Foundations of Grace: Introduction

February 6, 2017

Grace is the foundation of the gospel. It has the power not only to save sinners from guilt and judgment but also to transform those same sinners to be like Christ. Yet many who have trusted in Christ have never experienced the full transformation that God’s grace is meant to have in their lives. They continue to struggle with sin, guilt, condemnation and a lack of intimacy with the God who created them and gave His life for them.

When I was a young Christian, struggling to earn God’s favor, I came across this short passage while reading through the book of Galatians.

I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” Galatians 2:21

Those words impacted me deeply and I committed myself to never set aside God’s grace for any counterfeit. I’ve spent my life studying the Bible to understand and live my life according to the grace of God so that Christ’s cruel death on my behalf would never be in vain. I want the price that Jesus paid for me to have its full effect to bear fruit in my life.

The book of Galatians tells a story of a group of believers seduced away from the grace of God toward a life of legalism. This seduction was rampant in the first generation the gospel was introduced and continues to beguile believers today.

This series is meant to provide a firm foundation for believers to confidently live their lives by God’s grace and actively eschew the allure of offering works to God in order to earn either salvation, favor or acceptance.

My goal is to keep each post short and succinct. Some will be longer or shorter, but the goal is to keep them to something you can read in 5 minutes or less. Some of the topics discussed will be uncontroversial, others you may find yourself disagreeing with. Regardless, I hope you’ll at least consider everything thoughtfully as you read and, when in doubt, search the scriptures.

Nathan Rambeck is a full-time husband, father and software engineer; and a part-time Bible teacher and pastor. He lives in the Dayton, Ohio area with his wife Jamie and 7 children. (Facebook)

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