The Grace Effect

Dear Friend,

          What is the grace effect?

When your stomach growls, begging for food, what is your favorite satisfying snack? One of my favorites is freshly baked sour dough bread and butter. There is nothing like the taste of warm, buttery, fresh bread. A little bit of yeast goes a long way for the sourdough starter. The yeast courses throughout the bread, making it rise and produce the fluffy goodness I love. Like yeast, the grace of God courses through the heart of a Christian, causes real tangible change in their life.

          Dry, crusty, moldy bread represents the unregenerate heart. Warm, fluffy, nutritious bread represents a heart changed by grace. One of the clearest signs of this change is the willingness to share that bread with others. This absolutely includes generous giving. One excellent example of Christian charity is seen in the life and work of Charles Spurgeon. The Lord saved Spurgeon at the age of 16 and for the next 41 years he lived for the glory of God and the good of others. Spurgeon started 66 different ministries, and truly inspired millions to come to saving faith in Jesus. He is known as the prince of preachers, but his work among the poor, the orphans, and widows in London is equally exemplary.

Charles Spurgeon believed strongly in the effective work of grace on a person’s heart. He believed it was impossible to have faith in Jesus and remain a self-centered, prideful person. For Spurgeon, generosity for the poor was one of the clearest signs of a heart changed by God’s grace. I want to share several passages of Scripture that clearly expose how grace changes a person’s heart, making generosity one of the clear signs of salvation.

First, let’s address how God’s grace changes you personally. Paul says in Ephesians 2:8-9, “⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Grace and faith are gifts from God that saves you from your sin. In Greek the construction of these verses makes this point more clearly than the English does. The “this” in the statement “this is not your own doing” clearly points back to grace and faith because they are in the same case. Paul is stating that both grace and faith are a gift from God, leaving us no room to boast in our own goodness.

Grace changes you by playing an active and essential role in saving you from sin. Without this great gift from God, no one would be able to approach Him and have a relationship with Him. Grace is truly a blessing to those who place their faith in Jesus.

What does this grace really look like practically? Paul says in Titus 2:14 that Jesus is the grace, “¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Titus 2:14 God’s grace came in the form of the Man Jesus Christ. He gave up His life for those who believe in Him and through this sacrifice, Jesus bought the lawless slaves, purifying for Himself a people who are His own. What an incredible gift of change! God’s grace buys back those who were enslaved to sin, purifies them, and then makes them His own. The clear mark that this change has taken place is that Christians are a people who are passionate (or zealous) for doing good to all.

One of the ways grace changes us is by making us co-heirs of heaven. Paul says in Titus 3:4-7, “⁴ But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Again, grace is not a result of our own righteousness, but according to God’s rich mercy. The Holy Spirit regenerates and renews our stony hearts, making us alive in Jesus. Because of His work on the cross, God makes us co-heirs of heaven with Jesus. Grace truly changes our hearts, making us new through faith in Jesus. Without grace, we would be hopelessly lost, and all of our “good deeds” would be in vain.

Grace changes a heart of stone into a heart of flesh. These three passages expose an essential truth that cuts to the heart of the gospel. We cannot save ourselves. No matter how hard we try, the stain of sin runs too deep. We love to rebel against the Supreme God of the universe, and without His mercy, we would continue to run from Him. It is only by God’s grace that He changes a heart of stone into a heart of flesh. The amazing thing about grace is that it doesn’t just change you. Grace also flows outward toward other people, changing them in powerful ways.

Grace gives you incredible sympathy for others.

Alex DiPrima, author of the book “Spurgeon and the Poor,” said this, “Spurgeon described Christian sympathy as a ‘precious stone of love’ cast into the ‘crystal pool of a renewed heart.’ This stone of love should generate ‘ever-widening circles of sympathy.’ The first ring is the Christian’s household. The second is the household of faith, namely the church. Spurgeon then said, ‘Look once more, for the ever-widening ring has reached the very limit of the lake, and included all men in its area.’”

          Spurgeon is right when he says that Christian love should constantly be expanding. A cleansed and renewed heart cannot help but love others in practical ways. It is one thing for me to say that I love Jesus, but the way I treat my family says it more forcefully. It is one thing for me to claim Jesus as my Savior, but how I care for my brothers and sisters in Christ speaks more truth. My heart should never run dry of love for Jesus and love for my neighbor. My heart should be constantly growing and expanding in its expression of love for others.

