Not Grace, but Conceit
By L. H. Christian
THE apostle Paul wrote, "By the grace of God I am what I am." He could say this truly, because he followed the Lord with a perfect heart. In his public labors, as well as in his private affairs, he lived the Christ life. Nowadays, however, many people quote this text, and make a wrong application of it to their own experience. We have known those who made a high profession of holiness, but who were guilty of unholy and unseemly things, in meetings and out of meetings, yet they would say, "By the grace of God I am what I am." We have met husbands who were harsh and unreasonable in their homes, and we have heard them justify themselves, claiming that by the grace of God they were what they were. Not long ago, a friend sent us a book which teems with errors and illogical reasoning. The author's photograph is on the title page, and under it are the words, "By the grace of God I am what I am." We know nothing about what God has done for this individual in his personal life; but we are certain that no man who writes or preaches doctrines which undermine the gospel can do this "by the grace of God." The text, "By the grace of God I am what I am," is a hard text, and for many, an impossible text, to repeat in truth. It is more becoming to let other people say whether or not our life is holy and true. Many folks are very free to boast of their religious attainments. They mistake excitement and noise for genuine godliness. Their experiences are very superficial, and they are almost strangers to the grace of God. Of them it must be said, Not grace, but conceit.
L. H. CHRISTIAN.