What Is God's Purpose In Grace?

But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared... according to his mercy he saved us. (Titus 3:4-5).

That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:7).

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9).

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world: looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:11-13).

That, being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:7).

Being justified freely by his grace; through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:24).

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand. (Romans 5:2).

And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. (Acts 20:32).

To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved; in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. (Ephesians 1:6-7).

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16).

How complete, how all-inclusive! Grace saves, justifies, builds up, makes accepted, redeems, forgives, bestows an inheritance, gives standing before God, provides a throne of grace to which we may come boldly for mercy and help; it teaches us how to live and gives us a blessed hope!

It remains to note that these diverse principles cannot be intermingled.

And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. (Romans 11:6).

Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:4-5; see also Galatians 3:16-18; 4:21-31).

So then, brethren, we are not children of the bond-woman, but of the free. (Galatians 4:31).

For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words: which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more (for they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall he stoned, or thrust through with a dart: and so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake). But ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the  heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. (Hebrews 12:18-24).

It is not, then a question of dividing what God spoke from Sinai into moral law and ceremonial law—the believer does not come to that mount at all.

As sound old Bunyan says:

"The believer is now, by faith in the Lord Jesus, shrouded under so perfect and blessed a righteousness, that this thundering law of Mount Sinai cannot find the least fault or diminution therein. This is called the righteousness of God without the law."

(Should this meet the eye of an unbeliever, he is affectionately exhorted to accept the true sentence of that holy and just law which he has violated: "For there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:22-23), and find perfect and eternal salvation through believing with the heart and confessing with the mouth that Christ who is "the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." (Romans 10:4, 8,9).

by Dr. Cyrus Ingerson Scofield from the book Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth