By grace I’m saved (hymn)

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By grace I’m saved, grace free and boundless;
My soul, believe and doubt it not.
Why stagger at this word of promise?
Has Scripture ever falsehood taught?
No; then this word must true remain;
By grace you too will life obtain.

By grace God’s Son, our only Savior,
Came down to earth to bear our sin.
Was it because of your own merit
That Jesus died your soul to win?
No, it was grace, and grace alone,
That brought him from his heavenly throne.

By grace! This ground of faith is certain;
As long as God is true, it stands.
What saints have penned by inspiration,
What in his word our God commands,
Our faith in what our God has done
Depends on grace – grace through his Son.

By grace to timid hearts that tremble,
In tribulation’s furnace tried,
By grace, in spite of fear and trouble,
The Father’s heart is open wide.
Where could I help and strength secure
If grace were not my anchor sure?

By grace! On this I’ll rest when dying;
In Jesus’ promise I rejoice;
For though I know my heart’s condition,
I also know my Savior’s voice.
My heart is glad, all grief has flown
Since I am saved by grace alone.

Author: Korneluis Heinrich Dretzel
Tune: O Dass Ich Tausend Zungen Hatte
1st Published in: 1742

Our “spiritual-but-not-religious” neighbors believe that

Our “spiritual-but-not-religious” neighbors believe that

• all is one and that god exists in everything. According to the Bible, there are two kinds of reality: God and creation, and God in His being is distinct from His creation.
• everyone shares in the divine power and can bring the world to new levels of happiness and peace. The Bible says that, though made in God’s image, there are two kinds of people: those who are reconciled with God and those who are in rebellion against Him, and that only God can truly save the world.
• since each religion has some of the truth, we only have to put them together to discover the whole truth. The Bible describes the timeless religious conflict between the Truth and the Lie, and that every human being must worship and serve the true Creator God.
• our human problems are a result of forgetfulness: we have forgotten that we are divine. The Bible says creatures trying to be God is what created all our problems from the beginning!
• we should look within to find inner divine power. The Bible tells us to look to God, and His Son, Jesus, who by the power of His Spirit, independent of our efforts, reconciles us sinful creatures to Himself.

Make no mistake; spiritual post-secularists will be as formidable opponents of the Christian message as their secularist forebears.

Spurgeon’s “prayer of the synergist”

“Lord, I thank thee I am not like those poor presumptuous Calvinists Lord, I was born with a glorious free-will; I was born with power by which I can turn to thee of myself; I have improved my grace. If everybody had done the same with their grace that I have, they might all have been saved. Lord, I know thou dost not make us willing if we are not willing ourselves. Thou givest grace to everybody; some do not improve it, but I do. There are many that will go to hell as much bought with the blood of Christ as I was; they had as much of the Holy Ghost given to them; they had as good a chance, and were as much blessed as I am. It was not thy grace that made us to differ; I know it did a great deal, still I turned the point; I made use of what was given me, and others did not-that is the difference between me and them.”