AMAZING GRACE

      "Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt," Rom, 4:4.

      Just as there are TWO KINDS OF WORKS -- the works of man and the works of God, there are also TWO KINDS OF REWARDS -- God will reward punishment for the works of man, but will reward good for HIS works in and through us.
      Look again at page one of this paper and review the five classifications of man's works or flesh works which God will NOT accept and must therefore punish.
      Look also on page one at the five classifications of God's works which God will accept and will reward good as promised throughout the Bible for grace works, as we will continue to see.
      We must keep in mind that there are TWO KINDS OF WORKS. And we must also understand that God will REWARD BOTH KINDS of works. God will reward good for grace works, but will reward punishment for flesh works.
      1. The Greek word "misthos", translated "reward," is used of reward (punishment) for wicked works, flesh works, man's works, normal human works or human reward, etc., Mt 6:2,5,16; Acts 1:18; Rom 4:4; II Pet 2:13; Jude 1:11.
      2. "Misthos" is also used of God's reward for grace works, Mt 5:12,46; 6:1,4,6,18; Lk 6:23,35; I Cor 3:8,14; Rev ll:18; 22:12.
      Remember that grace works are the only works God will accept, and further remember that grace works are the works of God in and through us, I Cor 15:10; Phil 2:12-13; Mt 10:19-20; Heb 4:16; 12:28; I Pet 4:10; Rom 4:16; 5:2; et al.

      "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are ONE, and each one will receive his own REWARD according to his own LABOR. For we are GOD'S FELLOW WORKERS; you are God's field, you are God's building. According to the GRACE OF GOD which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and ANOTHER BUILDS ON IT. BUT LET EACH ONE TAKE HEED HOW HE BUILDS ON IT," I Cor 3:8-10.

      Observe how we are "God's fellow workers," or "laborers together with God."
      Verse 7 says the one who plants and the one who waters are NOTHING, only God who gives the increase.
      Verse 8 then says that the one who plants and the one who waters are ONE. Verse 8 further says that each one of them will receive HIS OWN REWARD according to HIS OWN LABOR.
      Summing this part up, verse 9 says, "FOR we are GOD'S FELLOW WORKERS." The one who plants, the one who waters, and all others who build on the foundation of the church, which is Christ, are all ONE WITH GOD in purpose, in design, and in performance. They are LABORERS TOGETHER WITH GOD.
      Verse 10 continues by saying, "According to the GRACE OF GOD.....I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed HOW HE BUILDS on it."
      Everything we do is bound up in one package -- in building up the local church on the foundation of Christ. It is all done as "laborers together with God." It is all done by grace through faith. And it is all done by God working in and through us.
      This simply means that WE LABOR, but it is God laboring in and through us. WE WORK, but it is God working in and through us. WE PERFORM, but it is God performing in and through us. This is grace.

      "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find GRACE TO HELP in the time of need," Heb 4:16.

      This is the grace of God HELPING us in the time of need to pray, witness, preach, sing, forgive, forebear, endure wrong, study God's Word, attend church faithfully and be on time, give cheerfully, minister to others, and all other things we need (are commanded) to do, Heb 4:16.
      This is the grace of God helping us to labor together with God and with others, Heb 4:16; I Cor 15:10.
      This is the grace of God working in us and helping us to work out the salvation of our lives with fear and trembling, Heb 4:16; Phil 2:12-13.
      This is the grace of God working in us helping us to speak the words of God, Mt 10:19-20.
      This is the grace of God helping us to serve God acceptably in every way God has commanded, Heb 4:16; 12:28.
      This is the grace of God helping us to build on the foundation of Christ in the local missionary Baptist church, Heb 4:26; I Cor 3:6-15.
      This is the grace of God helping us in obedience of the faith, Heb 4:16; Rom 1:5.
      This is the grace of God helping us to suffer, endure, and overcome, Heb 4:16; II Cor 12:7-10.
      This is the grace of God helping us to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, Heb 4:16; Eph 3:8; Mt 28:18-20; Acts 1:8.
      This is the grace of God which is given to us as a stewardship to help us in every detail of obedience to God, I Pet 4:10; Eph 3:2,8.
      We are laborers together with God as He works all things together for our good, Rom 8:23-28.

      "...'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts," Zec 4:6.

      "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me," I Cor 15:10.

      "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to his work," Rev 22:12.

      Paul WILL be rewarded with a good reward "according to his work." But Paul's labors or works were grace works -- see I Cor 15:10 above.
      This means the works God will reward with a good reward are grace works. These are the only kind of works God will accept and bless. All other works are the works of the flesh, which God will reward with punishment.

      "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING; For it is GOD WHO WORKS IN YOU both to will and to do for His good pleasure," Phil 2:12-13.

      We WILL be rewarded with a good reward for working out our own salvation (the salvation of our life), but these works are the works of God, as in verse 13 just quoted. The works of God in us are grace works, which God will reward with a good reward -- all other works are flesh works which God will reward with punishment.

      "19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you." Mt 10:19-20.

      As God's witnesses WE witness, as God's preachers WE preach, and as God's pastors WE pastor God's churches. However, verse 20 above says it is not us but the Holy Spirit who speaks in and through us.
      When we speak the words of God as God has commanded, it is God through the Holy Spirit speaking in and through us. These works (words) are God's works, and are therefore grace works which God will reward with a good reward. All other works are flesh works which God will reward with punishment.

      "According to the GRACE of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it," I Cor 3:10.

      Every church member who is serving the Lord properly is building upon Christ as the Foundation for and in a local church. All we do at church, at home, at work, or otherwise has a direct (and perhaps indirect) application to building on the Foundation of Christ. This is equal to saving our life, as in Mt 7:21-27.
      Everything the church member does throughout each day of his christian life goes into the building process. The work is either a flesh work or a work of God in and through us. All flesh works will be burned, and there will be punishment, the greater part of which, by far, will be the loss the unfaithful person will suffer, Mt 7:23,26-27; Mk 8:35-38; Lk 9:24-26; I Cor 3:6-15.

      "If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward," I Cor 3:14.

      Those whose "work remains" will receive a reward. Only those works which are grace works will remain, abide, endure. These grace works will be rewarded.
      Remember, there are only two kinds of works: flesh works and grace works -- grace works are God's works in and through us.

      "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have GRACE, by which we may SERVE God acceptably with reverence and godly fear," Heb 12:28.

      "Let us therefore be coming boldly to the throne of GRACE, that we may obtain mercy and find GRACE to HELP in time of need," Heb 4:16.

      We can "serve" God acceptably only by grace works, and to have that grace we much go to the throne of grace and ask for it.
      So we go to the throne of grace and ask God for grace to pray, grace to preach, grace to sing praises to God, grace to witness, grace to love one another, grace to forgive, grace to be patient, grace to suffer, grace to endure, grace to overcome.
      Will God give us GRACE to do these works? Of course, God will, and is doing it all the time.
      But then when God has given us GRACE, and we have done all these things by GRACE, some brethren come along and call all of these GRACE WORKS the works of the flesh, the works of man which God will not accept: salvation by flesh works.
      Remember, there are only two kinds of works: the works of the flesh and the works of grace. God will accept and give a good reward for the works of grace only.
      This theme could be continued at great length, but perhaps enough has been written to give us a better understanding of what GRACE really is.