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Today's Pathway: Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

Yesterday we concluded with Paul showing that God had not given up on Israel because there was a remnant who had been saved by grace. Verse 6 is an important verse that defines what grace is. It has been my experience that many religions talk about the grace of God, yet define that "grace" improperly. The textbook definition of grace is "unmerited favor". Grace means that someone is receiving something that they do not deserve. If they deserved it, it could no longer be considered to be "grace". One way that a man could conceivably "deserve" something would be if he worked for it. For example, if a man goes to his job all week and labors for 40 hours for his employer, and gets paid at the end of the week, would his paycheck be considered "grace"? Of course not! The man worked all week and deserved to get paid. He earned his money. However, let's say that the same man for some reason was no longer physically able to work that job. However, out of the goodness of his heart, the employer continued to send the man money every week. Those funds would be considered "grace". The laborer was not working anymore, and thus did not "deserve" to get paid. Yet the employer gave him money that he did not earn. That's grace.

Paul shows in verse 6 that there is a difference between "grace" and "work". The two terms are mutually exclusive. In our illustration above, either the man worked for his money or he didn't. In the spiritual arena, either a man works for his salvation or he doesn't. If salvation is given by grace, then works have absolutely nothing to do with it. If salvation is in any way "earned" by an individual's labors, then it is not received by grace. Ephesians 2:8-9 states,

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Catholicism is an example of a religion that mis-defines "grace". The Catholic church says that men are saved by grace, and they sing the hymn "Amazing Grace". Yet they teach that the grace of God is received by the good works of men: partaking of the mass, being baptized, going to confession, etc. Paul makes it clear that if works have anything to do with salvation, then grace no longer exists. Words have meaning. According to verse 6, if we believe in salvation by grace, then works have nothing to do with salvation, or else the word "grace" has no meaning. On the other hand, if good works save a man, then grace has nothing to do with it or else "work" has no meaning. Henry Alford explained it this way:

"And let us remember how much those words imply: namely, nothing short of the entire exclusion of all human work from the question. Let these two terms be kept distinct from one another, and do not let us attempt to mix them and so destroy the meaning of each."

So, what are you trusting in for your salvation? Are you trusting in your good works or religious rituals in any way? If so, you have rejected the concept of grace. It can't be faith plus baptism, or faith plus church attendance, or faith plus something else. It is only because of God's great grace, that is received by faith alone in Christ alone, that anyone becomes a child of God. Have you received His grace?