Grace, in the above sense, would be defined as the saving Life and Presence of the Lord Jesus brought to people when the saint avoids words that are not wholesome but instead, uses his speech to build up and encourage those to whom he is speaking.

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; (Titus 2:11,12)

The grace of God teaches us that we should live righteously. To seek to balance an emphasis on holy living with an appeal to mercy and grace makes no sense if grace itself teaches us to live righteously!

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into immorality, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:4)

"Turning the grace of our God into a license for immorality." It appears that in the first century some of the churchgoers were attempting to use the forgiveness aspect of Divine grace to excuse immoral behavior. This is what always will happen when we dilute the necessity for godliness by continually referring to God's love, mercy, and grace.

It is difficult to live a godly life, and if there is an easy way to avoid fighting the good fight of faith, people will find it. "Grace" is employed today as the Divinely provided means of avoiding the stern discipline of true discipleship.

The Warnings of the Apostles

The repeated warnings of the Apostles of Christ prevent our attempting to balance the necessity for righteous behavior with frequent appeals to God's grace.

For if ye live in the appetites of the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify [put to death] the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Romans 8:13)

If the believer in the Lord Jesus, having been baptized in water, having been filled with the Spirit of the Lord, then chooses to walk in the appetites and lusts of his physical body, he will die spiritually. He will prevent his own resurrection to eternal life in the Day of the Lord.

One might say, yes, but there is always the Lord's mercy and grace. This is what Satan always whispers: "You shall not surely die."

The Divine edict has been pronounced by the Apostle Paul: If the believer chooses to continue satisfying the demands of his soul and body, living as an adamic creature, not experiencing moral transformation through the Life of Christ created in him, he will die spiritually. No amount of love, mercy, or grace will produce a different result. He will die spiritually. Attempts to soften Paul's warning serve only to blind us to the truth.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness [immorality], Idolatry, sorcery, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

The current teaching that these words do not apply to Christian people is so indefensible that we will not mention it further.

To be continued.