GRACE 101

14 Lessons for Large Groups,

Small Groups, or Individual Discipleship
GRACE 101
14 INTERACTIVE BIBLE STUDIES FOR
SMALL GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS

John Revell
Grace 101
© Reformed Youth Ministries 2023

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 CONTENTS
•Introduction 5

•Lesson 1: What is Grace? 6

•Lesson 2: Grace and Sin 9

•Lesson 3: Common Grace vs Special Grace 13

•Lesson 4: The Facets of Grace 17

•Lesson 5: Priority of Grace, Pt 1 22

•Lesson 6: The Priority of Grace, Pt 2 25

•Lesson 7: The Incongruity of Grace 29

•Lesson 8: Good Works 32

•Lesson 9: Distortion #1: Legalism 36

•Lesson 10: Remedy #1: Grace as Gift 40

•Lesson 11: Distortion #2: Antinomianism 43

•Lesson 12: Remedy #2: Our Gifts to God & Each Other 46

•Lesson 13: Jesus Christ & His Body 49

•Lesson 14: Receiving God’s Grace 53

 INTRODUCTION
It would be an understatement to say that the word grace is used frequently in
Christian families and churches. After all, it is God's grace that sits at the center of our
relationship with Him. We use this word often in our hymns and songs in church, and we
hear this word used in some of the clearest Scripture passages concerning our salvation.
You may have heard that our salvation from God is “all of grace,” or that we are saved by
“grace alone” – this was a battle cry of the Reformation based largely on Ephesians 2:8.
The promise of the gospel of Christ to humanity, encompassing all of redemptive history
from Genesis 3:15 onwards, is called the Covenant of Grace. We sing about “grace, grace,
God’s grace” in the hymn written by Julia Johnston; or, even older, the memorable and
enduring song “Amazing Grace” by John Newton. To “say grace” before a meal has even
become a shorthand for blessing the food in prayer. This word is used so often without a
definition because we assume that we all know what we’re talking about. Sometimes a
short, vague definition is attached, but that simply doesn’t do justice to the centrality and
vitality of this little word. In a twist of irony, like so many other important words or ideas
that become commonplace in a culture, we actually don’t have a precise grasp on what
grace is anymore. Is it a spiritual substance that God pours out, like invisible pixie dust?
You may have heard someone say, “it was by God’s grace that X happened.” In other
words, some situation resolved or worked out in the end. But does that mean God’s grace
is absent when things are hard, or when things don’t go our way? Is grace only about going
to heaven when you die?

The first step in this study will be to define grace. Much has been written and said
concerning what the biblical writers mean by the term grace. As will be seen in the
footnotes, we’ll attempt to draw on various resources God has given to His church. But
this series is not exhaustive in its scope, nor definitive in its conclusions. The modest aims
of this series are to explore the Scriptures, offer basic interpretations, and provide some
level of nuance so that you are better equipped to grapple with the tougher questions. If
salvation is by grace, then why should we pursue good works? How do works and grace
fit together? Is there grace for everyone? After defining grace from Scripture, we’ll need
to apply this understanding to two primary distortions of biblical grace that have plagued
Christians throughout church history. Some key theological terms will be underlined, but
the definitions given will be brief. I hope you are encouraged and built up by God through
this series.

5
 WHAT IS GRACE?
LESSON ONE

So, What is Grace Anyways? _________________

[Spend a few minutes in group discussion. Further questions you could ask include: What
are some other words that come to mind when you think of grace? When was a situation
when someone showed you grace? How is God gracious?]

Defining Grace from Scripture ______________

[I have provided basic comments on each passage below. Read and discuss. Note: If your
group tends to not speak up, you could have them read the Scripture passages each week.]

1. John 1:14, 17 à Jesus Christ is full of grace, and grace comes to us through Him.
This is an especially important passage that is quite clear. For that reason, we
should keep this passage in mind as we read other passages of Scripture that
mention grace.

2. Acts 11:22-24 à The preaching of Jesus Christ and His gospel, along with the
response of turning to God in faith, bring forth a radical change that can be seen.
What we think, say, and do changes. Our whole mode of existing changes. This
change brought about by the Spirit of Christ through the Word is what Barnabas
saw. He saw the “grace of God” in the lives of these new believers.

3. Acts 15:7-11 à The grace of the Lord Jesus is the one way of salvation, and this is
closely associated with the gift of the Holy Spirit, who comes upon those who
receive the gospel in faith.

4. Romans 3:21-25 à We are counted right because of God’s grace, which is a gift
that comes to us through Christ’s redemptive work in His life and death.

5. Romans 6:22-23 à The free gift is a relationship with God, the eternal one, and
that relationship lasts forever into eternity. But notice that this eternal life is in
Christ Jesus our Lord. We are not saved only to escape hell or enjoy good things in
heaven. Our eternal life is in Jesus Himself so that all His benefits come to us in
relationship with Him.

6
WHAT IS GRACE? LESSON ONE

Illustration ___________________________________
The benefits that come to children from a father and mother are relational. Children
receive food, shelter, clothing, education, etc. from their parents, but it would be sad and
wrong for parents to dole out these benefits while holding their children at arms-length,
refusing a relationship with them. Likewise, children should not expect these good things
from their parents while refusing to enter into relationship with them. Our Father brings
us into His family as adopted children, and Jesus Christ our elder brother takes us under
His wing, leads us out of sin and death, and into His eternal, heavenly kingdom.

1. Ephesians 2:4-10 à Salvation is by grace through faith, and this is God’s gift to us
in Christ. Good works do flow from true faith, but remain within the sphere of
God’s grace.

2. II Corinthians 6:1 à Grace can be received in vain, from a human perspective.

3. Titus 2:11 à Grace has appeared in the person of Jesus Christ.

4. Hebrews 4:14-16 à The throne of God is a throne of mercy and grace because of
Christ’s priestly activity for us in the presence of the Father. Drawing near to the
throne is what we do in prayer and worship.

5. Hebrews 12:15a à Grace must be obtained by faith.

Some Initial Takeaways from Scripture:

i. Grace is not just an invisible, spiritual substance
ii. Grace is closely associated with mercy
iii. Grace is a gift, not something we can earn
iv. Grace is found in Christ
v. Grace is relational
vi. Grace can be seen in the lives of Christ’s followers
vii. Grace is the foundation of our salvation, faith is how we receive grace
viii. We must persist in faith to ensure that we do not receive God’s grace
in vain; so we avoid anything that would lead us into unbelief
ix. Grace is opposed to earning, not to the effort we put forth after we
receive it1

Preliminary Definition: Grace is God’s undeserved gift of salvation that comes to us

in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This relationship begins when the Holy Spirit
takes hold of us, and we take hold of Christ by faith.

1Dallas Willard, The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus’s Essential Teachings on Discipleship (San Francisco:
HarperCollins, 2006), 61.

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WHAT IS GRACE? LESSON ONE

Homework ___________________________________
Consider and discuss these passages, as well as the preliminary definition, with your
parents at home. [Note: Keep this lesson in mind and return to it regularly since it
basically sums up the rest of the series]

8
 GRACE AND SIN
LESSON TWO
[Lessons 2-8 will be more teaching-heavy, while lessons 9-14 will be more discussion-
oriented, but feel free to modify these lessons so that they fit your style of teaching]

Last time we met, we discussed how we should define and understand the term grace. We
looked at many passages of Scripture to better understand the breadth of the term. Based
on those Scriptures, we made some basic observations, and concluded with a preliminary
definition. Let’s read this definition again.

Preliminary Definition: Grace is God’s undeserved gift of salvation that comes to us

in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This relationship begins when the Holy Spirit
takes hold of us, and we take hold of Christ by faith.

What are your thoughts on this definition? For those of you who discussed this further
with your parents, what did they think about it? Are there any questions?
[Wait for response after each of these questions]

The Fall ______________________________________

If grace is an undeserved gift or unmerited favor – favor from God that we don’t deserve
– why do we not deserve it? [Basic answer: Sin]

1. Sin is what makes God’s grace so necessary; and it’s on the black backdrop of
sin, that grace shines so brightly.

2. If we don’t start by understanding the depth of our sin, God’s grace seems pretty
unremarkable and ordinary.

a. So where did sin come from? [Basic Answer: Sin entered the world when
Adam sinned by eating the forbidden fruit]

b. What was our relationship with God like before sin? [Basic Answers: Good,
pleasant, intimate, harmonious. Perfect, though incomplete since we did not
know God’s mercy and forgiveness before sin]

c. Could humans have ever been the fitting recipients of God’s grace? [Basic
Answer: Yes, when Adam and Eve were prohibited from the forbidden fruit,
they were sinless, and would have been fitting recipients of God’s favor
through their obedience]
i. This is not to say that God would’ve owed Adam anything for His
obedience; Adam was a creature, wholly dependent on God for

9
GRACE AND SIN LESSON TWO
everything. But God’s favor would have ‘fit’ or ‘made sense’ in light
of Adam’s obedience.
ii. After the fall into sin, God’s grace is never fitting; it never makes
sense because we only deserve God’s wrath for our sin. We deserve
justice, but God shows mercy.

We should spend some time reviewing the relationship we had with God in the
Garden of Eden as compared to after the fall into sin. Grace looks different after
the fall than it did before because sin alienates us from God. Our sin is the
occasion for God to show us His steadfast grace, love, and mercy.

3. The arrangement in the Garden of Eden between Adam and God is commonly
called the Covenant of Works2 because Adam was given this one command to
keep – to not eat the forbidden fruit. And the fulfillment of this one command
would have secured humanity’s communion with God in the Garden of Eden.

4. Now, it is true that even God’s creation of Adam and Eve, and His condescension
(coming down) to commune with them was gracious. But Adam and Eve could
have gained even more favor (eternal favor) with God had they kept the
commandment.

5. The fall into sin is what ruptured humanity’s relationship with God, and that is
the more precise setting for grace. Grace is the favor and mercy that God gave to
Adam and Eve when they deserved His wrath and punishment.

6. Their sin has passed down to us like an infection, and in another sense, we too
sinned when they did because all of humanity was contained in Adam and Eve
at the beginning.

7. This is a strange concept for us, but all of humanity is interconnected through
our common descent from Adam and Eve. We all share the same human nature,
which has been corrupted by sin. We are all born into the unredeemed humanity
of Adam, but in Christ we are brought into the redeemed humanity of His body,
His Church, His people.3 So, like Adam and Eve, grace is the favor that God gives
us even though we too deserve punishment for sin. And this favor is most clearly
expressed in God’s persistent and effectual plan to dwell with us – His plan of
redemption.

