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By James Smith
"Abundant grace." 2 Corinthians 4:15
"The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly." 1 Timothy 1:14
Grace IN God is the loving tendency of his nature to pity the miserable, pardon the guilty, and bless the unworthy. It is the graciousness of God. Now our God is the God of grace--the God of all grace. He is naturally inclined to sympathize with the suffering, and to confer blessings on the unworthy. The grace of God lies at the foundation of salvation, and is the hidden spring from which flows every good and perfect gift. If God were not gracious--then man could have no hope; we would never have heard of a Savior, or found a way of escape from the wrath to come.
Grace FROM God comprises every good thing that is bestowed on sinners, whether temporal or spiritual; but it particularly more refers to those spiritual blessings with which he has blessed us in Christ, and which he freely bestows on the most unworthy through Christ. Grace never looks for any payment from its object--but gives, simply because it will give, for its own honor and glory.
God has grace to confer on sinners--grace provided and laid up, on purpose to give to those who cannot merit, who do not deserve:
grace which just meets man's condition;
grace which supplies all his needs;
grace to make him alive from the dead;
grace to pardon him as guilty;
grace to cleanse him as polluted;
grace to supply him as needy;
grace to elevate him as depraved;
grace to protect him as defenseless;
grace to crown him with everlasting glory!
In a word, grace to work in him, grace to work by him, grace to confer on him, and grace to glorify him.
The grace which God has provided--he has revealed. The gospel is called "the glad tidings of the grace of God." It tells us there is grace in God, and grace in God for sinners--sinners of every class, climate, or color--grace for sinners as sinners, nothing but sinners, in whom there is no good thing, and by whom no good thing has ever been done.
The gospel presents grace to sinners, and invites them to receive it; the very grace that suits their case, and meets their condition. The grace that the gospel presents, includes all the good things that a sinner can need--or God can consistently give; and it presents all as free, without money and without price. The grace of the gospel is to be received and enjoyed; received by whoever will, and enjoyed by all that receive it.
And to encourage us, the Apostle assures us there is "abundance of grace." Many have received--but there is an abundance still. However much you need--there is an abundance to supply your need. It is not the abundance of some large vessel, it is the abundance of the ocean! It is not the abundance of some artificial light--but the abundance of the sun! There is enough for every one, there is enough for all.
This abundant grace will pardon any sin, and all sin. It will save any sinner, or all sinners; for sinners do not perish because grace cannot save them; but, as Jesus said to the Jews, "You will not come unto me, that you might have life." So may we say to sinners who perish under the sound of the gospel, "You would not come for grace which God had promised, nor receive the grace which is in the gospel he presented to you."
Nor is it because grace would not be given, for it would. As Jesus said to the carnal selfish Jews, "Labor not for the food which perishes--but for that food which endures unto everlasting life, which the son of man shall give unto you." Nothing can be plainer than this. Jesus was willing to give unto them--but they were unwilling to receive. Jesus was authorised by the Father to give unto them--but they would not receive it from His hands.
Just in the same manner he expresses his willingness to give, when man is willing to receive, in His words to the woman of Samaria, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says unto you, Give me to drink, you would have asked, and he would have given you living water." So now Jesus, who is full of grace and truth, is both ready and willing to give grace to any and every sinner who is willing to receive grace from Him, and, as He exhorted the Jews to believe on Him, so that they might have everlasting life, so He exhorts sinners now, and says "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."
And to encourage us, the Apostle assures us there is "abundance of grace." Many have received--but there is an abundance still. However much you need--there is an abundance to supply your need. It is not the abundance of some large vessel, it is the abundance of the ocean! It is not the abundance of some artificial light--but the abundance of the sun! There is enough for every one, there is enough for all.
This abundant grace will pardon any sin, and all sin. It will save any sinner, or all sinners; for sinners do not perish because grace cannot save them; but, as Jesus said to the Jews, "You will not come unto me, that you might have life." So may we say to sinners who perish under the sound of the gospel, "You would not come for grace which God had promised, nor receive the grace which is in the gospel he presented to you."
Nor is it because grace would not be given, for it would. As Jesus said to the carnal selfish Jews, "Labor not for the food which perishes--but for that food which endures unto everlasting life, which the son of man shall give unto you." Nothing can be plainer than this. Jesus was willing to give unto them--but they were unwilling to receive. Jesus was authorised by the Father to give unto them--but they would not receive it from His hands.
Just in the same manner he expresses his willingness to give, when man is willing to receive, in His words to the woman of Samaria, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says unto you, Give me to drink, you would have asked, and he would have given you living water." So now Jesus, who is full of grace and truth, is both ready and willing to give grace to any and every sinner who is willing to receive grace from Him, and, as He exhorted the Jews to believe on Him, so that they might have everlasting life, so He exhorts sinners now, and says "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."
