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Crowning Grace with More Grace
The Scripture says, "But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.†(James 4:7)
Question: God gives grace to humble people. How is this not grace given for the human merit (or work) of humility, which would be the very opposite of grace (unmerited favor)?
Answer: God works to will and to do of His own good pleasure, graciously bestowing upon His people all that He requires of them, even instilling humility in them, so that the humility He gives is not a work of merit undertaken by the recipient, but God's work of grace in the heart of His elect people, which He then crowns with the reward of more grace. - JS
Comments
I must respectfully disagree
God knows the heart of man and therefore cannot be fooled by false humility. When a person is truly humble, then God bestows grace on them. In fact, it is not that God will not give grace to the proud, but in fact, they are too proud to receive it. Since He does not go against our freewill, He does not force His gift upon the proud.
Posted by: Maegan | September 5, 2010 10:29 PM
I hope we shall catch fire from each other, and that there will be a holy emulation amongst us, who shall most debase man and exalt the Lord Jesus. Nothing but the doctines of the Reformation can do this. All others leave freewill in man and make him, in part at least, a Saviour to himself. My soul, come not thou near the secret of those who teach such things . . . I know Christ is all in all. Man is nothing: he hath a free will to go to hell, but none to go to heaven, till God worketh in him to do of His good pleasure. - George Whitefield, Works, pp. 89-90
Posted by: John S | September 5, 2010 11:02 PM