8. We call this plan the Covenant of Grace,4 which stretches from Adam & Eve all
the way through Christ. God’s first covenant promise in Genesis 3:15 is to restore
our relationship with Him through a Redeemer. This plan commences with
Adam, continues in Abraham, and climaxes in the person & work of Jesus
Christ; it even continues now as Christ poured out His Holy Spirit at Pentecost
to spread the gospel to all nations (Acts 2). God’s commitment, promise, and
2 See Westminster Confession of Faith 7.2.
3 Oliver Crisp, Approaching the Atonement (Grand Rapids: IVP Academic, 2020), 170-71.
4 See Westminster Confession of Faith 7.3.

10
GRACE AND SIN LESSON TWO
covenant are other ways we might better understand the outworking of His
grace to us. But all of this is in the setting of our sin.

So what is Sin? _______________________________

[Wait for answers]

The Westminster Shorter Catechism (WSC) #14 states that, “sin is any want of conformity
unto, or transgression of, the law of God (Lev. 5:17; James 4:17; I John 3:4).”
In other words, we sin whenever we miss the mark that God has set for us in His Word.
We sin in thought, word, and action every day.

Illustration: Think of an archery target. The bullseye is the mark you’re aiming for – it’s
the sinless spot. As a Christian, you’re always striving to hit this bullseye, but you usually
miss by a little or a lot. Before coming to Christ, you’d have a hard time just hitting the
target because even if you are doing the right thing, you do not have the right motive of
pleasing God.

According to The Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) Chapter 16, for a work to be
good, it must align with God’s Word; it must be carried out for God’s glory; and it must
be carried out in faith (Mic. 6:8; Rom. 12:2; Heb. 13:21; I Cor. 10:31; Heb. 11:6).

1. Based on this definition, even Christians often fail to perform works that are
good when they doubt God and His promises; or when they carry out a right
action without the proper motive (God’s glory), or fail to carry it out in the
proper way (faith & love). However, by the Holy Spirit’s empowerment,
Christians can and should perform good works in their life, fleeing from all sin.
In Christ, it is possible for us to hit the edges of the bullseye at times, but only
Christ hit the perfect center of the bullseye in everything He thought, said, and
did.

2. The point in going down this tangent is that sin is much more than the worst
things you can think of. Sin is even the slight ways we miss the target that God
has set up for us in His Word. We are all sinful, so there is no room for
moralistic pride.

Now coming back to sin, what else can we say about it? [Wait for responses]
We’ve really only said when it happens, not what it is. So is sin merely our wrong actions?

1. No, it’s deeper than that. Sin has corrupted our wills. In other words, we don’t
usually sin by accident. We sin because we have a sin nature; we sin because we
are sinners. We call this Total Depravity, because there is no part of us that has
not been corrupted by sin.

2. Spiritually, we are dead in our sin before we come to Christ. We are utterly
helpless apart from God’s saving grace (Eph. 2:5).

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GRACE AND SIN LESSON TWO
3. God does not just save those who have a pretty good chance of shaping up and
cleaning up. God gives saving grace to those who have no chance – who are
utterly stuck in their sin, blinded by the world, on the path to destruction.

4. Another crucial, and often overlooked, piece of the puzzle is that sin is
uncreated. God did not create sin. Both sin’s existence and its power come from
the sinful human heart. This means that sin does not have a substance to it. Sin
is parasitic on what is good. In other words, sin is primarily a privation or a
defect. While we don’t want to minimize sin’s power, it remains a powerful
parasite. Sin does not have a place alongside God’s creation – it exists and
grows as a distortion of what is good. This means that good and evil are not
equal realities – evil is only a perversion of the good.5

So if every sin deserves God wrath and curse, why are we sitting here?6 Why did God allow
all the sins that were committed before Christ came?

Answer: While God’s grace in Scripture often refers to salvation, God’s grace is also
displayed in His common grace for all humans. All humans bear the image of God, and
God does send blessings even to those who reject Him. We’ll discuss this further next time
we meet.

Homework ___________________________________
Read WSC #14 and #85, along with all the supporting Scripture passages that are
referenced. Discuss these things with your parents.

5 Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics: Volume 3 (ed. John Bolt; trans. John Vriend; Grand Rapids: Baker Academic,

2006), 137-40.
6 See Westminster Shorter Catechism #84.

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COMMON GRACE VS SPECIAL GRACE
LESSON THREE
The last time we met we talked about sin and how this deep distortion makes us all
unworthy to receive God’s grace. Even our best does not measure up to the standard of
God’s holy law. We considered the way that our view of sin impacts our understanding of
grace. For grace to be the amazing good news that it is, the depths of sin must be explored.
If we are not dead in our sins and without hope apart from God’s grace, then grace is a
fairly underwhelming reality.
We mentioned that every sin deserves God’s wrath and curse, and yet God has allowed
sinful human history to progress. How? (Wait for response)

Answer: God’s very character is gracious, and a term we use to express this is Common
Grace. It’s common because it is something every human and every creature receives. The
gift of life itself is a result of common grace, as are food, water, shelter, etc. God’s grace in
Christ is for our salvation, but God’s grace is an ever-present reality in His creation.

Before we jump into the distinction between God’s Common Grace and Special (or
Saving) Grace, we have to discuss the Image of God.

Read Genesis 1:26-31 __________________________

This connects directly back to our lesson on sin. We must ensure that our understanding
of sin does not contradict the reality that all humans bear the image of God.

The Divine Image ____________________________

What did we say about sin last week?

1. Sin has corrupted us in all our parts (thoughts, feelings, words, actions etc.),
but all humans continue to bear the image of God. This means that at the level
of being, of ontology, of the soul, we all remain image-bearers – we all have this
capacity to commune with God, but we reject God until He first reaches out and
calls us to Himself.

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COMMON GRACE VS SPECIAL GRACE LESSON THREE
2. Illustration of the Divine Image: We are all like broken mirrors because of
our sin, and the salvation we have in Christ is the restoration of the mirror.7
Even the most evil person is still a mirror; this means that no person is
irredeemable. No person is beyond God’s gracious, powerful reach.

3. Sin has not so corrupted anyone that they cease to be human or lack the
potential/capacity to commune with God. The essence of humanity is not sin,
but the Image of God. Sin is primarily ethical. In other words, sin primarily
attaches to our will – our motives and decisions. Sin has darkened our minds
and our hearts, but it has not extinguished the spark of the divine image.8

Common Grace & Natural Law ______________

1. We see common grace most clearly in passages like James 1:17 & Psalm 145:8-
9 [Read & Discuss].

2. Other Psalms speak along similar lines à Psalm 8:3-8; 104:10-15, 27-30

3. Also, God’s concern for the pagan people in the city of Nineveh, and even the
cattle, displays His common grace à Read Jonah 4:10-11

4. But God’s common grace and concern for the people of Nineveh was not enough
to save them. They needed to hear the brief gospel message from Jonah (Jon.
3:4), calling them to repentance. How were they able to repent? God enabled
them and called them to repent, yes, but it is also true that God’s common grace
pointed them (and all humans) to His saving grace.

5. Another facet of common grace is God’s Natural Law. Romans 1:18-23 gives us
a basic definition. God reveals Himself through the visible created order, but
apart from saving grace we are too blind to see this. The law is written on the
human heart (Rom. 2:14), giving everyone a sense of right and wrong, good and
evil, however distorted that sense might be. Everyone has a sense that there’s
more to life than the physical world – that God holds it all together. Therefore,
no one has a valid excuse for their sin. Everyone knows deep down that cheating
is wrong because it’s been built into us. If anymore tries to disagree with this,
see how they react when they are cheated.9

6. Without God’s common grace, we would not be able to explain how non-
Christians can love their families and communities. We would not be able to
explain how any non-Christian is able to live a moral life. We can explain this

7 I first heard this illustration years ago from R.C. Sproul Jr. through a Ligonier Ministries Q&A.
8 Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics: Vol. 3, 137-40.
9 J. Budziszewski, What We Can’t Not Know: A Guide (revised and expanded edition; San Francisco: Ignatius, 2011),

123.

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COMMON GRACE VS SPECIAL GRACE LESSON THREE
by God’s common grace to all, His divine image in all humanity, and the natural
law that everyone knows deep down. These are the commonplaces that we
share with non-Christians that often help us witness to them.

7. Non-believers are lost and alienated from God, and yet God is always at work,
pouring out common grace that bears witness to both His existence and power.
The Apostle Paul appealed to the created order, to the good blessings that God
gives to all, and to this moral sense that everyone shares when he spoke in
Lystra and Athens (Refer to Acts 14:8-18 & Acts 17:22-34). Paul included these
points of common grace when he shared the Gospel of Christ, and so should
we.

Christ, the Source of Saving Grace &

Common Grace ______________________________
1. We should proclaim God’s grace in Jesus Christ by pointing people to the
blessings they already receive from God whether they acknowledge them or not.
This is the God who offers Christ to them; not a God who stands far off, but a
God who already cares for them.

2. Most of the Scriptures on grace deal with Saving Grace since fallen humanity is
blind and cannot benefit properly from common grace. Common Grace is not
enough to save us from our sins. But we must remember that God does show
sincere love for all humanity by blessing them. God’s love is not limited to those
He saves. He pours out grace on all, and invites all to come to Him.

3. But how can God give common grace, if justice demands punishment for sin?
Ultimately, our sin was punished in Christ when He died on the cross, and it is
Christ who purchased the blessings of common grace for all humanity. God’s
patience and mercy to all is grounded in Christ’s life, death and resurrection (II
Cor. 5:19)

4. The salvation of sinners and the life of the world (John 6:51) are both
accomplished by Christ’s redemptive work. In Christ all things hold together,
He brings peace to the world, He created the world, and He sustains all things
(Col. 1:17-20; Heb. 1:1-3). These passages of Scripture are not just about the
salvation of sinners, but the sustaining and renewal of the whole universe. Non-
Christians share in these temporary benefits, but faith and repentance are
required for eternal life.

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COMMON GRACE VS SPECIAL GRACE LESSON THREE

Homework ___________________________________
Read Psalm 145:8-9; Romans 1:18-23; Acts 14:8-18; Acts 17:22-34.
Next time we meet, we’ll return to some of the Scriptures we mentioned in the first lesson
as we consider the various facets of grace.

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 THE FACETS OF GRACE
LESSON FOUR
Last time we dealt with common grace, natural law, the image of God, and how these
things relate to our sin and God’s saving grace in Christ. With sin set as the dark backdrop
to the shining brilliance of God’s grace, we can now turn this reality over in our hearts and
minds to see the different facets – like facets of a diamond. You may have wondered how
so many Christians can use the same term, grace, and yet have such deep disagreements
about salvation. It’s because we usually assume our definition is the only viable option
even though we barely understand the alternatives. Grace, at its most basic level, is a gift.
In fact, the Greek words for grace and gift come from the same root word, and sometimes
they are used interchangeably. From here it gets more complicated.

