Three Workings of Grace

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:29-30)

The mission that Christ Jesus gave the church is to make disciples of Jesus. We welcome disciples in fellowship through baptism, and teach disciples to obey all that Jesus has commanded. (Matthew 28:18-20) Jesus shares His divine authority with the church to carry out this mission of reaching the whole world with the good news of God's coming reign. Jesus promises to be with His church always as we go about making disciples.

It's important to remember that we really cannot make disciples ourselves. It is the work of God to change hearts and minds, Our task is to create an environment where growth in Christ is most likely to occur. Let's look at what God does through grace to make disciples of Jesus.

God is always working on us, in us, and through us. John Wesley, founder of Methodism, named three workings of grace in the way of salvation. 

First God works on our hearts before we have any faith or trust in him at all. From the moment God wills us into existence He begins calling us to Himself. In a sense God is courting us, offering us a loving relationship. We may be ignorant of what God is doing. Only later, once our spiritual eyes are opened can we look back and see God's hand at work in our lives.

The apostles often told the church that God chose us, the church, before the foundations of the world. (Ephesians 1:4) God predestined us. This act of love is what Wesley called prevenient grace.

From the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church:

Wesley understood grace as God’s active presence in our lives. This presence is not dependent on human actions or human response. It is a gift — a gift that is always available, but that can be refused.

God’s grace stirs up within us a desire to know God and empowers us to respond to God’s invitation to be in relationship with God. God’s grace enables us to discern differences between good and evil and makes it possible for us to choose good….

God takes the initiative in relating to humanity. We do not have to beg and plead for God’s love and grace. God actively seeks us!1

Prevenient grace is God working on us to come to Him in love and faith. Some have described prevenient grace as the front porch to our hearts. God waits on the porch and calls to us inside.

The next working of grace is justifying. It is that work of God that gives us faith in the gospel. Justifying grace brings us to conviction that we are helpless sinners, estranged from God, and in need of a Savior. Justifying grace brings us to trust the good news that God so loves us that He gave His only Son, so that when we believe we will not die from our sins, but will gain everlasting life.

From the Book of Discipline:

Paul wrote to the church in Corinth: “In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19). And in his letter to the Roman Christians, Paul wrote: “But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

These verses demonstrate the justifying grace of God. They point to reconciliation, pardon, and restoration. Through the work of God in Christ our sins are forgiven, and our relationship with God is restored. According to John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, the image of God — which has been distorted by sin — is renewed within us through Christ’s death.

Again, this dimension of God’s grace is a gift. God’s grace alone brings us into relationship with God. There are no hoops through which we have to jump in order to please God and to be loved by God. God has acted in Jesus Christ. We need only to respond in faith.1

Justifying Grace is God working in us to come to faith in Christ and thereby be restored to a right relationship with God. Some have described justifying grace to be the door to our hearts. God stands in the doorway which we have opened to Him through faith in Christ. God's love helped us open the door of our hearts to Him.

The third working of grace is sanctifying. Sanctifying grace is that work of God that makes us more and more like Jesus. We grow in the love of Christ. We grow in our love for God and in our love for others. By the assistance of grace we grow in our ability to love and serve others in remarkable ways, just as Jesus did. 

From the Book of Discipline:

Salvation is not a static, one-time event in our lives. It is the ongoing experience of God’s gracious presence transforming us into whom God intends us to be. John Wesley described this dimension of God’s grace as sanctification, or holiness.1

Through God’s sanctifying grace, we grow and mature in our ability to live as Jesus lived. As we pray, study the Scriptures, fast, worship, and share in fellowship with other Christians, we deepen our knowledge of and love for God. As we respond with compassion to human need and work for justice in our communities, we strengthen our capacity to love neighbor. Our inner thoughts and motives, as well as our outer actions and behavior, are aligned with God’s will and testify to our union with God. 1

We’re to press on, with God’s help, in the path of sanctification toward perfection. By perfection, Wesley did not mean that we would not make mistakes or have weaknesses. Rather, he understood it to be a continual process of being made perfect in our love of God and each other and of removing our desire to sin.3

Sanctifying grace is that work of God that is transforming us inside and out. God is working through us as we express our faith through acts of love in worship and service, devotion, and charity. Some have called sanctifying grace the living room. We have heard God's call from the front porch. His love gave us ears to hear and a heart moved to open up the door. Now we have invited God in and He begins to make improvements immediately so that our lives are a holy dwelling for Him. By the Lord Jesus living in unity with us, He lives through us. We become love incarnate.

Paul said God predestined us. (Romans 8:29-30) Those God predestined He also called. (Prevenient Grace) Those He called He justified. (Justifying Grace) Those He justified, he also glorified. (Sanctifying grace)

Our journey toward becoming followers of Jesus is one assisted by the power of God all along the way. Every disciple-making process must fully rely on God. Disciple-making churches get serious about prayer, for we can do nothing apart from Jesus. We can do nothing to form disciples without the grace of our God.

That is why the practice of holy habits that access grace is fundamental to disciple-making. We must employ the means of grace in disciple-making. We must teach prayer, bible study and the meaning of sacraments. We must give opportunity to serve others, to give avenues for faith to be expressed through love.  We must teach the ideals of stewardship. And we must encourage one another inward and upward, even as we reach outward to love others.

Tomorrow, let's talk about some of the steps in disciple-making that move God from the porch, through the door, and fully into our lives as Lord.