the days need (MB, p. 101).

Regarding “God’s grace” or the “grace of God” we find the following as illustrative: God’s grace is bestowed on men because they are unworthy (MH, p. 151); therefore angels have never been recipients of God’s grace (ML, p. 100).

The grace of God which was Christ’s favorite theme (COL, p. 40), and which comes to the individual through the channel of living faith (EW, p. 72), enables man to do works which God rewards (5 BC, p. 1122). Here faith is the hand by which the soul takes hold of God’s grace (PP, p. 431).

Grace is as real as the air we breathe and causes all who choose to breathe it to grow up to the stature of men and women in Christ Jesus (SC, p. 68).

Imparting God’s grace increases man’s capacity for receiving it (6T, p. 448). This means that a person imparting grace is refilled with increased grace (6T, p. 44).

There is a limit to God’s grace (DA p. 587). Man cannot be saved without God’s grace (2T, p. 159). Man’s only safety is to be shielded every moments by God’s grace (3T p. 324). Men must be transformed by God’s grace or fail of heaven (4T p. 557).

The ministry of God’s grace unfolds God’s life in man’s soul (MB, p. 97). This grace is needed at every step of advance (TM, p. 508); it corrects defects of character (3T, p. 452), forms character in harmony with God’s law (GC, p. 469), and enables one to know how to co-operate with God to perfect character (3T p. 542), but is never given as a substitute for human effort (MYP, p. 147).

God’s grace is offered freely to every soul (COL, p. 412) during probationary time (COL, p. 260), but a perverse will can frustrate it (MB, p. 76).

However, when personal conduct is regulated daily by God’s grace (3T, p. 332), the power thereby made manifest by the transforming of the character convinces the world (MH, p. 470) and the sinner is made into a new creature (SL, p. 55).

The Bible is the treasure house of God’s grace (MB, p. 25), the store of which is inexhaustible (Ev, p. 567).

A man must act his own part of to make God’s grace his own (4 BC, p. 1167), but that man will be blessed and strengthened by God’s grace when he does his part (2T, p. 156). Growth in grace is proportionate to the degree of faith in Christ which one exercises (5T, p. 48), proportionate to good works for Christ (4T, p. 228).

An atmosphere of grace surrounds the believer’s soul (COL, p. 298), and the world is to be encircled with an atmosphere to grace (Ch. S, p. 250).

God saw man’s need of grace (1 SM, p. 347), so Christ’s gospel is from beginning to end the gospel of grace (Ev, p. 552). In the covenant, grace ordained man’s adoption (COL, p. 250), in the heart it leads men to work Christ’s works, while in the newly converted soul, and grace begins a progressive work (Ev, p. 355).

“With the gentle touch of grace the Savior banishes from the soul unrest and unholy ambition, changing enmity to love and unbelief to confidence.” PP, p. 60.

Finally, regarding the Holy Spirit’s grace, we read that Christ’s love is effectual in purification of soul through the Holy Spirit’s grace (5T, p. 648); though that grace is not a substitute for the individual exercise of faith (TM, p. 518) it is supplied to co-operate with the soul’s resolve (TM, p. 18). However, in addition to the element of personal desire, or soul resolve, as the determiner of the time for the bestowal of grace, is the objectively set time determined by God (TM, p. 509) in accompaniment to certain announced eschatological events or developments, and in addition to other blessings connected to individual and corporate worship. Notice.

There is a time when the showers of the Spirit’s grace will be received (1SM, p. 175), added grace is promised for times of special need (AA, p. 55), and it awaits our demand (5T, p. 410). We are to neglect no means of grace (ML, p. 313).

Finally, the general function of grace, after the restoration of the soul, is to be a blessing given, that the universe may see the perfection of Christ’s character in men (CH, p. 593).

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