“Six Perfections of Grace”10

1. Superabundance
2. Singularity
3. Priority
4. Incongruity
5. Efficacy
6. Non-Circularity

These six facets of grace can also be called “perfections,” since we could take any
selection of these six and maximize them. In other words, we could put maximum
weight on any one of these facets for our definition of grace, while denying the
importance or legitimacy of other facets.
Not all of these facets conform to the Scripture’s use of grace, but all of them exist
at the human level. Over the next several lessons, we’ll consider different
perfections or facets more closely, but now we will briefly define all six, using
Scripture whenever possible. And before we dive in, let’s remind ourselves of the
basic definition of grace:

Grace is God’s undeserved gift that comes to us in a personal

relationship with Jesus Christ. This happens when the Holy Spirit
takes hold of us, and we take hold of Christ by faith.

Remember as we go through these facets that maximizing any one of these does
not force us to maximize another. The confusion around grace usually enters in

10I get these six perfections, their definitions, the Scriptures that relate to them, as well as some of the conclusions
concerning them from John M.G. Barclay, Paul & the Power of Grace (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2020), 13-16.

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THE FACETS OF GRACE LESSON FOUR
when a few of these facets become entangled and mixed together. Different
Christian traditions have chosen to emphasize different facets, which typically
means different definitions. To be clear, we are not free to pick and choose as we
see fit. Our position must be rooted in the Scriptures; some interpretations
conform better to the Scriptures than others. At the same time, we must do our
best to understand the rationale and evidence given for all six of these facets, even
if we finally conclude that the biblical evidence is lacking.

Superabundance ____________________________
If I say that grace is superabundant, what do I mean by that? [wait for answers/discussion
after each opening question] Let’s see what the Scriptures say about it.

1. Scriptural Evidence
a. Romans 5:15-20 – Sin spread to infect the whole human race through
Adam, but through Christ God’s grace super-abounds. Grace is more
abundant than our sin. Grace conquers sin in humanity and the world, and
establishes a new humanity in Christ.
b. II Corinthians 9:8, 14 – God’s grace abounds to believers for the purpose of
leading us to overflow with good works.
c. Titus 2:11 – God’s grace is sufficient for all and offered to all through the
Gospel of Christ. God’s grace in Christ is so abundant that it is for all people.

2. The facet of superabundance is certainly biblical, and important. We may not want
to “perfect” this facet, however, because while grace is offered to all who hear, some
do not receive it. God’s grace has the power to save anyone, but it does not finally
save everyone.

Singularity ___________________________________
This word is probably not as familiar to you, but what comes to mind? If grace is perfected
along the lines of singularity, it would mean that grace is the exclusive way that God
operates. We know that is not true, but let’s look at the Scriptures.

1. Scriptural Evidence
a. Romans 8:32 – [this verse is purposefully taken out of context]
b. Psalm 145:8-9 – We have a clear statement about the character of God. God
is good to all, and He cares for His creation. We saw this last week in our
lesson on common grace.
c. Exodus 34:4-9 – This passage shows us that while God is gracious and
merciful, He is also just. We must not pit God’s grace against His justice
even as His grace and goodness are emphasized here.

2. Now that we’ve read all three passages, it should be clear that this is one of the
facets of grace that should not be perfected – though it is easy to fall into this error
because we can only consider one attribute of God at a time. You’ve probably heard

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THE FACETS OF GRACE LESSON FOUR
people do something like this when they say that God is love, and stop right there.
God cannot be reduced to any one of His attributes; and although God’s love, grace,
mercy and goodness are primary in Scripture, they cannot be so emphasized as to
exclude His justice and holiness. God is all of His attributes at the same time. God
is love, and delights in mercy and grace – but He remains just and holy. In fact,
love without justice is not love.

Priority ______________________________________
What about the priority of grace? What does it mean for grace to be prior? Right, it’s the
idea that God’s grace comes before anything we do. But how far should we take this? If we
perfect the priority of grace, we would be saying that God’s grace comes before we were
made; perhaps before anything was made. The Scriptures should help us.

1. Scriptural Evidence
a. Ephesians 2:5 – God’s grace comes to us when we are dead in our sins.
b. Romans 5:6-10 – Grace came to us when we were weak sinners, and
enemies of God.
c. Ephesians 1:3-5 – Now even though the word grace does not appear, it is
clear that salvation and election are in view, and how could we be chosen
apart from God’s grace?

2. In reality, there are not many places in Scripture that emphasize the exact moment
that God’s grace takes hold of us or the exact moment He ordained it. We know
that in Christ, grace appeared in a special way. We know that grace is prior to one’s
action or decision in coming to Christ. But is God’s grace even before creation
itself? This is a question we will explore next time we meet.

Incongruity __________________________________
If grace is said to be incongruous, what might that mean? If something is incongruous, it
doesn’t fit or match. God’s grace certainly does not fit our sinful nature; we do not deserve
God’s grace; it doesn’t make sense that He would be gracious to us. We are not fitting
recipients of God’s grace, and we cannot earn His grace – His grace is unmerited. This
facet of grace should definitely be perfected to the max.

1. Scriptural Evidence
a. Romans 3:21-25 – We have sinned, and grace is a gift through redemption
in Christ.
b. Romans 6:23 – The gift of God is free, not earned like wages.
c. II Tim. 1:9-10 – here we actually have the idea of both priority and
incongruity. We are not saved because we’ve done anything at all to deserve
it – it’s the will and grace of God. And this came “before the ages began.”
More on that next time.

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THE FACETS OF GRACE LESSON FOUR
2. This facet will come up several more times in this series. It is arguably the most
central perfection of grace – the one that must be emphasized. We can put maximal
weight on this facet based on the Scriptures. But as we’ll see soon, there is one
complication.

Efficacy ______________________________________
Here’s one that should be easier: the efficacy of grace. This is the degree to which grace is
effective. What are your thoughts?

1. Scriptural Evidence
a. Ephesians 2:4-9 – It is God’s grace that saves us by faith.
b. II Corinthians 6:1 – God’s grace can be received in vain.
c. Hebrews 12:15 – God’s grace must be obtained by faith.

2. WSC #31 on effectual calling reminds us that God’s grace is effective to save us. Yet
there are some passages that more forcefully remind us of the condition of faith
and repentance. God’s grace is not automatically effective, but must be received. If
we were to put too much weight on this facet, we might even eliminate the human
will altogether, as if God forces some to be saved by His grace against their will.
Although God’s grace must be received, on the other hand, it is transformative and
life-giving. God’s grace is effective for His people, who will certainly and freely
receive it. God persuades and transforms the will rather than violently coercing it.
This facet should receive about as much weight as superabundance.

Non-Circularity ______________________________
Finally, the non-circularity of grace. I doubt that this is a term you’ll know. Maybe a better
word that you would know is reciprocity or reciprocal. Anyone know what these words
mean? So non-reciprocal or non-circularity is the idea that there is no obligation or
expectation to return God’s favor. It’s the idea of a no-strings-attached grace.

1. Scriptural Evidence Against

a. Colossians 1:9-14
b. Romans 6:1-2, 15-16
c. Philippians 2:12
d. Revelation 2:26

2. Earlier we said that we should perfect the incongruity of grace, but does that
necessarily include non-circularity too? We are unworthy and cannot earn grace,
but are we obligated to respond to God with worship, good works, and holy living?
Of course! This error of thinking that free grace means “I can do whatever I want
after receiving God’s grace” is one of the most widespread errors among Christians
in our culture today. God’s grace is given with the expectation that you will be
transformed, and that you will follow after Christ.

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THE FACETS OF GRACE LESSON FOUR

Singularity and Non-Circularity Not Biblical

Of these six facets, it’s clear that singularity and non-circularity are not biblical. The
superabundance of grace is in the Scriptures, but it is not the central aspect of the Gospel.
Efficacy is a paradoxical facet since we have Scriptures that attribute strong efficacy to
God’s grace, even as other Scriptures speak about the necessity of human response in
receiving grace through faith and repentance for it to be effective. The two facets
remaining, priority and incongruity, are both highly important and central, but is one
more central than the other? Next time we meet, we’ll look more closely at the priority of
grace. Basically, we’ll be exploring the doctrines of Predestination and Election.

Homework ___________________________________
Re-read Ephesians 1:3-5; Ephesians 2:4-9; and Romans 5:6-10 with your parents and
discuss further.

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THE PRIORITY OF GRACE – PART ONE
LESSON FIVE
Last time we met, we discussed the various facets of grace. Some of these are biblically-
grounded, some are merely human constructions. Of the facets that have a firm biblical
grounding, we saw that some are more prominent than others. One of those facets that is
prominent in Scripture and prominent in the Reformed tradition is Priority. The idea is
that God’s grace comes to us beforehand. Just how far back we should go is the question.
Most Christians agree that God’s grace comes first before the human response, but they
would be unwilling to push the priority of grace much further than that. What about
Election and Predestination? Before we get into the Scriptures, how should we define
these terms? [Open Discussion]

Answer: Election is simply the reality that God chose His people from the beginning.
Predestination is more specifically focused on the reality that God pre-ordains the final
destination of every person.

Now we must be careful here because these are secret things, and we do not know who is
elect or non-elect; we do not know the final destination of anyone, and we can only have
firm assurance of our own salvation because we cannot see into the hearts of others. We
will find that both of these terms are indeed biblical truths, but exactly where to fit them
into God’s plan is more complicated.

“The Foundation of the World” ______________

There are a number of passages that use the phrase, “before the foundation of the world.”
Let’s read these together:
1. John 17:24
2. I Peter 1:20

What these two passages state is that God the Son, Jesus Christ has an eternal relationship
with the Father. This means that Jesus is divine; He is the second person of the Trinity.
This may seem like an odd place to begin, but when we conclude our time in Ephesians 1
it will make sense.
Other passages use a different preposition: “From/Since…” instead of “Before.” This is
more clearly seen in the Greek (some English translations don’t follow the Greek as
strictly). Either way, it is a different preposition from the previous two passages.
1. Book of Life à Revelation 13:8
2. The Kingdom/Inheritance à Matthew 25:34

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THE PRIORITY OF GRACE – PART ONE LESSON FIVE
These passages may be stating that God’s people were chosen in eternity past, but they
could also be interpreted as stating that God chose us “from the beginning” or “since the
creation of the world.” This still makes God’s grace prior, but does not necessarily place it
in eternity past.

“Before the Ages” ____________________________

There are still other passages that more clearly state the doctrine of election, and we also
see here our term grace. These passages talk about God’s grace, promise, and purpose as
being “before the ages.”

1. The Promise à Titus 1:2

2. Purpose & Grace in Christ à I Timothy 1:9

I Timothy 1:9 is especially important because this grace to us is in Christ and it is placed
in eternity past. It almost reminds us of, “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…”
Except the difference of course is that this is the Word of God, not simply a mythic story.
It sounds mythic, and myth can be used to communicate truth. The beauty of Christianity
and the Scriptures is that they often bridge the gap between historical truth and myth. We
have the true myth here – the reality that God in eternity past chose His family and wrote
out the whole history of time and space. And then in creation, that story began to unfold,
and here we are today part of that same unfolding story that began so long ago. While this
is a fairly clear passage, some have argued that this only means, “a long time ago” or “ages
ago.”

