My dear readers,

(Extracts from RPG Workbook Vol II No. 7 June 12 – July 9 1983, edited by Dr SH Tow)

1. BY GRACE YE ARE SAVED (EPHESIANS 2:1-10; ROMANS 5:12-21)

“Naught have I gotten but what I received, grace has bestowed it since I have believed. Boasting excluded, pride I abase. I’m only a sinner saved by grace.” (James M. Gray)

I remember the acrostic for GRACE: God’s Redemption At Christ’s Expense. I also remember the earliest definition for Grace which I have learnt: God’s unmerited favour. But when I got to Bible school, the word took on an even deeper meaning when my teacher defined Grace as God’s unmerited favour when we deserve the opposite! Just dwell on that! As sinners, we truly deserved God’s undiluted wrath but we received God’s unmerited favour instead!

“Tears unavailing, no merit had I; Mercy had saved me, or else I must die. Sin had alarmed me, fearing God’s face; But now I’m a sinner saved by grace.” (James M. Gray)

“...by grace…through faith” (2:8). Some may think it is by God’s grace and through my faith. Not so! Paul clearly shows that both grace and faith are the gifts of God. And a gift is unearned, cannot be paid for, and unbeneficial unless received, “lest any man should boast” (2:9). How dreadful Heaven would be if anyone could get in some other way except through God’s grace. While others will be singing the praises of God and of the Lamb (Rev 4:11; 5:12; 7:10), he would be making his own boast how he got there!

Christian, may this truth sink deeply into our hearts. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5).

THOUGHT: What must I do to be saved? (Acts 16:30)
PRAYER: Lord, save me from my sin and from ever boasting in anything as of myself. For all that I am, and have, or ever will be, are purely by Thy grace alone.

2. WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP (EPHESIANS 2:1-10; TITUS 3:1-14)

We are saved not to do nothing or to do as we like! We are saved to serve God (Heb 9:14, 1 Thess 1:9, Col 3:2), and to serve one another. (Gal 5:13). But most important of all, we are saved to be something. We are God’s workmanship. The Greek is poiema, from whence we derive the English word “poem.”

God is now expressing Himself artistically through our lives as in the writing of a poem to demonstrate what He can do with a life saved from the dregs and degradation of sin. Although we are not saved from sin by our good works, we are saved from sin unto good works. We are to be “zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14), “to maintain good works” (Titus 3:8, 14), and to be “rich in good works” (1 Tim 6:18). Good works can be a proof of our salvation (James 2:18). Good works will glorify our Father Who is in Heaven (Matt 5:16). And Paul reminds us to do good to all men, especially to those who are of “the household of faith” (Gal 6:10).

Just as a well-polished, intricately carved piece of furniture reflects the skill of the artisan, just as a piece of dirty, unshapely driftwood transformed into an artistic showpiece demonstrates the skill of the decorator, our lives which show change in character and conduct will reflect God’s workmanship, to God’s glory.

God is the Master-designer who delights to take broken, unworthy lives and turn them into trophies of His grace, that one day “in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace” (Eph 2:7) in us. A graduating son reflects all that the parents have invested in him. Likewise, when we arrive in Heaven, our condition then will reflect all that God’s grace did for us on earth. Are you letting the Master-designer make a lovely “poem” out of your life?

THOUGHT: Which is correct? Good works = Salvation. Faith = Salvation. Good works + Faith = Salvation. Faith = Salvation + Good Works.
PRAYER: Lord, mould my character and conduct for Thy use.

3. HE IS OUR PEACE (EPHESIANS 2:11-22; 1 JOHN 4:17-21)

Harmonious relationship with God can only come by acknowledging Christ’s death on the cross as on our behalf (2:13-14, Col 1:20) for Christ was our peace offering (1 John 4:10).

“In time past” (2:11), we were Gentiles, uncircumcised, “without Christ, being aliens… strangers… having no hope, and without God” (2:12) and “far off” (2:13). What a dismal picture!

“But now” (2:13), we have been made nigh. Through Christ we have access to the Father (2:18). When Christ died, the veil in the temple was rent “from the top to the bottom.” The veil was “a hand breadth in thickness, woven of 72 plaits, each plait of 24 threads . . . 60 ft long, and 30 ft wide . . . 400 priests were needed to manipulate it.” (“All the Miracles of the Bible” by Herbert Lockyer, pg 244.)

Praise the Lord, the veil was rent, signifying that the way to God was now open without the need of a human mediator. Christ’s death also broke down the middle wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles. There was a literal wall about 5 ft high separating the Gentiles from the Jews and the inside wall of the Court of the Gentiles bore notices thus: “No man of another nation is to enter within the fenced enclosure around the temple. Whoever is caught will have himself to blame that his death ensues.” (“Ephesians” by Walter Wright, pg 47.)

Thank God, that symbolic and actual wall is no more. The Cross of Christ is God’s peace sign, reconciling man to God and man to his fellowman. Jews and Gentiles are now fellow-citizens, of the same household and of the same building (2:19-22).

THOUGHT: As I accept God’s salvation, do I accept my fellowmen?
PRAYER: I thank Thee, Lord, that Thou hast give me peace with Thee and with man.

God bless you dear readers.

Yours faithfully in the Saviour’s Service,
Dr SH Tow, Founding Pastor