**Grace** Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. **Grace** is central to God’s plan of salvation and encompasses several key aspects of the Christian faith, including **salvation**, **redemption**, **justification**, **forgiveness**, **sanctification**, and **eternal life**. These are all expressions of God's unmerited favor, given to humanity not because of anything we have done, but out of His love and sovereign will. This grace is central to God’s eternal plan, or what you referred to as God’s "determinant council." Let’s break it down further: ### **1. Grace as the Source of Salvation**' - **Grace Defined:** Grace is the **unmerited favor** of God. It is God’s kindness and love extended to humanity, despite our sinfulness and inability to earn His favor. - **Key Scripture:** "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) - **God's Determinant Counsel:** Salvation through grace is not an afterthought. It is part of God’s **eternal plan**, predestined by His will before the foundation of the world. God, in His sovereignty, chose to offer salvation through Jesus Christ as a free gift, entirely dependent on His grace. ### **2. Grace and Redemption** - **Redemption:** Redemption means being **bought back** or delivered from sin and its consequences. Through Jesus' sacrifice, humanity is redeemed from the curse of sin. - **Grace in Redemption:** Redemption is made possible solely by God's grace, through the blood of Jesus Christ. We are powerless to redeem ourselves; only through God’s gracious gift can we be bought back from the penalty of sin. - **Key Scripture:** "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace." (Ephesians 1:7) ### **3. Grace and Justification** - **Justification:** To be **justified** means to be declared **righteous** before God. It is a legal declaration where God, the judge, declares the sinner to be righteous because of faith in Jesus. - **Grace in Justification:** Justification is not something we earn by our works or efforts. It is by **grace alone**, through faith in Jesus Christ, that we are made right with God. Jesus' righteousness is imputed to us, meaning we are seen as righteous in God’s sight because of Christ's sacrifice. - **Key Scripture:** "Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:24) - **God’s Determinant Counsel:** This plan of justification by grace was determined by God before time began. God knew that humanity would fall into sin, and He preordained that justification would come through Christ. ### **4. Grace and Forgiveness** - **Forgiveness:** Forgiveness is the **removal of sin** and its consequences. It is a complete pardon from the guilt and penalty of sin. - **Grace in Forgiveness:** God’s grace is the foundation of forgiveness. Through grace, God offers forgiveness to all who repent and believe in Jesus. No matter the depth of sin, God’s grace is greater, and forgiveness is freely given. - **Key Scripture:** "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) - **God’s Eternal Plan:** God’s decision to forgive is rooted in His grace and love, predetermined in His eternal counsel to offer forgiveness through Christ’s atoning work. ### **5. Grace and Sanctification** - **Sanctification:** Sanctification is the process by which believers are **made holy** or set apart for God. It is a **lifelong process** in which the Holy Spirit works in the lives of believers to conform them to the image of Christ. - **Grace in Sanctification:** Just as salvation and justification are by grace, so is sanctification. Believers grow in holiness not by their own strength, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, who works within them by grace. Sanctification is an ongoing work of God’s grace in a believer's life. - **Key Scripture:** "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13) - **God’s Determinant Counsel:** Sanctification was part of God’s eternal plan. He not only saves us but also sets us apart for His purposes, progressively transforming us by His grace. ### **6. Grace and Eternal Life** - **Eternal Life:** Eternal life is the ultimate gift of God’s grace—**life forever with God** in His kingdom. It is the promise of everlasting joy and peace in God’s presence. - **Grace in Eternal Life:** Eternal life is a gift that cannot be earned. It is given freely by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The promise of eternal life is the culmination of God’s grace, extending beyond this life into eternity. - **Key Scripture:** "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) - **God’s Eternal Plan:** Eternal life was always part of God’s plan for humanity. His desire was for people to be in relationship with Him forever. Through His grace, He provides the way to eternal life through Jesus Christ. --- ### **7. The Determinate Counsel of God and Grace** - **God’s Sovereign Plan:** The Bible teaches that God’s grace and plan of salvation were not reactive but part of His eternal, sovereign purpose—what you referred to as the **determinant council**. This concept is expressed in: - **God’s Foreknowledge:** God knew before the foundation of the world that humanity would fall into sin, and He preordained a plan of salvation through Jesus Christ. - **Predestination of Grace:** Ephesians 1:4-5 says, “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will.” - **God’s Plan for Christ:** Jesus’ sacrificial death was planned before the world began. Revelation 13:8 speaks of Christ as the "Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world," indicating that God had determined, from the beginning, that grace would be extended through the sacrifice of Christ. ### **8. The Role of Grace in the New Covenant** - Under the **Old Covenant**, grace was present, but the relationship between God and man was largely defined by the **Law**. In the **New Covenant**, which was established by Jesus, **grace** takes center stage. - **Key Scripture:** "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (John 1:17) - The New Covenant fulfills the promises of the Old, offering salvation and life by grace through faith, not by adherence to the Law. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is the ultimate expression of God's grace. --- ### **Summary** God's **grace** provides the foundation for all aspects of the Christian life: - **Salvation**: We are saved by grace through faith. - **Redemption**: Grace redeems us from sin through the sacrifice of Jesus. - **Justification**: We are declared righteous before God by grace. - **Forgiveness**: Grace offers complete forgiveness of sins. - **Sanctification**: Grace transforms us and makes us holy. - **Eternal Life**: Grace gives us the promise of eternal life with God. All of this was determined by God’s sovereign plan—His **determinant counsel**—before the foundation of the world. It was always God's plan to extend grace to humanity through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, providing salvation, redemption, and eternal life to all who believe. Apostle Paul