Ephesians 1:3-11 _______________________________

Now we can come to the most important passage for this doctrine: Ephesians 1:3-11.
Please open your Bibles to Ephesians 1 and follow along. [Read the passage]

[Leader: I offer you a basic outline of the passage below]

Ø Verses 3-4
o Chosen In Christ
o Relational
o Purpose of Holiness
Ø Verses 5-10
o Love
o Adoption
o Purpose
o Worship
o In Christ
o The Cosmic Dimensions of the Revealed Secret

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THE PRIORITY OF GRACE – PART ONE LESSON FIVE
Ø Verse 11
o In Christ
o Inheritance
o Purpose

Discuss Initial Thoughts on the Passage _____

The one observation we’ll make before we dismiss is that the election of Christians is
“In Christ.” Why might this be important for understanding what’s going on here?

Homework ___________________________________
Next week, we’ll dive deeply into Ephesians 1:3-11, but you’ll certainly get more out of it
if you reflect on this passage throughout the week and discuss it with your parents.

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THE PRIORITY OF GRACE – PART TWO
LESSON SIX
Ephesians 1:3-11 à what are ya’ll’s further thoughts on this passage? What did your
parents think? Please open your Bibles and follow along.

What do we Find in Verses 3-4? ______________

God’s choice here is “before the foundation of the world,” like in John 17:24 where Jesus
talks about His relationship with His heavenly Father.

1. The first thing we need to notice is that Christians are “Chosen In Christ.” This is
a radically different conception of election/predestination than a merely arbitrary
choice that God makes to send people to heaven and hell. God’s choice of His
people is intimately bound up with a relationship. And we can start to see this by
looking back at verse 3. The Scripture uses this vague conjunction, “even as.” It’s a
conjunction of comparison or manner. Put another way, we could read it like this:
“We’ve been blessed with Christ, how? By being chosen in Christ.”
This paraphrase helps us understand the connection between verses 3 and 4.
“What does being blessed with Christ in the heavenly places look like? Being
chosen in Him.”

2. What does it mean that we are chosen “In Christ?”

It is a relational term, but it also means that Christ is our mediator. He is the one
means of salvation for sinners. God’s choosing us from eternity past already has in
mind this mediator relationship. Christ the God-man mediates between God and
His people. Therefore, this passage already has in mind human sinners.

3. But how can Scripture talk about human sinners from the standpoint of eternity
past before humans sinned or were created?
This question is a mystery. This is why there should always been caution when
talking about election. From God’s timeless perspective, He chose us in eternity
from the beginning; but from the human perspective, ever since Adam and Eve
sinned, God’s choice is a gracious and merciful choice to save some sinners and
pass over others. Why God chooses some and not others is not for us to know. But
the point is that we are all sinners and deserve justice – yet God chooses to
mercifully save some. Both the divine and human perspectives are true at the same
time – it is a paradox. But Scripture affirms both, so we must as well.

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THE PRIORITY OF GRACE – PART TWO LESSON SIX
4. This might be the only place in the Bible that explicitly and unquestionably states
that Christians have been chosen before creation – in eternity past. At the
beginning of the lesson last week, we said it would make sense why we started with
passages that were only about Christ. So in the one unquestionable passage of
Scripture on this topic of the timing of election, it adds the all-important phrase,
“in Christ.” Christ is the eternal Son, and our union with Him is therefore, in some
sense, eternal.

a. If Christ is the Head and the Church is His Body, it couldn’t be otherwise.
Christ and His people are eternally linked. But this is where we run up
against mystery again – secret things (Deut. 29:29).

b. Our souls were created, and our union with Christ is not actualized until we
enter into a relationship with Him by faith and repentance. And yet, there
are passages like Psalm 139:13-16 [Read]. God knew us before we existed.

5. We also see in verse 4 that the purpose of this election is holiness. We weren’t
chosen in Christ to remain static. We weren’t chosen to say, “yay, we’re chosen.”
We were chosen in order to walk the path of holiness as we grow closer to God.

Asking the Right Gospel Questions __________

1. All of this might lead us to ask the question, “Am I one of the elect?” But does
anyone see something wrong with this question?
[Answer: We cannot get into the mind of God in eternity past]
We should not ask ourselves that question, and we should not obsess over the
doctrines of election and predestination. These doctrines are important and
biblical, but these are difficult things, mature things, secret things.

2. The right question is, “What was my response when I first heard the gospel of
Christ?” “What was my response the last time I heard the good news of Jesus?”
Was your response one of trust and joy, faith and repentance? Or are you skeptical?
John Calvin and Heinrich Bullinger, the great Reformers, both basically said the
same thing about election: Let Christ Himself be the mirror of your election. If you
commune with Christ today, and you belong to Him and He belongs to you, then
you can rest assured that you are one of His elect.11

3. But do you see the difference?

Don’t try to get back into the mind of God, go back to where God came down to
meet you in His Gospel Word. The question is not, “Am I elect?” The question is,
“Do I Believe the Gospel Today?” Or “Am I in Christ?” Do you have a relationship
11John Calvin, The Institutes of the Christian Religion: Volume 2 (ed. John T. McNeill; trans. Ford Lewis Battles;
Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2011), 970. Also see Heinrich Bullinger’s 2nd Helvetic Confession 10.9.

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THE PRIORITY OF GRACE – PART TWO LESSON SIX
with Christ that is real, meaningful, and tangible?12 Do you commune with Him
through Word, Sacrament, Prayer, and the Fellowship of the Spirit-filled Church?
If the answer is yes, you can rest from your anxiety.13

Verses 5-14 ____________________________________

1. Now let’s move onto the rest of the passage, though the main point is found in verse
4. Verses 3-14 are one long sentence in the Greek, and so we must be careful to
read Scripture in its context. Look at verses 5-10. We see that God’s choice and
predestination is grounded in love; it’s a familial love – He’s adopted us into His
family. Verse 5 ends with the reality that all of this is according to the purpose of
God’s will.

a. This is absolutely crucial for us to understand – and we’ve already hinted at

it. The logic of God’s choice is not arbitrary, it flows out of who He is. God’s
love; His covenant relationship with His people; His desire to adopt us as
sons and daughters – all of this comes from the root of God’s character.
God’s will and who He is are fastened together. God is not just a powerful,
sovereign being – He is the source of being itself (“In Him we live and move
and have our being” - Acts 17:28).

b. So what? So, we can know that God’s choice is good and loving because He
IS Goodness and Love. God doesn’t merely have the characteristics of
goodness and love; instead, those characteristics are what they are in our
experience as they are rooted in Him.

2. Grace comes up in verses 7 and 8. And in verse 6 we see that all of what God has
done should lead us to worship and praise Him. “In Christ” is the constant refrain
– verses 3, 4, 7, 9, and 11. And then in verse 10 we see the cosmic dimensions of all
this. God’s plan was not only to save His people, but to restore all things in heaven
and on earth. You and me are just one tiny piece of God’s plan. So again, when we
talk about predestination, we should keep in mind that God has ordained not only
the end for you and me, but He’s ordained all of the details. Everything that
happens across all of history is part of God’s plan. And He hasn’t just promised
that we will live with Him in heaven; He’s promised to give us new bodies in the
resurrection and restore this world into the new heavens and new earth – our final
home.

3. Finally in verse 11, we see the same things we’ve already read: that in Christ we
have an inheritance (“spiritual blessings,” and also “The New Heavens & New

12 Multiple conversations with Paul Sanduleac helped me clarify and nuance my understanding of how to connect
election and the gospel. This practical formulation is the fruit of those conversations that took place years ago while I
was going to seminary at RTS-Jackson.
13 Also see WSC #85.

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THE PRIORITY OF GRACE – PART TWO LESSON SIX
Earth” [Rev. 21:2]) and this is again part of God’s purpose. This is a God who is in
control of everything and who has ordained everything. He is the author, this is
His story that we’re living in. He is the creator, we are the creatures. May that
cosmic dimension of election humble us, leave us in awe of our God, and make us
incredibly thankful that He would be so gracious to bring us into His forever-
family.

Homework ___________________________________
Reflect on Ephesians 1:3-11 with your parents.

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 THE INCONGRUITY OF GRACE
LESSON SEVEN
Last week we considered the priority of grace. We saw that election and predestination
are indeed biblical doctrines, though they are also mysterious doctrines. Furthermore, we
saw that our election is in Christ, and our predestination is only one small piece of God’s
big, cosmic plan to restore all things in the end. This time, we’ll consider another facet of
grace that lies even closer to the heart of Christianity. The Apostle Paul had many
opponents who would have agreed that God’s electing grace is prior to anything we do
and is even located from/before the foundations of the world… But… They were entirely
opposed to the idea that God’s grace is for those who are not worthy of it.
God’s grace is incongruous. Someone help us remember what “incongruous” or
“incongruity” means [wait for response]. Yes, it’s the reality that God’s grace is not
something we deserve – it’s not something we can earn.

Why Did God Save Us? _______________________

1. Maybe a good place to begin is with the question, “Why?” – Why would God choose
us if we don’t deserve it? We touched on this last week, what did we say about God’s
character? [wait for answers]

2. We said that God’s character and His will are intricately bound together. So God’s
choice and His love and His covenant promise are united. And we see this in the
Scriptures. Let’s read these passages:

a. Deuteronomy 7:6-8
b. II Tim. 1:9
c. Jeremiah 31:3

3. Why did God choose His people? He chose us because He loves us and He is a God
who keeps His promises. Basically, He chose us because He loves us and He loves
us because He always has. One of the great Reformed theologians of the past
century put it like this: There was never a time that God began to love His people,
and so there will never be a time when He will stop loving them.14 (Let that sink

14This is a rough paraphrase of Geerhardus Vos, “Jeremiah’s Plaint and It’s Answer,” in Redemptive History and
Biblical Interpretation (ed. Richard B. Gaffin; Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R), 298. I first heard this idea in an RTS lecture
many years ago.

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THE INCONGRUITY OF GRACE LESSON SEVEN
in!) God’s gracious choice is rooted in His love for us, and we do not deserve it. We
are not worthy.

4. God’s grace is a gift that is not earned. Let’s read these two verses to remind us of
that.

a. Romans 3:24
b. Romans 6:23

5. We are sinful, we fall short, and so all we can do is receive God’s grace. God’s free
gift of salvation is in Christ, we read. When you think of a “free” gift, what comes
to mind? [wait for response]

Oftentimes when we think of “free,” we think “no-strings-attached,” right? But

Romans 6 says multiple times that we are not to pursue sin just because we’ve
received God’s grace (6:1, 12, 15). God’s grace is for unworthy sinners, but we must
not continue to live in sin. In fact, to receive God’s gift entails a transformation. We
are not just “saved and going to heaven,” we are delivered from the power of sin
and called to walk in a manner worthy of God’s calling (Ephesians 4:1). God’s grace
is as much about the journey of the Christian life as it is about the destination.

