Evidences of Divine Grace by S. N. Haskell

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 17, 1913

Evidences of Divine Grace

By S. N. Haskell

"We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)" 2 Cor. 6: 1, 2.

In the first eight verses that follow this passage, are mentioned thirty or more characteristics of the true minister of God. Those who are ministers indeed, have first received of the grace of God. And, in fact, all, whether they minister or not, receive of the grace of God. Some receive it in vain; others use it in ministering to their fellow men; but every one who lives receives of this grace. In fact, the very world in which we are living, is surrounded, as it were, with an atmosphere of grace; and those who breathe it in its fulness will find their spiritual life renewed.

Grace, you will doubtless say, is unmerited favor. Yet there is something more than simply this meaning, I believe, in the word. In Esther 2: 17 we read: "The king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight; . . . so that he set the royal crown upon her head." While the terms "grace" and "favor" are often used interchangeably, yet there is a distinction between the two. You may have favor, and yet not have grace. Grace is more than simply favor. Favor may mean no more than leniency, but grace means the imparting or giving of an undeserved gift or gifts. When we speak of the grace of patience, or of humility, we mean that these qualities have been imparted to us by the divine Being.

Grace is not obtained by works; it is the gift of God. It is something that he brought to mankind after the fall, when all connection between man and heaven had been severed. Christ brought to those who had transgressed and had forfeited all right to life eternal, the assurance that he would deliver them from the power of the destroyer. "I will put enmity between thee and the woman," were his words to Satan, "and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt

bruise his heel." Gen. 3: 15. This hope that was held out to man after the fall, was nothing less than unmerited favor.

According to Eph. 2: 5-10, grace is the gift of God; it is something that Christ has made as free as the air we breathe—to every man, woman, and child who lays hold on it by faith. There is no condition other than that we shall take it as it is proffered to us.

Even the heathen may unconsciously partake of the provisions made for salvation through grace. We need not be surprised if we find, upon reaching heaven at last, that some who had never heard the name of Christ in this world, have nevertheless been saved. And why?—Because, the grace of Christ operated on their hearts, and they responded to its transforming influence, and yielded to a power higher than themselves, that purified and ennobled.

Many incidents might be narrated of natives in strange lands who have shown kindness to missionaries, seemingly for no reason other than that the grace of God had in some way touched the savage heart, and had awakened desires that were in harmony with the mind of Christ. They received not this grace of God in vain.

I cannot explain grace. I can only read what the Lord says about it. You will find that by means of grace you will be enabled to grow and become strong in all things spiritual. It changes the heart; it subdues and elevates. And, O most glorious thought! throughout the eternal ages we shall know, if we are finally saved, that we have been saved by grace, by unmerited favor from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Titus 2: 11-13: "The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."

This grace, my brethren, is what makes us God's children, yes, Seventh-day Adventists, today. And this grace, as we have seen, comes not by works, but through faith in him who bestows it so freely.

2 Peter 3: 18: "Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." According to this passage, grace is something that is to develop in our lives, and make us strong. How important, then, that we learn what grace is, and make sure that we are laying hold of the advantages it affords us!

2 Cor. 8: 9: "Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." The spirit that leads one to deny himself to benefit another—that is grace. There are some who pledged liberally of their means to various missionary enterprises connected with God's cause, not knowing where the money is to come from with which to meet the pledge. My brethren, it is grace that actuates a man to sacrifice personally in behalf of the cause of God.

A scriptural illustration of the outworking of grace in the human heart is found in 2 Cor. 8: 2: "In a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality." The more the affliction, the greater the joy. In 1 Peter 2: 19, 20, we are assured that if we suffer for things we have not done, it is thankworthy. O, my brethren, when we suffer in silence when wronged or maligned, that is grace!

And let me add this thought: When I work with Christ, I will work as he worked, and do as he did. I will yield myself and my personal interests for the sake of doing some one else good. There are many of us who think we have much grace. But when we are called upon to suffer, to endure, bearing all things patiently, quietly, we find it hard to submit. There are many who are inclined to shrink from such trials; but the grace of Christ that saves the soul is the grace that will stop, and meekly bear. O, how glad I am that it is my privilege to be a Christian! I am glad it is my privilege to yield for Christ's sake, to suffer for his sake. Talk about defending ourselves! We ought to be ashamed of such a thought. When the heart is filled with the love of God, when we are willing to do anything, to yield or to possess, in order that others may be benefited, we shall find that such a spirit is born of saving grace.

Let me quote from 2 Corinthians 5, beginning with verse 17: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ." What is an ambassador? — He represents the country, and not only the country, but the government, and what he says is the word of the government. "As though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

When I first went to Africa, we did not have people all over the world, and so in every country where I went, I usually saw the American consul. I did not know what might happen to me, so I would give him my address at home in America, that he might notify my friends if anything should happen to me.

In South Africa the American consul-general—I did not think anything about his being the American consul-general—and I became quite friendly. He knew I was going to India, and he said, "Before you go to India, come to me, and I will give you a little writing." I did not think I needed it at all. I had papers from America giving a description of me as an American citizen, and I had papers from Switzerland, and two or three other places, and so I did not feel the need of this at all; but he was very earnest about it. To accommodate him, not because I thought I needed this paper, I went to him. He gave me only about half a dozen lines, but there was a signature on the paper, and that signature was Hollis, American Consul-General.

I took the paper. When I reached Calcutta, I went to see the American consul there. He came in and spoke to me, and asked if there was anything he could do for me. He said, "Today is mail day, and I am very busy and cannot spend much time, but if there is anything I can do for you, state it. I did not know what to say, so I pulled out this document and handed it to him. He took a chair and said, "Sit down." So I sat down, but began to apologize for taking his time when he was so busy. "O," he said, "I am not in a hurry at all!" What made that change?—It was the American consul-general, and I learned afterward that I might have asked him for anything that I wanted. I might have asked him for fare to come to America, and he would have given it, at the expense of Uncle Sam.

Now we have heaven's Consul-General to indorse this kind of living. He says, He that will take you will take me, and he that takes me takes God, and when you have God and Christ, you have every angel in glory.