The Four Cornerstones of Romans (Part 2: An Overview of Grace)

Start this post series from the beginning, here.

The Four Cornerstones of Romans (Part 2: An Overview of Grace)

The letter to the Romans is the foundation of the Christian faith. The letter contains four key cornerstones that stabilize and secure the faith of a believer. When all four of these cornerstones are set in place, the believer will be grounded in the faith and able to grow up in Christ, know God’s will and do it, walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, and be fruitful in every good work.

The first cornerstone, in Romans chapters 1-3, instructs of God’s righteousness. Paul outlines the reality of man’s utter depravity and guilt before God, and the fact that we are all hopelessly lost and doomed to hell. Understanding the righteousness of God and the fact that men cannot earn or achieve justification, sets us up to fully appreciate the second cornerstone, God’s grace, which Paul writes about in Romans 5-8.

In this post I will outline how Paul develops a three-levelled understanding of God’s grace, and how it is of critical importance to understand grace in its totality, so that you do not skew the true meaning and power of this free gift and it’s liberating truth. I will expound on each level of grace in posts to come.

So, what are the three levels of grace that we learn about in Romans chapters 5-8?

Rom 5: GRACE as our Positional Truth (Justification)

Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

When we believe in Christ and His cross work, we are transferred from Adam’s administration of condemnation and death, into Christ’s administration of justification and life. Everything changes. God deals with you in a different way. You are now under new rules and dictates. You are now at peace with God and under His seal of righteousness.

We have no part to play in this ‘transaction’. Your faith in Christ activates events in heaven that cannot be undone. The word, “positional” is the attempt to define this new standing you have with God through Christ. It is God’s work, it is God’s judgement upon you, declaring you justified and righteous, it is a heavenly decree, and there is nothing you can do to change it.

I will expound on this from the authority of scripture in the next part of this post series.

Rom 6-7: GRACE –Gaining Knowledge (Sanctification)

Rom 6:11  Likewise reckon [consider, understand] ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Throughout Romans chapter 6 and 7, Paul advocates the gaining of knowledge. Only by understanding the deeper effects of God’s grace, can you fully appreciate the liberty it gives and the transforming power it provides. There is much to learn about the workings of God’s grace inside a believer. Without this knowledge, grace will always be seen as a loophole to allow sin, a weak spot in the faith, and a means to mock, ridicule, and reject one of the most powerful attributes of God for the salvation of men. I will expound on this in another post.

Rom 8: GRACE - Our Experience (and ultimate Glorification)

Rom 8:5  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. … 13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 

The third part of the grace of God is in the application of it or experiencing it in your life. In other words, once you have gained knowledge of the real truths of God’s grace, you can start to walk in grace according to that knowledge. There is no condemnation for those who walk after the spirit, which is simply the application of the truths of the Word into your life. Knowledge edifies and changes your thinking, whereas this level brings you to a living experience of God’s grace, causing you to walk in newness of life, causing you to experience victories over sins that plagued you before, causing you to step up into a fruitful and worthy walk, that pleases God and glorifies Christ. This is the power of grace in it’s fulness. This is where you want to be in your walk as a believer.

Conclusion

Understanding the three levels of grace in its totality will prevent skewed interpretations of God’s grace. God’s grace is much more than simply justifying a sinner. If one only understands the first part of grace, one will have corrupt thoughts that God just loves you and will tolerate your sins. You cannot judge God’s grace without the full understanding of it. It is of great importance to see grace in all three the levels to fully comprehend this incredible gift of salvation.

I implore you to follow this series of posts to the end, to get a good grasp on not only grace, in which many are so misinformed, but also to learn of all four foundational truths, the cornerstones of our faith, that can ground you as a believer, and stabilize your Christian walk.

Amen