          The grace of God shapes and fashions a new heart within those who have faith in Jesus and trust in Him alone for salvation. This grace naturally boils over into action, changing the world with astounding acts of humility and love.

          After declaring that grace and faith are gifts from God, Paul shifts to the purpose God has for making new creatures in Christ. Ephesians 2:10 says, “¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” God’s purpose when He makes a person new is that they would do good works. Every Christian has a purpose, and that purpose is to do good! Every day has a purpose now, because we know that God has prepared good things for us to do.

          Practically this means that we can trust God to set someone or something before us each day. He calls us to love people in practical ways, by encouraging them, serving them, and helping them grow closer to God. He also calls us to do our work with passion, striving to do our best for His glory and the good of others around us. Ephesians 2:10 explains that the same grace that changes us from dead sinners to living saints is also meant to change others.

          The glorious truths we looked at in Titus 3:4-7 also come right before Paul encourages Titus with the power of grace to change others. Titus 3:8 says, “⁸ The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.” Paul insists that Titus use the glorious gospel truths in verses 4 through 7 to encourage believers to devote themselves to good works. The grace of God flowing through faithful Christians is excellent and good for all people.

          Grace should act like a flashlight in the hands of a Christian. When you are standing in the middle of a pitch-black cave, where the darkness is so thick you can feel it, the one thing you need most is light. A flashlight is a life saver when you stand in darkness. In the same way, God’s grace doesn’t just change the heart of a Christian, but it practically helps others as well. Jesus is the Light of the World, and Christians point unbelievers to Him when they humbly serve and do good to others.

          John the apostle makes this point even more forcefully in 1 John 3:16-18. He says, “¹⁶ By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ¹⁷ But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? ¹⁸ Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” The greatest expression of God’s love for mankind is seen in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus laid down His life, willingly bearing the full weight of God’s wrath, so that those who have faith in Him can have eternal life. If we believe this, we should be willing to lay down our lives for others as well. We should look for every opportunity to set aside our own desires, our own wants and wishes, for the sake of others.

          John leaves little room to guess what he means by these powerful words. He gives a visceral example of what it means to lay down our lives for others. If we have an abundance of things, we are called to share with those who have need. If we close our hearts against them, how can we really claim to have the love of God living in us. True love expresses itself in tangible and practical ways.

          I live in one of the wealthiest nations in the entire world. In the United States, most people enjoy unprecedented levels of comfort and security. These blessings are so often taken for granted, and it’s easy to forget about the poor and homeless in this great nation. Every Christian should strive to grow in gratitude and concern for the hurting and homeless. Every Christian should make it their daily task to share what they have with those in need. Every Christian should share the gospel through their actions as well as through their words. Hear me say this loud and clear: to believe in Jesus is to change. To change for the glory of God is to serve others in practical ways.

          Charles Spurgeon said it this way, “You may talk about your religion till you have worn your tongue out, and you may get others to believe you; and you may remain in the Church twenty years, and nobody ever detect you in anything like an inconsistency; but, if it be in your power, and you do nothing to relieve the necessities of the poor members of Christ’s body, you will be damned as surely as if you were drunkards or whoremongers.”

          Faith always proves itself to others. The convictions that we hold in our hearts always bear fruit in our lives. Paul says this in Galatians 6:7-10, “⁷ Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. ⁸ For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.⁹ And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. ¹⁰ So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” The farmer should not expect to see apple trees where he planted wheat seeds. In the same way, a man’s faith is evident by what it produces in his life.

          God’s grace changes a person’s heart through faith in Jesus. This free gift turns a heart of stone into a heart of flesh. This kind of heart loves doing good to others and making a positive impact in their lives. True, saving faith always proves itself by a life changed by grace. Jesus Christ lived the perfect life needed to have a right relationship with the Father. He died on the cross, bearing the full weight of wrath for those who believe in Him. Jesus rose from the grave, defeating the penalty and power of sin and death over the lives of the faithful. This great gospel is God’s grace to change all people.

          Have you experienced the grace effect? Have you seen how God’s grace has changed you more and more into the image of Jesus? Have you witnessed a deep and abiding love for God and a greater love for others? How has this love translated into doing good for others? How have you made a greater impact on your community by extending grace?

          If you find it hard to answer these questions, I want to invite you to respond to Jesus’ call to believe in Him today. You CAN experience the effects of grace in your life. Submit to Him, trusting in His work and not your own. I promise you it will be the best decision you will ever make.

Yours in Christ,

Chris A. Rice