Greetings in the name of Almighty God Jehovah, his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, soon-coming King, and Their Mighty Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit).

When we speak of the Grace of God we must consider the word “grace” which means “unmerited favor.” The grace of our Lord has been extended to all. “And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely,” Revelation 22:17.

Since Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God walked the earth, a myriad of people of all races, and tongues, through faith, have been born again by the blood he shed on Calvary’s Cross.

His blood has also sanctified us through his truth (John chapter 17). Grace will give us access to the infilling of the Holy Spirit. He will baptize us with the Holy Ghost and with fire: Matthew 3:11, Luke 3:16, Acts 2:1-4.

A Holy Ghost believer will speak in tongues! Zephaniah 3:9; Mark 16:17; Acts 2:3-4; Acts 10: 44-47. His truth is marching on!

John Newton, whom before salvation in Jesus Christ, was involved with Great Britain’s slave trade, wrote those endearing words: “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.

“I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind but now I see.” While listening to Judy Collins circa 1968, we enjoyed her rendition of “Amazing Grace” that topped the music charts.

James (Jacob) Arminius, circa 1560-1609, was a Dutch theologian who studied, taught and eventually broke with Calvinism. He was particularly at odds with John Calvin’s emphasis on unconditional election and irresistible grace (Wesley Center online).

Arminianism has strong emphasis on free will, salvation for all and resistable grace. John Wesley demonstrated Arminius’ opinion on the grace of God, and further taught entire sanctification; John 17:17, 18; 1st Thessalonians 4:3 and 4; 5:23; and Christian perfection (or being complete in Christ), Hebrews 6:1-8.

Today, Calvinism and Arminianism abounds throughout the Christian world. The proponents of Calvinism believe that those once in grace, would be predestined and always in grace. If we continue in Christ and abide in him, then only is his grace sufficient.

Jehovah’s grace is sufficient, but mankind remains with a God given free will to choose eternal life or death. We retain our salvation through faith, and free will, as we did to receive it.

Righteous Noah, in his wicked and adulterous generation, found God’s grace. The first mention of the word grace in the Bible is found in Genesis 6:8 KJV. “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”

The Apostle Paul was troubled with a thorn in the flesh and asked the Lord thrice to deliver him from this malady. God’s response was: “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness,” 2nd Corinthians 12:9 KJV.

“By Grace ye are saved,” Ephesians 2:5. Verses 8 and 9 read “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.”

Proverbs 3:34b records “He giveth grace to the lowly.” James 4:6, “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.”

1st Peter 5:5 reminds us: “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject to one another and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”

God’s mercy and grace is longsuffering. It strives to lead you to repentance. Psalm 100:5 promises: “For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” Grace is not cheap. It was given to us by the sacrifice of Jesus’ death on the cross.

In the present-day world, people are crying for grace and mercy, yet continue to live a carnal, sinful, repulsive lifestyle and expect God’s grace to cover it. We are no longer living under the law, but in the grace dispensation.

However, we must not turn the grace of God into lasciviousness (or sin and iniquity). Jude 4b: “Ungodly men turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 6:1-2: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue to sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”

If we are crucified with Christ, we must also, not frustrate the grace of God. Galatians 2:21, “I do not frustrate the grace of God for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

Not only should we not turn the God’s grace into sin or frustrate his grace, we don’t want to put ourselves in jeopardy of failing God’s amazing grace, as was the case with Esau.

“Looking diligently lest any man fail the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

“For ye know that how afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears,” Hebrews 12: 15-17.

“If a man abide not in me (his grace), he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered: and men gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” John 15: 6 and 7.

Matthew 24:12-13: “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

Grace does abound much more than iniquity. But remember, again, we are free moral agents. We can choose to stay in the Lord, or leave. Calvinistic irresistible grace proponents believe that if you don’t stay in Christ, you weren’t ever really saved or born again.

We are saved, we are being saved and will be saved, if we endure our steadfastness in the Lord until the end. “The spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils,” 1st Timothy 4:1 (read verses 2 and 3).

“Take heed, brethren, (Christian brothers and sisters), lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

“But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end,” Hebrews 3:12-14.

“The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.” The worldly, carnal, false church has itching ears and desires fables instead of truth. The carnal mind is enmity with God. “Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life,” Jude verse 21.

“Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come, it’s grace that’s brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home. When we’ve been there, ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise, then when we first begun.” (John Newton)

“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever, Amen,” Jude verses 24-25.