For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men." — Titus 2:11_
THE DIMENSIONS OF GRACE - SAVING GRACE(a)
Imagine a young man caught stealing, standing guilty before a judge. The evidence is clear, the law is clear — he must go to prison. The Law, through Moses, can only condemn him.
Then, the judge's own son stands up from beside the judge and says, "Father, I will go to prison in his place. Let him go free."
The judge strikes the gavel and says, "Guilty — but discharged. Someone else has taken your punishment."
That is Saving Grace. We were guilty. Jesus, the Son of the Judge, took our prison clothes and gave us His royal robe. We walk free, not because we are innocent, but because Innocence died for us.
Grace is not a doctrine, Grace is a Person, that is Jesus Christ Himself.
The first dimension of grace is what is known as Saving Grace. It is the unmerited favour of God that reached us while we were still sinners, lost, helpless, and unable to save ourselves. We did not climb up to God; God came down to us.
The Law was given by Moses to show us how guilty we are. Grace came by Jesus Christ to show us how forgiven we can be.
The Law says, "You have sinned, therefore you must die."
Saving Grace says, "You have sinned, therefore Christ died for you."
Paul calls it in Titus 2:11, _"the grace that bringeth salvation."_
Notice something in that text, grace did not just talk about salvation, grace _brought_ salvation. It appeared. It came to where we were. Like a rescue team that goes into the waters to bring out a drowning man, Saving Grace did not shout instructions from the shore, it plunged into our sin to pull us out.
This Grace does three things instantly when you believe:
*a) It Forgives:*
It wipes your past record clean. Not for a week, but forever. Psalm 103:12 - as far as the east is from the west.
*b) It Justifies:*
It does not just forgive you and leave you as a forgiven criminal; it declares you righteous, as if you had never sinned.
*c) It Saves:*
It translates you from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of His dear Son - Colossians 1:13.
You are not saved because you turned a new leaf. You are saved because Grace turned up for you. Have you received this Grace?
It is not enough to admire Saving Grace; you must receive it by faith in Christ alone. As believers, we must let the sinners around us know about this grace.
Father, thank You for Saving Grace that found me. I did not earn it, I simply received it. Today, I rest in the full forgiveness You have given me through Jesus Christ. Amen._