Great Themes of the Bible
Grace 103 that both Jews and Gentiles were to be saved purely 'through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ"' and no other way. 'We believe to be saved through that grace" only, we hope to be saved, or ''we believe unto salvation in the same manner as they". We that are circumcised, urges Peter, believe to salvation, and so do they who are uncircumcised. And as our circumcision will be no advantage to us, so their uncircumcision will be no disadvantage to them; for we must depend upon the grace of Christ for salvation, and must apply that grace by faith as well as they. There is not one way of salvation for the Jews and another for the Gentiles. ''Neither circumcision avails any thing nor uncircumcision." That is neither here nor there, "but faith which works by love" (Gal. v. 6). Why should we, asks Peter, burden them with the law of Moses as necessary to their salvation, when it is' not that, but the Gospel of Christ, that is necessary both to our salvation and theirs?
5. THE Free Girt oF Gop
Likewise it is this same spirit of grace, the free gift of God, which works our sanctification. St. Paul, speaking to the elders at Ephesus (Acts xx. 32), commends them to God and ''the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified''. See here what he commends them to the word of grace for. Not so much for a protection from their enemies, or a provision for their families, as for the spiritual blessings which needed, and ought most to value. They had received and were entrusted to preach the Gospel of the grace of God. Now he recommends them to that: (a) For their edification. It is able, the spirit of grace working with it and by it, "to build you up". You may depend upon that, while you keep close to it, and are deriving daily from it. Though you are already furnished with good gifts, yet that is able to build you up. There is in it that with which you need to be better acquainted and more affected. Ministers in preaching the word of grace must aim at their own edification as well as at the edification of others. The most grown Christians, while they are in this world, are capable of growing, and they will find the word of grace to have still more and more in it to contribute to their growth. It is still able to build them up.
(b) For their glorification. It is 'able to give you an inheritance