Under Grace by Chas. B. Reynolds

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 2, 1875

Under Grace.

By Chas. B. Reynolds

CHRIST said, “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” Do what is written in the law. Keep the ten commandments written, by the finger of God just as they read—this do, and thou shalt live. From Genesis to Revelation we have the same rule: Repentance toward God, first; then faith in Christ. Both are essential—the one is as essential as the other; but to be effectual they must be in the order given; for until we are convicted of sin, till we have freely, honestly, fully, confessed sin, and have been converted; that is, until we have turned from the transgression of God's holy law to glad obedience (for anything short of this is not repentance), until we have truly repented, we have no claims upon a Saviour.

Repentance is a condition of pardon. Having repented, then, by and through faith in Christ, he acting as our great High Priest, we obtain pardon. When pardoned from the penalty of our sin (our transgression of God's law), then, and not till then, we are under grace. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin [continue to transgress the law] that grace may abound? God forbid.” Rom. 6:1. “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins [transgressions of God's law]; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:1, 2. Then to obtain grace, to be under grace, we must exercise faith. “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law.” Rom. 3:31. CHAS. B. REYNOLDS.