True Freedom ________________________________

1. God’s free gift leads us into a new kind of freedom. When we think of freedom, we
think “free to do whatever we want” because that’s what American culture has
trumpeted for many generations now. True freedom is not freedom to go on
sinning – it is freedom to pursue what is good. Romans 6:16 clearly states that
whoever/whatever we obey is our master. If we obey sin habitually, continually,
and without struggle, we show that sin is ruling us, not Christ.

2. As fallen sinners, dead in sin, we are not free to come to Christ or do what is
spiritually good. A good work is in faith, to God’s glory, and according to His Word
– until God regenerates us and gives us His grace in Christ, we are not free to walk
that path. But once we receive God’s grace, we are set free from bondage to sin, and
we freely serve YHWH our God, following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.

Good Works __________________________________

1. So what is the place of good works? How do works and grace relate to each other?
If grace is not earned or deserved and there’s nothing we can do, then why pursue
good works? [wait for response]

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THE INCONGRUITY OF GRACE LESSON SEVEN
The Scriptures tell us that we should pursue good works as Christians, not in order
to justify ourselves, but because we have been justified and adopted by God
already. Justification15 is the act of God’s free grace to count us in the right because
of what Christ has done for us. We are justified by faith, not works. But true faith
leads to good works.

Let’s read these two passages.

a. Ephesians 2:4-9
b. Titus 3:3-8

2. Ephesians 2 says that God’s grace is received apart from works. But once we have
been justified, we are called to walk the path of sanctification16 because salvation
is more than just the first moments of grace – it’s the whole Christian life. Titus
tells us that the goodness and loving kindness (or grace) of God appeared to us in
Jesus Christ Himself. He is the one whom we rely on for salvation, but He’s also
the one we follow; and as we follow Christ, good works are bound to happen.

Homework ___________________________________
We’ll further discuss how to connect good works and free grace next time we meet. But
please discuss this question with your parents in preparation: What is the place of good
works in the Christian life?

15 See Lesson XI for another definition. Also, see WSC #33.

16 See Lesson XI for a definition. Also, see WSC #35.

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 GOOD WORKS
LESSON EIGHT
Last time we talked about the incongruity of grace, someone please remind us what that
is once more.
So how do good works fit into the picture? What did your parents say in discussion this
past week?

What are good works? _______________________

1. Good works are the fruit of what God has done in our lives; they are the fitting
response to God’s grace; they are expected, and necessary as part of sanctification
and holiness – and there is a holiness without which no one will see God (Heb.
12:14-15). We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12). If
we remain in our sins, we show that we never did truly receive God’s grace (Eph.
5:19-21; I John 3:6).

2. So good works are necessary in this sense: they reinforce our identity in Christ, and
our commitment to Him. But even our good works are gracious because God is at
work to supply us with the ability and desire to walk in them (Phil. 2:13). God gives
us the empowerment of His Spirit so that we can say no to sin, and say yes to God-
glorying actions, words, and thoughts.

Non-Circularity ______________________________
1. All of this helps us understand why one particular facet of grace we saw a few weeks
ago is so problematic. The facet of non-circularity. Does anyone remember this
one?

a. This is the idea that God’s grace is so free that there are no antecedent
conditions. In other words, no-strings-attached-grace. The other word we
used was non-reciprocity. The idea is that when you give a gift to someone,
you should do it expecting nothing in return; and so isn’t this how God
relates to us as well? Now that sounds very attractive, doesn’t it?

b. It sounds correct – and from a human perspective it is correct. We should

not only be nice to those we think will be nice back to us. We should not give

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GOOD WORKS LESSON EIGHT
gifts and hold a grudge if that person does not return the favor in some way.
Furthermore, God does not save us because He knows we’ll do good later
on. He chooses us without conditions; remember, we are totally unworthy.

c. But after He’s chosen us, called us, regenerated us, justified us, adopted us,
and converted us – we are indeed expected to respond by doing good and
worshipping God. This is not something we should feel coerced into either;
we should freely pursue good works because of what God has done. You
have a new identity in Christ.

2. So this is why it’s such a difficult concept. God’s grace is unconditional, Christ’s
love in His earthly ministry was unconditional, and we should offer love and grace
the way God does to others. BUT… What does Jesus tell His disciples in John 14:15?
If you love me, you will keep my commandments; and He also clearly states that
we must bear fruit (John 15:1-8). It is an inevitable and necessary process for true
Christians connected to Christ.

a. In the same way that a tree bears fruit naturally, we bear fruit in Christ
because of who we are in Him. And to continue the analogy, the branches
(that’s us) don’t have the resources to bear fruit on their own, they receive
it from the root and the trunk. Christ is the True Vine. He produces fruit
through us – we can do nothing apart from Him. Therefore, even our good
works and fruit are grounded not in our own efforts, but in God’s gracious
work in us. We must exert effort, but it is not our effort that produces fruit.

b. And effort does not equal earning.17 We do not pursue good works so God
will love us more; we pursue good works out of free desire and thanksgiving
for what God has done. We pursue good thoughts, speech, and
actions because that’s what Christ did – and in imitating Christ,
we grow closer to God.

Two More Questions _________________________

1. Now at this point, you might still have questions. How do we pursue good works
without thinking that we are earning something? If good works are simply what
should happen, then what do I do if it’s not happening for me?
[These are questions that may bring out a good discussion]

a. These are difficult questions and they are questions all Christians struggle
with, but the reality is that sanctification is not automatic, and it will remain
imperfect in this life. It is a process that is rooted in God’s activity, but we
must exert effort and we must exert effort in the right direction. What does
that mean?

17 Willard, The Great Omission, 61.

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GOOD WORKS LESSON EIGHT
b. There’s a big difference between doing good out of pure duty and doing good
without thinking about it. The latter would mean that you do good because
it’s who you are and it’s what you want – that’s the goal. But what if you
aren’t there yet? Do you just do the right thing out of duty? Yes, you do! But
you do so in the hope and anticipation that God will change your desires.
You must ask God to change your desires, and you must avoid those habits,
words, and thoughts that reinforce the wrong desires.

Illustration ___________________________________
What happens to a relationship where one person does all the pursing and the other never
pursues? It dies eventually, right? If I give gifts to you and invite you over to my house
and ask to meet up for lunch or coffee, and you never invite me to spend time with you,
eventually the relationship will either become stagnant or it may completely end.

2. God gives us His gift of grace, and we give gifts of prayer, worship, good works, etc.
back to Him – not because He needs anything from us or because we can earn
anything from Him. We do these things because that’s how the relationship
continues. Friendships are gift-giving realities even if it’s just the gift of time,
conversation or games. We must reciprocate in our friendship with God, because
relationships where reciprocation is nonexistent do not grow, develop, or flourish
– they usually die.

God’s Spirit & Promise _______________________

1. The good news is that it’s not ultimately up to you to sustain your relationship with
God. Like a good Father, He will give to His children the opportunities, times, and
desires to cultivate the relationship. Now when He provides these avenues (Good
Works, Church, Scripture, Prayer, etc.) we must freely, intentionally choose to
pursue Him. You must choose to love your neighbor, and in doing so, you glorify
God. You must choose to read Scripture and repent of sin, but God gives you the
empowerment of His Spirit to do this. You are moved into these good works by the
Holy Spirit if you are in Christ.

2. God’s promises are sure and steady for His people. Do you even have a little faith
that God is at work and has the power to bring about your sanctification? Then He
will give you more faith and confidence and motivation (Matt. 13:12). Do you take
any joy or peace in the promises of Christ? That’s a great sign! Resting in the
promises of God will cultivate a desire in you to pursue holiness. But in an
increasingly distracted world, you must be intentional.

3. It is commonplace to see Christians who think that God’s grace allows them to
simply sin, feel bad, ask forgiveness and repeat without any real struggle. “I have

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GOOD WORKS LESSON EIGHT
my ticket to heaven, and so sin isn’t a big deal anymore.” Many Christians believe
this is an entirely valid way to live the Christian life because they have misread or
distorted the Scriptures. After all we’ve seen and read this morning, it should be
crystal clear that this is not a biblical way of understanding God’s grace. God’s
grace pardons and forgives, but it also transforms. God’s grace is extended to
unworthy sinners who in response strive to follow Christ (Eph. 4:1; Luke 13:24).
Next week, we’ll consider the danger of legalism. The danger of pursuing good
works and keeping the law in a way that threatens our relationship to Christ.

Homework ___________________________________
Discuss with your parents this balance between our unworthiness of God’s grace, and our
motivation to pursue a life worthy of God’s calling (Eph. 4:1)

35
 DISTORTION #1: LEGALISM
LESSON NINE
Over the past couple months, we’ve considered the topic of grace. We’ve defined it many
times and considered the various facets of grace according to Scripture. Now for the
remainder of this series, we’ll look at distortions of grace and the remedies. These lessons
will be more discussion-oriented since we have spent some time properly defining grace.

What is Legalism? ___________________________

1. Sometimes legalism shows up in the poor treatment of others. It is often the case
that pride, self-righteousness, and legalism are connected. This leads some
Christians to look down on others or be judgmental towards them. The legalist
thinks less of others when they sin or make a mistake instead of being gracious,
compassionate, and forgiving. The person who thinks highly of themselves
simply because they follow the rules is likely stuck in legalism.

2. Legalism is the distortion that says we are counted right before God because of our
good works or some other marker like church membership or baptism. Sometimes
legalism comes out in a person’s efforts to earn God’s favor. As we’ve already seen,
there’s nothing we can do to earn God’s grace. We cannot earn a relationship with
God, nor can we buy our way into heaven with good works.

3. The Scriptures say that our justification18 is by faith alone. Let’s read a few passages
that highlight this for us.

a. Romans 3:21-28
b. Romans 7:4-7
c. Galatians 2:15-21

Defining Law ________________________________

1. What does Paul mean by “law?”

2. Does he just mean the 10 Commandments or other good works? (No, since in all
of Paul’s letters there is an exhortation to pursue holy living, e.g. Gal. 5:16-26 –
note the warning in verse 21)

18 See the end of Lesson VII or beginning of XI for a definition.

36
DISTORTION #1: LEGALISM LESSON NINE
3. Paul is talking about Torah, the laws laid down in the first five books of the Bible,
the Pentateuch. He’s talking about the covenant God made with Moses at Sinai.
He’s talking about rituals like Passover and circumcision.

