Category Archives: General

Saved by Grace #10 — SAVED BY GRACE, FOR GOOD WORKS

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

I like to summarize salvation, using Eph. 2:8-10 and Col. 2:12, thus: we are saved BY GRACE, THROUGH FAITH, IN BAPTISM, FOR GOOD WORKS. Here we are examining the last phrase, “for good works” (Eph. 2:10). Good works are simply our everyday obedience to God’s law, i.e., being holy as God is holy, obeying our law code, living the Christian life, being good. How do works (being good) fit into the salvation picture? Outside Christianity, and even for many within it, the general view is that we are saved BY works. (Paul wrote Romans 1-5 to combat this view.) On … Continue reading →

Saved by Grace #11 — “ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY”?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

Much of the world (including many Christians) assume that if we do something “wrong,” we can do something “right” to make up for it. In many religions this concept is the key to whatever they consider to be “salvation.” An example of this is the “balance-scale” concept of judgment. In this view every good work has a certain amount of merit attached to it; every sin has a certain amount of demerit. On the Judgment Day all good works are placed on one side of the scale and all bad works on the other. If “our good works outweigh our … Continue reading →

Saved by Grace #12 — LIVING BY GRACE

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

Long ago I saw this comic strip: (Panel 1) – The boss bawls out his employee. (2) The employee goes home and hollers at his wife. (3) The wife yells at Junior. (4) Junior screams at the dog. (5) The dog growls at the goldfish. The scolding stops with the poor goldfish. Here are two separate scenes of a little girl playing with her doll. Scene 1: The girl says to her doll, “You bad doll! You spilled your milk again! You’re no good for anything! Can’t you ever do anything right? Take that!” – as she slaps the doll … Continue reading →

Saved by Grace #13 — ORIGINAL SIN–OR ORIGINAL GRACE?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

What about babies—when they are conceived, while in the womb, at birth? Are they under law, or under grace? This question is actually raised and answered in Romans 5:12-19, where Adam’s sin is contrasted with Christ’s cross. The issue being settled here is simply this: which of these is stronger? Which prevails over the other? At least since the time of Augustine (d. A.D. 430), the Christian world has tended to focus on what this text says about Adam more than what it says about Christ. Most see it as teaching the doctrine of ORIGINAL SIN. What does this phrase … Continue reading →

Saved by Grace #14 — Once in Grace, Always in Grace?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

“Once in grace, always in grace.” “Once saved, always saved.” “Eternal security.” These three phrases all refer to the same idea, namely, that once a person has truly become saved, he or she can never become unsaved. Once you are saved, you can never lose your salvation. The first person to teach this doctrine was Augustine (d. A.D. 430). He said, for example, “But now to the saints predestined to the kingdom of God by God’s grace, … perseverance itself is bestowed; … so that by means of this gift they cannot help persevering” (“Treatise on Rebuke and Grace,” Works, … Continue reading →

GRACE DISTINCTIONS #10

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

HERE IS THE LAST INSTALLMENT IN THIS SERIES ON GRACE: GRACE DISTINCTIONS #10– by Jack Cottrell X. LAW’S COMMANDS SATISFIED, or LAW’S PENALTY SATISFIED? The issue here is this: of all that Jesus did while he was on earth, exactly what part of that is transferred (imputed) to us as “the righteousness of God”? Here we must distinguish between Jesus’s satisfaction of the law’s COMMANDS, and his satisfaction of its PENALTY. We have described righteousness (as used in the context of grace) as satisfaction of the requirements of the law. We have said that God the Son as Jesus of … Continue reading →

GRACE DISTINCTIONS #9

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

GRACE DISTINCTIONS #9– by Jack Cottrell IX. God’s Righteousness: PERFECT MORAL CHARACTER or GIFT TO SINNERS? The point here is to understand exactly what is meant by GOD’S righteousness. Most of the time in the Bible, the righteousness of God is his perfectly consistent moral character, i.e., an attribute of his nature. But in the context of grace (e.g., Rom. 1:16-17; 3:21-22; 5:18; 10:3-6) it seems to be something different, or at least something MORE. Failure to see this distinction can lead to much confusion about how we are saved. Righteousness is in fact one of the main attributes of … Continue reading →

GRACE DISTINCTIONS #8

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

GRACE DISTINCTIONS #8 – by Jack Cottrell VIII. PERSONAL RIGHTEOUSNESS vs. GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS. In the previous point we spoke of human righteousness as well as God’s righteousness. Distinguishing between them is very important as we try to understand grace. First, what is “righteousness”? Basically, to be righteous means to be in conformity with the NORM by which one is properly and rightly measured. The proper norm to which human beings must conform is our Creator’s law code. Thus we can define righteousness (especially in the context of grace) as “satisfying the requirements of the law.” Mainly this includes satisfying the … Continue reading →

GRACE DISTINCTIONS #7

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

GRACE DISTINCTIONS #7 – by Jack Cottrell VII. LAW COMMANDS vs. LAW PENALTIES. Another distinction related to law is the distinction between the COMMANDS of the law, and the PENALTIES prescribed by the law when its commands are not obeyed. It is crucial to understand this distinction, in order to properly understand the work of Jesus Christ. Any set of laws (any law code) contains both commands and penalties. See again Isaiah 33:22 and James 4:12: God is both LAWGIVER (giving commands) and JUDGE (enforcing obedience via penalties). As the former, in his role as Creator, God sets forth the … Continue reading →

GRACE DISTINCTIONS #1-6 Quiz, Answers

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

OK, for those who took the “test,” for Christians ALL statements are true EXCEPT #10, which is false. Questions again if you need them: For those who have studied (or want to study) the first six mini-essays on “Grace Distinctions” that I have been posting, here is a TRUE-FALSE exam you can take. (I will post the correct answers later.) NOTE: answer every question assuming that you are a CHRISTIAN. 1. As a creature, I am under the absolute authority of the Creator-God. 2. I am living under the grace system of salvation. 3. I am obligated to obey the … Continue reading →