The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-04-20
THE POWER OF GRACE
AND WHAT 1T HAS DONE.
Subject of Last Nights Sermon b!
Rev, l.. II. Christie.

new LIE H. NhNlStlSs
To two large congregation Rev. L.
Il. Christie preached two special SER
mons at the First Baptist Church yes
terday.
The subject of the afternoon was
Power" Salvation by Grace" was
the subject at night. built from the
text Ephesians 2:5: by grace are We
saved" Among other things the speak
er said:
THE two considerations that engage
the churches of Jesus Christ are polity
and doctine: with reference to the
former, there is one fundamental props
ed will adjust the whole question of
church polity, viz: the sovereignty of
the individual I'm all matters religious.
Likewise. there is key to tie
otherwise mysterious problems of doc
trine, and that the fundamental fact
that salvation is wholly of the Lord.
Modify either of these fundamental
propositions, and the gateway is open
ed to all the wild speculations of I'M
sanctified reason. and the countless
heresies that rob spiritual religion of
its vital power.
Grace simply defined, is undeserved
favor to sinners. The embryonic word,
as used in the Old Testament. signi-
fed a disposition on the part of the
Lord to confer the promised benefits,
but in the larger full grown express
sions of the New Testament it signi-
lies not only the disposition, but the
power exercised in comforting the bene-
hts.
1T becomes active rather than pas
siVe; not merely an attitude. but an
action as we'll. Moreover. the very
word grace carries with it the prm-
airy consideration that the gift con-
ferred is recognized by both the SiEer
and receiver alike as absolutely un-
merited of the receiver by any virtue
past. present or probable.
THE Bible, with all it's teaching, is
a story of grace. Every revelation of
God, whether in nature or providence
is distinctively of grace. But for grace,
man would have no conception of God.
He was under no obligation to give
us a Bible-our clearest revelation OF
Himself, but grace gave it to us when
we did not deserve it; and every pre-
cept and promise it contains, every
psalm and story, is a story OF grace.
The law itself was given in grace. 1t
discovered to man the fact that he
was lost, a. fact he could not have
known otherwise, and in the despera-
ton of despair it drove him to God.
THE Old Testament worthless recog-
nize this. They did not trust in the
law to save them. Like as with us,
they found themselves hopelessly con-
demned by it, and helpless and de-
spairing they fell into the arms of God,
trusted His grace, and for their con-
fidence in His graciousness, he ac-
counted them as having the very thing
the law had proved they did not have.
Some people think the Old Tesla
ment a book of horrors, because it as
scribes such sins to so-called good men.
But they were not good men. The
browning glory of the Old Testament
is that it tells how gracious the Lord
was in saving such great sinners.
1.-The New Testament gives an added
emphasis to grace. The heart of its
teaching is that IL IL God that work
eth in us both to will and to do
Gods mastery over every impulse and
faculty was changelessly taught and
exemplified by Christ and the Apos-
ties. Grace was necessary alike both
for salvation and for service.
Grace taken the initiative in sal
walton, quickening the sinner dead
in trespasses,' and it crowns the work
1t thus begins in regeneration when
the quickened soul is born again by
the power of God.
"The effect of this doctrine is to give
full power to prayer. AS long as we
believe that God only partly saves, we
will only ask him to do what we may
regard as His part. When we believe
that He wholly saves, we will conf
IDENTIFY ask Him to completely perfor
the blessed work.
ITO the sinner it leaves nothing to
do in order to salvation. God will only
save a passive, surrendered soul Only
stOp adverse action only cease hoStil-
tiles, and grace will abound unto full
redemntion A"