What do we Not Mean by Legalism? ________

1. Legalism is not simply an emphasis on good works (refer back to Lesson XIII). In
fact, we can even say that good works are a requirement for salvation since
obedience is how we walk the path of sanctification.19 To be clear, obedience and
good works are not the cause of salvation, nor are they what maintain a person’s
salvation. God’s grace empowers us to obey. There’s no room for moralistic pride
when you do good. Christ calls you to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow
Him (Matt. 16:24). And this has always been the call: to walk humbly with God
(Micah 6:8).

2. We have been justified by faith alone, but true faith always leads to obedience. True
faith should mean that you bear the fruit of the Spirit. Sanctification, growing in
holiness, is necessary because that’s what it means to follow Christ – to become
more like Him. Sanctification is not optional, but the next necessary step of
salvation after we are justified.

3. Although legalism can be defined as trying to earn salvation, or acting like a

Pharisee, the primary issue for the New Testament writers was not merely trying
to please God with good works. The issue was replacing Christ with anything else
– including the law or good works.

Let’s read a couple passages to see this:

a. James 1:22-25
b. I Timothy 1:8

Why is Legalism such a Difficult Distortion?

1. Jesus doesn’t tell his followers to do less than the Pharisees, he commands them
to go above and beyond the Pharisees. The Sermon on the Mount is some of the
toughest teaching in the whole Bible, but here Jesus shows us that external law-
keeping was never the main point.

Read Matthew 5:20

i. This may sound like an odd verse, except when we remember that
the Pharisees were dead on the inside; their hearts were far from

19Mark Jones, Antinomianism (Phillipsburg, NJ: Puritan & Reformed, 2013), 65. See Westminster Larger Catechism
#32.
Also see Francis Turretin, Institutes of Elenctic Theology: Volume 2 (trans. George Musgrave Giger; ed. James T.
Dennison; Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 1994), 702. Turretin answers in the affirmative to the question, “Are good works
necessary to salvation?”

37
DISTORTION #1: LEGALISM LESSON NINE
God. The Pharisees looked down on others and thought highly of
themselves rather than humbly walking with God.

ii. Jesus is after the whole person, not just the mind or the emotions or
the external good works. Jesus wants all of you. And from your heart
flows everything you think, say, and do. So the lie of legalism is the
idea that external good actions can successfully mask over a heart
that rebels against God.

2. Simultaneously, John 15:5 tells us that we can do nothing apart from Jesus, the
True Vine, and it also says that those who love Christ will keep His commandments
and bear fruit. So true obedience is required, but obedience flows from a heart that
has been renewed by the Spirit – a heart that trusts and loves God.

Another Example of the Complexity ________

Read Galatians 6:2, 7-8 à But then Galatians 3:10-13

1. Here we see the difficulty staring us straight in the face. We must not think that we
can get away with living in sin; we will reap what we sow.

2. We must fulfill the “law of Christ” by bearing one another’s burdens. But at the
same time, there is a way of keeping the law that goes against true faith because it
displaces the person and work of Jesus Christ. Christ, not the law, is our aim. Doing
good is not an end in itself, but a way of serving God. When the law or good works
become ultimate in a person’s life, that’s a sure sign that legalism is their error.

Legalism Often Poorly Defined ______________

1. All of this means that while legalism is a serious distortion that we must avoid, it
must be properly defined for it to be a distortion. It is defined improperly as
emphasis on the law. The law is a guide to holy living for the Christian. God’s law
does not change. In fact, His law was always good. The problem was that we were
not able to keep it; we needed a heart change.

2. But now in Christ, the one who lived perfectly and conquered death, we are enabled
to keep the law to a much greater extent because He gives us a new heart sensitive
to the things of God.

3. Rom. 8:4 tells us that with the Spirit’s empowerment, we can live in such a way
that fulfills the deepest layer of the law when we love God and love others. We
cannot do this perfectly, however.

38
DISTORTION #1: LEGALISM LESSON NINE

A Matter of the Heart: Important Questions

to Consider __________________________________
Legalism is not about putting forth too much effort or paying too much attention to
obedience. Following in Christ’s footsteps will look a lot like keeping His commandments,
which includes your external actions; but His commandments are even more so aimed at
the heart.

1. What is your attitude when you do something for Jesus?

2. What is your motivation for following Jesus?
3. Are you trying to earn something from God?
4. Do you consider yourself more worthy of God’s grace than other people?
5. Do you look down on others when you do something good or when they mess up?

Your motivation for obeying God should be thanksgiving, gratitude and a

growing desire to know God and become more like His Son, Jesus Christ.
Avoid the motivation of the Pharisees, who often pursued good works in order to impress
other people, or exalt themselves over others. Search the Scriptures to make sure you are
not adding to God’s commandments.20 Humbly consider others more important than
yourself rather than looking down on them (Phil. 2:3).

Homework ___________________________________
Next week we’ll discuss the remedy to this distortion, but please discuss Romans 7:4-7
with your parents. Also read Matthew 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount, and ask yourself
this question, “How would I go about keeping the commands in the Sermon on the Mount
without falling into legalism?”

20A fairly common example of this error is the debate over alcohol. The Scriptures do not condemn drinking alcohol
absolutely, but instead paint a fairly positive picture of alcohol as a gift from God (Psalm 104). Some people wisely
abstain from alcohol for various reasons, such as family history or prior struggles with addiction. Of course, the Bible
knows how alcohol can be abused and misused, and those who choose to avoid alcohol in order to avoid such
consequences should not be judged. However, the sin that Scripture condemns is drunkenness or alcoholism, not the
drinking of alcoholic beverages (Luke 21:34; Eph. 5:18). It would be an example of legalism 1) to say that every
person who drinks alcoholic beverages is sinning in doing so, or 2) to judge persons who do drink as
morally inferior even if they are careful to avoid drunkenness and addiction. We are also called to follow
the laws set down by our civil authorities that do not contradict God’s Word, and so the drinking age of 21 should also
be followed.

39
 REMEDY #1: GRACE AS GIFT
LESSON TEN
Last week we discussed Legalism. Someone help me define legalism.

Did anyone read Matthew 5-7 or discuss Romans 7:4-7 with their parents? What did ya’ll
come up with?

What do you think the remedy is for legalism?

Answer: Salvation is by Grace/Gift, not Works

1. What do we mean when we say that salvation is a gift? – or, of grace?

[Open Discussion]

2. So is salvation just a gift at the beginning and then I need to work hard to earn the
rest of my way to God?
No, of course not! Salvation is a gift from beginning to end, though it does include
effort on our part.

3. Let’s review some Scriptures now:

a. Ephesians 2:8
b. Romans 3:24; 6:23
c. Titus 3:5
d. II Timothy 1:9

The Incongruous Gift ________________________

1. A few weeks ago, we talked about the incongruity of grace. Can someone remind
us of what that means once more?
Right, grace does not fit our sinfulness, and even after we receive Christ, we are
sinners who cannot earn anything from God. God’s grace is grace precisely because
we are unworthy of it.

2. So if grace is given to us in our unworthiness, apart from our obedience or effort,

should we still pursue obedience and effort in the Christian life? Why or why not?
[This was discussed two weeks ago already, but take time for a longer group
discussion here]

3. Read Ephesians 4:1-2

So in light of Eph. 4:1-2, how would we answer the question before us?

40
REMEDY #1: GRACE AS GIFT LESSON TEN
Yes, even though God called us in our unworthiness and sin, His call is one that
transforms us, and leads us more and more into holiness. We will never be worthy,
and sin remains in us until the next life, but we are called to pursue a life that is
worthy of God’s call.

Three Discussion Questions _________________

1. Obedience: How does obedience fit with the reality that salvation is a gift?

Obedience is how we grow spiritually, and it is a requirement if we are to follow

Christ. God uses our obedience to bind us to Himself so that we do not wander
down the wrong paths. Everyone obeys, and that obedience either reinforces or
breaks down one’s identity. If a Christian habitually obeys the world and their
sinful impulses, their identity in Christ will weaken (Romans 6:16-17).

2. Diligence/Effort: Why is it important to put forth effort if grace is free?

Read Romans 12:1-2, 9-21

a. The currents of the world are against you, the remaining sin you have fights
against you. If you aren’t putting forth effort, you will be carried away by
these other influences whether you realize it or not.

b. You must see the way the world is forming you, and then engage in counter-
formation by offering up your whole self as a sacrifice to God and habitually
pursuing the renewal of your mind. What might this look like?

3. Fruit: What is Fruit, and Why should you Bear Fruit?

a. Answers: The Fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5) & Living out Jesus’ teaching in the
Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7).

b. It is not, strictly speaking, your devotional time, or church activities. It is

better to think of those things as the nourishment you need in order to bear
fruit for the kingdom. You bear fruit when you love others, when you make
wise decisions, when you forgive people who don’t deserve to be forgiven,
when you exercise patience and self-control in difficult situations, etc. In
short, bearing fruit happens in all of life.

c. Bearing fruit gives you an assurance that you are an adopted child of God,
and the more habitually you bear fruit, the more you will see God’s work in
your life.

41
REMEDY #1: GRACE AS GIFT LESSON TEN

Ultimately, Grace is Who God Is _____________

1. Christ IS the gift of salvation to you because He offered Himself up to death, and
rose again to give you new life in a relationship with Him.

2. Grace is always a gift because the Holy Spirit is the one who leads you and
empowers you to live the Christian life – loving others, being patient, speaking the
truth, enjoying what is good.

3. How strange is it to try and earn something from a God who IS Grace. God’s very
nature is to give, to reach out, to draw near, to restore. We respond by drawing
near, by walking the path God has laid before us, and by offering ourselves to the
service of His kingdom.

4. But all of your obedience, effort, and fruit are themselves gifts of God’s
grace – not avenues of earning something from Him. These three are
part of the gift because they come to us only through our connection to
Christ. They are all aspects of what it looks like to receive God’s grace, walk with
Christ, and cooperate with the Holy Spirit’s work of sanctification. Though
sanctification requires our intentional effort, it is no less connected to Christ than
is justification. In union with Christ we get both!

5. This is precisely where legalism misses the mark. The legalist fails to see that all
his effort and obedience is itself a gift; he imagines that somehow he can do
something for God apart from the Spirit’s empowerment. But Jesus says, apart
from Him, the True Vine, you can do nothing (John 15:5). It is only in connection
to Christ through the Spirit that we are able live the Christian life. Legalism is
defeated by this truth.

Homework ___________________________________
Next week, we’ll move onto the second distortion of grace, antinomianism – lawlessness.
Continue to discuss these things with your parents.

42
 DISTORTION #2: ANTINOMIANISM
LESSON ELEVEN
Last week, we discussed the reality that God’s grace is a gift through and through. So does
that mean God’s grace excuses our sin and we can do whatever we want after we receive
it by faith? [Pause]

1. By no means! – as Paul says in Romans 6. God forgives us when we receive Christ

by faith. We are counted in the right before God and declared not-guilty – this is
captured in the term, Justification.

