Contrary to the Calvinist view of God’s grace being limited to certain chosen individuals and something irresistible with respect to them, I have argued that in the physical appearing of Jesus, we have God’s saving grace demonstrated and available to us all. “In Christ” lies the evidence that God’s grace has universal salvific applicability. We see this clearly in Titus 2. Here, Paul gives us interesting insight into the nature of God’s grace. In verse 1, Paul tells Titus to “teach what accords with sound doctrine” (ESV) or “proclaim things consistent with sound teaching (CSB).” After delineating certain roles and relationships within the church, Paul gives Titus the doctrinal rationale behind his instructions. He states in verse 11,
“For the grace of God has appeared…” (ESV, CSB)
The word “appeared” here indicates,
“…to be made clear, to be made manifest. The central meaning of the word is to appear suddenly upon a scene, and it is used particularly of divine interposition, especially to aid, and of the dawning of light upon darkness…”[22]
Paul views “the grace of God” as something that “has appeared” (“is now public,” MSG). God’s “grace” is not a decision hidden in the eternal counsels of God that has limited reference to and only provides for the salvation of certain predestined individuals. This Calvinist view is contradicted by Paul’s next phrase, “bringing salvation for all people.” The NIV has “that offers salvation to all people.” The Phillips translation has, “that can save every man,” and the Message has “Salvation is available for everyone!” In Rienecker’s Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament, the Greek word here (σωτήριος) means,
“…saving, delivering, bringing salvation. Followed by the dative the word means “bringing deliverance to” and the phrase “to all men” belongs to the noun showing the universal scope of Christian salvation (Guthrie; s. also BAG)”[23]
The sense of the passage surely is that God’s grace is being made known and accessible to every sinner because it has appeared in Christ. Grace is made visible, and therefore it is universally available. That revelation of God’s grace brings salvation to everyone. Of course, not all will be saved. But that is not for the lack of God’s grace in salvation being offered to them. It is due to a person’s refusal to believe despite the grace shown to them in salvation wrought by Jesus on their behalf. Salvation is, of course, appropriated and applied by simple faith. The point is that salvation can be found “in him.” That is precisely what the appearing proclaims to those who witnessed it and all who subsequently hear about it. It is a message offering salvation to the hearer, and since it comes from the God of truth – the God who cannot lie – it must have saving applicability and potential for the hearer. Furthermore, in keeping with the context, verse 14 reiterates this universality when Paul adds that “he gave himself for us” (ESV) or “he gave himself for us all.” (JBP)
In Titus chapter 3, Paul states that the doctrinal remedy for a lack of submission, disobedience, and “hating one another” (v. 3) is that “the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared” and that “he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his mercy.” (v. 5) Here we have another reference to God’s goodness and loving-kindness, that is, his grace, having “appeared.” The Christian Standard Bible (CSB) interprets this as “But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared…” emphasizing God’s nature as loving (i.e., loving-kindness), and the fact that this love extends to all mankind.
We also have mention of salvation being “according to his mercy.” God’s mercy is akin to his grace. The phrase “he saved us” refers to the whole plan and purpose of salvation that God fulfilled in Jesus. When salvation is thought of in terms of the individual’s responsibility, “he saved us” would presuppose the response of faith, but that is not the emphasis here. Like in Ephesians 1, the stress here is what God has accomplished for us in Christ, not the response of faith needed for the appropriation of this salvation. That is because Paul is writing to instruct those who already believe. This is in accord with verse 7, where Paul speaks about “having been justified by his grace.” Justification is a core truth within the doctrine of salvation. In accomplishing salvation for us, God has been merciful and gracious to all sinners despite and apart from “works done by us in righteousness.” (v. 5)
In Romans 3:21-26, Paul presents a more complete picture of the salvation that has made its appearance in Christ. He states,
“But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets. The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God presented him as the mercy seat by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.” (CSB)
Note the language here. Paul speaks of the righteousness of God having been “revealed” (CSB), or “manifested” (ESV), which is “apart from Law,” that is to say, that which breaks the boundaries of Jewish privilege and places justification on the equal plane of the response of faith. Now, if justification is appropriated based on faith, that means that justification or salvation is possible for all sinners – both Jew and Gentile. After all, “there is no distinction,” and in Paul’s logic and theology, since all are sinners, and there is only one God who is over both Jew and Gentile, then salvation applies to all. God has provided justification or salvation “freely” (CSB), or “as a gift” (ESV) by his grace that has come through “the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” This “redemption that is in Christ Jesus” is the expression of God’s grace. Note also that God “presented him” (CSB) or “put him forward” (ESV). According to Paul, God’s mercy and grace were presented or extended to us when Christ Jesus appeared in the flesh.
I will deal with the nature of faith in Chapter 15, but we should note here that faith obviously does not fall within this category of “works done in righteousness” (Titus 3:5) or “works of the law.” Paul can continue in Romans 3:27-30 to say,
“Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law of faith. For we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.”
Faith should never be perceived to be in the category of a “work,” or meritorious, or of the sinner “contributing” to his own salvation, or the sinner “saving themselves” as the Calvinist is wont to portray it to support his doctrines of total inability and unconditional election. The sinner’s free decision to respond in faith to the gospel message is not encompassed within the biblical concept of a “work.” To believe in Christ freely, that is, of one’s own decision of the will, cannot be considered a “work” that is meritorious toward one’s salvation. Neither is it presented as an impossibility due to “total inability.” That would be inconsistent with Scripture’s “appearing” theology and make nonsense of Jesus’ interaction with people regarding their faith as recorded in the gospels, the dynamic of faith in John’s gospel and his purpose for writing (Jn. 20:30-31), Paul’s view of faith in his epistles, the biblical testimony as to the nature of faith as that which pleases God (Heb. 11:6), and the content of the proclamation of the gospel itself as a call to put one’s faith and trust in Christ Jesus for salvation. Faith is the way to appropriate the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, who is a full expression of God’s mercy and grace. Faith is always contrasted with being “justified by the works of the law,” never included in it. (Gal. 2:15-21)
The point here is that “the grace of God has appeared” is directly linked to “bringing salvation for all people”. (CSB) And it is “those who have believed in God” (Titus 3:8) that have been regenerated and renewed by the Holy Spirit (v. 5) “whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” (v. 6)
All Paul’s letters speak of God’s grace and salvation in these inclusive and revelational terms; terms that make God’s merciful and gracious salvation in Christ Jesus applicable to all sinners. Salvation is designed and obtainable by all through faith. Mercy and grace are “first cousins.” Both are extended to all sinners. (Rom. 11:32) Thus, Paul begins all his epistles with “Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior” or a version thereof.
To summarize thus far, we see that grace does not have the definition or character of a hidden, mysterious divine predetermination of who will be saved (whom God will irresistibly “grace”) and who will not be saved (whom God will not irresistibly “grace”) – a theology grounded in an erroneous deterministic concept of God’s “sovereignty.” According to John, “…the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth…” and “…from his fullness have we all received, grace upon grace…” And John adds the Christological affirmation that “…grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” This concept of grace, having appeared in Jesus in its fullness, and therefore having a saving purpose that is universal (yet only appropriated to the sinner upon their believing), is contrary to “sovereign grace” or as part of the “doctrines of grace” (i.e., “irresistible grace”), as understood deterministically by Calvinists.
Chapter 14 – The Nature of Grace in Scripture
The Truth of the Gospel 