4SpiritualSecrets

“… for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age…” (Titus 2: 11, 12)

Supporting his thesis that we are saved by grace, Paul writes that when Jesus was born into this world the grace of God appeared bringing us salvation. He also writes that the grace that brought salvation was teaching us that we are to find the levels of grace that enables us to live godly lives.

Here again we find levels of grace being identified. A study of the letter of Paul to Titus reveals that the church Titus was planting on the island of Crete could have been called “The Church of the Three Appearings.”

The first appearing was when Christ brought salvation to this world. The second will be when Christ returns in his Second Coming. The third appearing is the way Christ shows Himself to the world right now through the godly men and women in His church who access keeping grace and living grace while they look for the return of their Savior.

“We’re writing a gospel a chapter each day by things that we do and things that we say. Men read what we write whether faithful or true. Say, what is the gospel according to you?”

Paul wrote in another place that we are living epistles known and read by all men. We are the only Bible many people will ever read. We must realize that we need to access these levels of grace to show Christ to the world and not merely for our own benefit.

How many levels of grace do you access as you live for Christ?

“… through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
(Romans 5:2)

In this verse the apostle identifies two more levels of grace. Having written that we are justified by faith, Paul declares that we also have access by faith into grace that makes it possible for us to stand in a hostile world and live a life that glorifies God. This access into grace makes it possible for us to enter into living grace and keeping grace.

There was a long and ancient poem that described a debate in heaven between two men who died in their nineties. They debated which of them was the greatest trophy of grace. One had lived a terribly sinful life. On his deathbed he had been led to salvation. He, therefore, considered himself a greater trophy of grace than the other man.

The second man had been the son of a pastor. He came to faith as a child and had never wavered in his faith. He himself had become a pastor and in that role he had led many to Christ and was a faithful shepherd for nearly 60 years.

The debate lasted for thousands of years but when the angels were asked to vote on the matter they decided that the pastor’s son was the greater trophy of grace. The first man had experienced saving grace but the second man had experienced keeping grace and living grace.

We sometimes give young people the impression that it is better to have lived a sinful life and then experience a dramatic conversion. However, there is nothing good about sin. We are a greater trophy of grace when we do not sin.

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

Just as there are levels of fellowship there are levels of grace. The first level is saving grace. The verse above clearly states that we are saved by the grace of God and not by our works. Even the faith by which we believe that good news is the gift of God to us. Not one of us, therefore, can boast about our salvation as if we had something to do with it.

The apostle writes in the next verse that we are saved for good works. In his other writings he makes it clear that works validate our faith and so works are important. But if we hold up our works to God and ask Him to save us on the basis of those good works, the Prophet Isaiah tells us they would be as filthy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6.)

Millions of people believe they are saved by good works. If you ask people how they know that if they died today they would go to heaven, a large majority would say something like, “I hope so” or “I’m doing my best.” If they would think about it they should ask themselves how many good works are enough to save them. Those who believe they are saved by good works are almost never sure of their salvation.

The first level of grace assures us of our salvation because salvation by grace is not a matter of our good works. What matters is the good work of Jesus Christ when He died on the cross for us.

“… my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my needs.”
(Philippians 2:25)

The letter of Paul to the Philippians is a thank you note. The church Paul established in Philippi was his sending church. They supported him regularly as he points out in the rest of this chapter. He is especially thanking them for a gift that was delivered by an old man named Epaphroditis. In the way Paul describes his relationship to this dear old man we see distinct levels of fellowship.

Paul refers to him as his brother. That means that he was a believer. Then he calls him a fellow worker. Amos raised the question, “Can two walk together unless they are agreed? (Amos 3:3) Paul himself had to separate from a brother named Barnabas because they were not in agreement. Another level of fellowship is focused when Paul refers to this old man as a fellow soldier. By this Paul was describing the level of fellowship experienced by those who risked their lives together while serving Christ. Later in his reference to this faithful messenger Paul makes the observation that this man nearly died while completing his mission objective of delivering the offering of the Philippian Church to the aging Apostle Paul.

He calls him a messenger and the one who ministered to his needs. As believers we are all called to be messengers and ministers (2 Corinthians 5: 13-6:2). According to this Scripture every reconciled believer has committed to him or her, a message and a ministry of reconciliation.

According to Paul all five of these levels of fellowship were in place between himself and this dear old man. How many levels of fellowship are you experiencing in your relationships with other believers?