2. But Gods’ grace does more than forgive, it transforms.

3. God’s saving grace empowers us to conquer sin, not excuse it. God’s grace breaks
the power of sin and the devil. God’s grace teaches us to die to our sin daily. God’s
grace transforms us so that even our desires and emotions are changed over time
along paths of holiness – all of this is contained in the big word, Sanctification.

4. Both justification and sanctification come to us in union with Christ. God repairs
our relationship with Him through Christ, and then calls us to strive after Him
continually because we have been enabled to do just that (Luke 13:24; Ephesians
4:1; Colossians 1:10; Philippians 2:12).

What is Antinomianism? ____________________

1. Antinomianism basically means Lawlessness.

a. Often it is defined as the opposite of legalism, but actually these two

distortions are two sides of the same coin.21 The Pharisees are who we
usually think of when we think of the standard legalist, but remember, as
careful as they were to obey the externals of the law, their hearts were far
from God. The Pharisees were into legalism, but legalism almost always falls
back into antinomianism because no legalist can be perfectly consistent.22

b. Every human is a sinner, and a legalist will be forced to cordon off a part of
his life as the “ok-to-sin-zone” to get relief from the law. The Pharisees
cordoned off their hearts and their affections from God. They had maybe
kept themselves from murder and adultery, but not from hatred and lustful

21 Sinclair B. Ferguson, The Whole Christ (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016), 84.
22 Jones, Antinomianism, 2-3.

43
DISTORTION #2: ANTINOMIANISM LESSON ELEVEN
thoughts – and they thought that was ok. Jesus says He wants all of us, not
merely our outward actions.

2. This lawlessness, or engaging in unrepentant sin, seems obviously wrong and

opposed to Scripture, but there’s another strand of antinomianism: Automatic
Holiness.

a. This is when we assume that there really is no place for effort because when
we accepted Christ, we should’ve immediately or automatically become holy
enough to follow the law without putting much effort into it.

b. But this is just a rejection of the 3rd Use of the Law – The law restrains evil,
shows us our need for Christ, and thirdly, it is a guide to holiness after we
come to Christ.

4. Antinomianism is also a rejection of Life-Long Repentance & Sanctification

a. Martin Luther himself once stated that repentance is not a one-time event,
but happens every day.23 Sanctification takes effort, thought and
persistence.

b. Herman Bavinck’s Definition of Antinomianism à “The trend that reduces

the application of salvation to its acquisition and almost completely equates
the two.”24
Anyone want to try to rephrase this quote?

c. Have you ever thought about salvation as just the first time you believed?
Have you ever thought about salvation in this broader sense – that God is
continually saving you? This is not to say you are re-justified over and over,
but the Christian life is full of mountains and valleys. Sanctification is not
smooth progress for most people. We acquired salvation at first by faith in
Christ, but now we are being conformed to Christ as we follow Him – and
this too is our salvation.

So Why is Antinomianism Wrong? __________

(Discuss)

1. Effort, Striving, and Testing is found throughout Scriptures in the examples of

God’s people in both the Old Testament and New (Israel in the Wilderness; Jesus
in the Wilderness and in Gethsemane)
Paul in I Corinthians 9:24-26 – Read This!

23 Martin Luther, Ninety-Five Theses (introduced and annotated by Stephen J. Nichols; Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2021),
23.
24 Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics: Vol. 3, 530.

44
DISTORTION #2: ANTINOMIANISM LESSON ELEVEN
2. The Teaching of Jesus
a. John 14:15
b. The Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7)

3. All the Letters of Paul (Gal. 5:16-26)

4. Other Scriptures to Read at Home

a. I John 3:4-10
b. The Psalms on the Law (e.g. Psalm 19 & 119)
c. Luke 13:24
d. Philippians 2:12
e. Hebrews 12:14

Homework ___________________________________
Next week we’ll consider the remedy for antinomianism.
Spoiler alert: it’s not to just try harder! The most basic answer is actually the same as what
we said last week. The remedy is always found in Christ. I think you’ll be surprised by
what we find in the Scriptures.

Read, mediate on, and discuss the Scriptures above with your parents.

45
 REMEDY #2: OUR GIFTS TO
GOD & EACH OTHER
LESSON TWELVE
Recap from last week: Someone help us define Antinomianism.

Answers: Lawlessness; Automatic Holiness; living as if we can do whatever we want;

reducing salvation to justification or initial conversion; rejection of the 3rd Use of the Law
as a guide to holiness; a neglect of the Scriptures that command us to obey God – Sermon
on the Mount, John 15, Galatians 5, etc.

Reciprocal Gift-Giving _______________________

1. Gifts for the Body of Christ
We begin to see a remedy to antinomianism when we see and understand the
Scriptures that clearly state the importance of our giving grace to one another. If
we refuse to follow and obey Christ, why would we care for others? And if we refuse
to be used by God to give grace to others, then how can the gospel ever take a
concrete shape in our lives? If we are in Christ, how can we avoid the call to sacrifice
for Him and His church?

a. Read I Corinthians 12:4-7 (also, Rom. 12:6; Eph. 4:7) à Notice that spiritual
gifts/graces are for the “common good” of the church.

b. Read Ephesians 4:25-29 à This passage says that we give grace to fellow
members of Christ’s body.

c. Read I Peter 4:8-11 à This passage sums up the idea

[Pause for Open Discussion]

2. II Corinthians 8:1-9 à The Grace of Giving to God’s People & God

a. What is this passage saying?

b. Notice that Paul is exhorting the Corinthians to excel in the “grace” of

financial generosity, using the Philippians as the exemplar.

c. The “grace given” in verse 1 is the generosity of the Philippians.

d. The giving of their money to Paul was an expression of giving themselves to

God (verse 5).

46
REMEDY #2: OUR GIFTS TO GOD & EACH OTHER LESSON TWELVE
e. What is “This Act of Grace?” (vv. 6-7)

i. The context for the passage is that Paul is traveling around Greece to
gather a monetary collection for the church in Jerusalem – which is
called an act of grace in verse 6. Then various acts of grace are listed:
faith, speech, knowledge, earnestness, and love… as well as the
generous giving of financial resources. But all of these graces, though
they be directed towards members of Christ’s Body/Church, are also
directed towards God because of the union between Christ the head,
and His body the church.

i. The Grounds of Paul’s Exhortation (vv. 8-9)

The really remarkable thing about these verses is that they come
immediately after the prior exhortations to give generously. The
reason we are called to give to others is because Christ first set aside
His divine privileges and gave Himself to us so that we could share
in those divine privileges with Him as His people. Pretty awesome,
right? This is the amazing grace we sing about. And this is a grace
that does demand we give to others not as an arbitrary command –
but in order to follow Christ’s example and to enjoy fellowship with
Him.

Gift ~ Sacrifice _______________________________

1. Finally, we’ll consider 2 passages that show us the connection between gifts and
sacrifice.

2. Hebrews 11:4; 13:15-16 à Abel’s Gift & Our Sacrifice of Praise

a. Heb. 11:4 calls Abel’s sacrifice a gift, and then in Heb. 13:15-16 we read that
the worship we give to God and doing good to others are both sacrifices to
God.

b. What are the implications of this?

i. Our praise to God, and our acts of service for others are indeed gifts
that are ultimately sacrifices we offer up for God.

ii. Rom. 12:1 says that we should offer up our whole bodies as living
sacrifices. This means that God is after our whole lives, not just part
of us. He wants everything we think, say, and do. And to live this way
is to live as a gift that we offer back to God. It’s a gift-giving
relationship that is built by God’s gift of the Son and the Spirit, and
our gifts of worship and service. But there’s one more passage where
we see this even more clearly.

47
REMEDY #2: OUR GIFTS TO GOD & EACH OTHER LESSON TWELVE
3. Philippians 4:14-20 à Philippian’s Gift to Paul = Sacrifice to God

a. It is fitting that we would end our time back in Philippians since they were
the ones Paul pointed to in II Corinthians as the great example of generosity
– the great example of God’s grace.

b. The gifts that Paul received from the Philippians are called “a fragrant
offering, a sacrifice pleasing and acceptable to God.” What does this mean?

c. So the way that we Christians bear one another’s burdens, give to each other
with our time, money, and energy is actually a gift to God Himself. And this
makes sense. How could Jesus say in Matthew 25:31-46 that what we do for
the least of these we somehow do for Him? How is it that in caring for poor
Christians, we care for Christ? Because all Christians are united to Christ by
faith into His one body, the church. We are in a spiritual union together with
Christ that is stronger and more real than anything this world has to offer
(also see Acts 9:4 & I Corinthians 8:12 for the close union of Christ with His
body).

d. What better motivation is there to avoid antinomianism than the reality that
as we care for one another, we serve Christ? Our gifts to each other in the
Church are gifts to God Himself.

Antinomianism Fails _________________________

The reason antinomianism fails is that it is self-centered, and unconcerned with caring
for others. It fails because in not taking sanctification seriously, such persons will not live
out the call to be conduits of grace to God and His people. It fails because such persons
will find it very difficult to make real sacrifices for God’s people, and so they will be unable
to sacrifice for God Himself. We must not think we can serve God without serving His
people, and most of the positive commands in the New Testament involve someone else
– love one another, bear one another’s burdens, be hospitable and kind to one another. It
is in these relational actions that we build a community that is centered on Christ. Our
gifts to each other are ultimately aimed at Christ because we are His body.

Homework ___________________________________
Read II Corinthians 8:1-9 with your parents and discuss. Read and meditate on Titus 2:11-
14 for next week.

48
 GRACE IN ACTION: JESUS
CHRIST & HIS BODY
LESSON THIRTEEN
We’ve dealt with the two key distortions of grace and their remedies. Can someone briefly
outline these for us?

Yes, legalism is remedied by the reality that God’s grace is always a gift; and
antinomianism is remedied by the reality that God’s gift of grace transforms us and calls
us to give gifts to each other and to God Himself (gifts of prayer, worship, good works).

Another distortion of God’s grace is to abstract it from everyday life. Any idea what it
would look like to abstract grace, or make grace an abstraction?
This is when the word grace ceases to have a solid meaning, and so it becomes irrelevant.
We mentioned long ago in the introduction to this series that often we use the word grace
without a definition and assume everyone knows what it means. Oftentimes, people don’t
understand what the word means, biblically. People might “say grace,” and have no idea
what it means. Along these same lines, have any of you heard or thought – “this
Christianity thing and salvation and grace – these are just ideas, pie in the sky” – anyone?
This is exactly what it looks like to abstract grace, and it often ends in unbelief. Grace is
not a spiritual substance poured out like magic pixie dust.
Grace must not be abstracted or spiritualized so that it loses its meaning. Grace has a
tangible, concrete reality according to Scripture. In our first lesson we read Acts 11:22-24
where Barnabas “saw the grace of God” in the lives of the new believers in Antioch.
Grace is not just an irrelevant idea. God’s spiritual grace brings about visible results.
Ultimately, God’s grace to us is Himself, in the person and work of Jesus Christ, which
continues today by the power of the Holy Spirit in the Church.

The Remedy for Abstraction Found in

Christ’s Person & Work _____________________
1. Who He is à John 1:14
We can return to Scriptures we’ve considered previously. Here we see that Christ
was and is full of grace and truth.

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GRACE IN ACTION: JESUS CHRIST & HIS BODY LESSON THIRTEEN
2. What He’s Done à II Corinthians 8:9
Christ has emptied Himself so that we could be filled in Him. And remember, this
verse is the grounds for Paul’s exhortation in the previous verses to excel in the
grace of generous giving. What did we say about this passage last week?

3. Grace in Him à I Corinthians 1:4-5

Again, grace is located in Christ, so we must not abstract what the Scriptures have
made so personal.

The Training of Grace à Titus 2:11-14 _________

I had y’all read this passage last week for homework. What are your thoughts on this?

This means that the grace of God that saves us (namely, Christ Himself, who appeared),
also trains us and builds us up. Grace is not an idea or a single moment in time – God’s
grace fills the whole Christian life. We are supposed to walk the path of holiness, but we
don’t walk apart from the training of grace – the training of Christ.

But What Does This Training Look Like in

the Church? _________________________________
1. The body of Christ is the setting for our training. The grace of God is always present
with us and training us since the Holy Spirit is always present with true believers.
But Christ is always connected with His body, the church, and so the training He
puts us through has its most natural and consistent location in the body of Christ
where we bear one another’s burdens and share our gifts/graces with one another
– where we act as conduits of God’s grace to others in the body for their good and
God’s glory.

2. The Scriptures have numerous ways of describing what this looks like practically,
but let’s consider just a few passages.

a. This Training Looks like Grace Instead of Bitterness à Hebrews 12:15-17

Grace changes not just our behavior, but even our affections (our feelings)
over time so that we avoid things like bitterness.

b. Gracious Speech à Ephesians 4:29 (also, Colossians 4:6)

God’s grace changes the way we speak to and about others.

c. Humility & Dealing with Anxiety à I Peter 5:5-7 (also, James 4:6; Luke
18:9)

James says that God’s grace is given to the humble, so we should be that
much more diligent to pursue humility.

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GRACE IN ACTION: JESUS CHRIST & HIS BODY LESSON THIRTEEN
i. Peter says the same thing, quoting the same Proverb as James (Prov.
3:34). But look at verse 7. Notice that humbling ourselves before God
is then developed into relying on God to lift us up, and then the
surprise.

ii. How is anxiety connected to being humble and receiving God’s

grace?
(Wait for answers)
Relying on God, waiting on Him, resting in Him is the posture in
which we receive His grace. We don’t usually receive and experience
God’s grace when we are prideful. It is when we cast our anxieties on
Him that we learn to rely on Him.

iii. So, shockingly, when we struggle with anxiety, what does this
passage say is probably going on as well?

Yes, when we are caught in the snare of anxiety or we choose to dwell

in our anxiety, its likely that pride is at the root of it. When we are
anxious, we are relying on ourselves or others, but not God. When we
are anxious, we are not humbling ourselves and waiting for God to
lift us up – we are often, in a very real sense, ignoring God.25

Perhaps we don’t think He can help, or that He even wants to help.

Maybe we can’t stand the reality that God is in control and we are
not. Maybe we are more concerned with what people think about us
than what God thinks. We put more stock into our worldly status
markers rather than our status as adopted children of the God who
created and sustains all things.

iv. If you want to experience God’s grace, you should humble yourself,
rely upon Him, and cast your anxieties upon Him. That doesn’t mean
you should be passive. It just means that you should act with
diligence and love, and leave the rest to God rather than obsessively
and anxiously dwelling on whatever it is – as if God is not in control
or doesn’t care. But God is in control and He does care because He is
a good Father to us, His children.

25This is not at all to make light of the serious struggles that many have with anxiety, nor is the intention to condemn
anxiety as a straight-forward sin. Many do not feel they can control their anxiety. Many have sought medical help for
these struggles. Careful counseling and discipleship is needed to work through these struggles. What is being noted
here is that there is a spiritual facet to anxiety that we should be aware of. There is a biblical connection between
humbling ourselves and overcoming our anxiety, which means we would do well to reflect and consider whether our
struggle with anxiety is rooted in self-centeredness or pride.

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GRACE IN ACTION: JESUS CHRIST & HIS BODY LESSON THIRTEEN
v. God is present, and His grace is a concrete reality in your life. But are
you paying attention? Do you want to experience it? Then be involved
in the church’s life and worship, and connect these truths to your
daily life through meditation, discussion, and application to real-life
situations. You actually have to live out these truths for them to bear
fruit and become relevant for you.

Homework ___________________________________
Meditate on and Discuss I Peter 5:5-7 with your family.

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 RECEIVING GOD’S GRACE
LESSON FOURTEEN
We’ve talked a lot about grace through this series, but one thing we have not spent time
on is what it means to receive God’s grace. What do you think? How does it work?

The Work of the Holy Spirit _________________

1. The Bible talks about receiving God’s grace in several different ways, so let’s turn
to the Scriptures. But before we do, we should identity the Means of Grace: The
Word, Sacraments, Prayer – and these in the context of the church (WSC #88).
These are the ordinary ways that God gives us His grace, but the cause or agent
involved is the Holy Spirit – He uses these means to make them effective in our
lives, pointing us more and more to Christ, and making us more like Him. The
means of grace could be their own series of lessons, but as we go through these
passages, we’ll touch on some of them.

2. Receiving the Gift of the Holy Spirit à Acts 2:38

Receiving the Holy Spirit is one way that the Bible describes receiving forgiveness
and salvation. So even though the term, grace, does not show up here, this is
certainly one of the ways we receive God’s grace.

3. Grace, Faith, Spirit à Galatians 1:6-7; 3:1-14

a. Here again, the Holy Spirit is tied to faith and grace by the Apostle Paul. So
what must you do to receive the Holy Spirit based on these passages in Acts
and Galatians?
Right, take hold of Christ by faith. But what is faith?

b. Is it just saying that Jesus died and rose for your sins?
What else?
We must believe with our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus
Christ is Lord. This faith comes from hearing the Word of God (Romans
10:10, 17). The Scriptures are the primary means of grace to us, but what is
true faith? – Saving Faith?

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RECEIVING GOD’S GRACE LESSON FOURTEEN

Knowledge, Assent, & Trust (KAT) – The 3

Components of Saving Faith ________________
1. You must have a knowledge of the Gospel (That Christ took on flesh, lived a perfect
life, died for sin, was raised to new life, ascended into heaven, poured out His Spirit
on His church, and now reigns until He returns again to restore all things – and
that this Jesus is God, one with the Father and the Spirit in the Trinity).

2. You must believe that it is true. You must agree with this truth. Does this make
sense so far?

[Possible Tangent: You might be asking at this point, “but how much knowledge of
the Gospel does God require me to know?” That is a good and difficult question,
but it would be impossible to give an exact answer. One answer is the contents of
the Apostles’ Creed since it summarizes what the earliest Christians understood to
be the most important doctrines of Scripture. That’s basically what was
summarized in the previous point. Ultimately, God knows the heart; He knows
whether we sincerely pursued knowledge of Him. He also knows that not every
person through history has had access to the same amount of gospel truth. We will
each be judged according to our abilities and opportunities.]

3. But finally, you must trust the Gospel. You must rest in Christ and have joy in this
truth. You must have confidence in the triune God. These are all various ways it
has been put by theologians of the past. But the question is, have you turned to God
in Christ, and if so, does this Gospel (Good News) still give you joy and peace now?
If you have no joy or peace in this truth, maybe you don’t understand it or maybe
you are not truly resting in Christ.

The Spirit of Christ __________________________

To receive the Holy Spirit is to receive Jesus Christ since the Spirit is the very Spirit
of Christ. And we see this all throughout the book of Romans.

a. Receiving Christ’s Work/Gift of Redemption à Romans 3:23-25; 5:17; 8:15-

17

b. The sacrifice that Christ made on the cross must be received by faith.
Romans 5:17 tells us clearly that receiving grace and the gift of
righteousness comes through Jesus Christ.

c. Then Romans 8:15 brings the Holy Spirit back in. The Holy Spirit is the
Spirit of adoption into God’s family. The Spirit marks us out for
resurrection, and this is symbolized and anticipated in baptism. The
sacraments are means of grace as symbols and confirmations of God’s
promises to us. We are brought into a new family, we become children of

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RECEIVING GOD’S GRACE LESSON FOURTEEN
God, and co-heirs with Jesus Christ, our elder brother and savior. The work
of the Trinity is the work of saving grace, but we must approach this God
with faith to receive this blessing, which is also a familial relationship.

Receiving, Living, and Praying _______________

1. Receive God’s Grace NOW à II Corinthians 5:20-6:2

a. The context of this passage is the Corinthian church, which was already
composed of believers. And yet, what does Paul say here? Be reconciled to
God now; today is the day of salvation, recommit yourself to God now. Paul
exhorts them to not receive God’s grace in vain. In other words, make sure
your relationship with Jesus Christ is your ultimate identity.

b. Every day we must commit to a life of faith. This is not to say that you should
always question your salvation. But you should always remember what God
has done, and always be sensitive to the things of God. If you have lost that
sensitivity, if you aren’t sure you really believe these things, if you are not
trusting God, the exhortation is to turn to Him even now – not later. Today
is the day of salvation. And this ties right in with the next passage.

2. Living out Reception à Colossians 2:6-7

Receiving God’s grace is not a one-time thing. If you have received Christ, now you
must walk in Him. You are “being saved,” Paul says in I Corinthians 15:2. You
must work out your salvation with fear and trembling as God works in you (Phil.
2:12-13).

3. Prayer à Hebrews 4:16

a. We come before God’s throne of grace and mercy every time we pray, and
Christ is there waiting to intercede for us to His Father. Christ continues as
our mediator even now, and His throne is a throne of grace every time we
pray to Him.

b. When we first pray to God to give us a new heart and to give us His Spirit,
He is gracious to those who ask (Luke 11:13). And we receive God’s grace
every time we pray. Prayer is a means of grace to us.

c. But faith is the bond that unites us to Christ, and we have seen just how
prominent it is throughout the Scriptures. To approach God and pray
requires faith. The Word and the sacraments require faith and the work of
the Holy Spirit to be effective in our lives.

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RECEIVING GOD’S GRACE LESSON FOURTEEN
d. Faith is asking for the Holy Spirit, it is approaching Christ with trust, joy,
and rest as we lay our burdens on Him. Saving Faith is composed of
Knowledge, Assent, and Trust.

Do you have saving faith? If you are not sure, talk with me or one of our pastors or your
parents.

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