…no according to Sinclair Ferguson. Read this wonderfully Christ centered and Christ exalting quote:
“The union with Christ we have is not that we somehow share His grace. Because–follow me carefully–there actually is no ‘thing’ as grace. That actually is a Medieval Roman Catholic teaching, that there is a ‘thing’ called grace that can be separated from the person of Jesus Christ, something Jesus Christ won on the Cross, something He can bestow on you, and there are at least seven ways it can be bestowed on you and they all, as it happens, turn out to be in the hands of the church. And you can have this kind of grace, and this kind of grace, and this kind of grace …
There is no such ‘thing’ as grace! Grace is not some appendage to His being. Nor is it some substance that flows from us: ‘Let me give you grace.’ All there is is the Lord Jesus Himself. And so when Jesus speaks about us abiding in Him and He abiding in us–however mysterious it may be, mystical in that sense–it is a personal union. Do not let us fail to understand that, at the end of the day, actually Christianity is Christ because there isn’t anything else; there is no atonement that somehow can be detached from who the Lord Jesus is; there is no grace that can be attached to you transferred from Him. All there is is Christ and your soul.”
I tip my hat to Tony Reinke for posting this quote and for sharing his experience of hearing Ferguson preach this sermon.
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Tagged as // Grace, Sinclair Ferguson, Union with Christ
Filed in // Quotes
Comments [6]
Amen and amen! And faith isn’t a force, either. False teachers love to twist biblical Truths to appeal to the flesh, and who doesn’t want to claim in his sinful heart that he saved himself? Faith only saves when it is from God towards Christ, by te grace He gives us, daily, to save and sustain us until He comes for His people.All honor and glory and power and praise by unto the Lamb of God!
love this thought. thanks for sharing.
Sinclair Ferguson: Spot-on, yet again!
I must admit to feeling a little caution reading this post. I appreciate the call to “follow” the description of the position “carefully” but I am wondering if the language used isn’t too provocative.I agree that grace shouldn’t be viewed as some kind of “treasure chest” merited by Christ and the “virgin Mary” and the “saints” which can be dispersed to mankind by popish tradition.At the same time, grace is a reality. We speak of grace as an attribute of God and of the means of that grace which He has appointed – being the word, sacraments (baptism and the Lord’s Supper), prayer and fellowship. Because of God’s grace (a reality), we are saved.When we speak of the means of grace, I believe we are talking about the “channels” (so to speak) God has appointed to convey the “benefits” of His grace. The benefits are worthy of discussion, but nevertheless they are not “grace” itself but the product of God’s grace.I think this is the argument that is being made, but the headline claim (“there is no such thing as grace”) may be too sensational, and therefore, unnecessarily distracting and open to dispute.I thank God that He is gracious and kind and am grieved that I all too often live carelessly before that grace He has shown me (http://www.apuritansmind.com/ChristianWalk/McMahonLivingCarelessly.htm)Cheers,Matt
Matt: Interesting and good point. It is not helpful to be unnecessarily sensational. Ferguson’s comments are sensational to a degree, but may not be that sensational in the context of the sermon it was preached (I don’t know as I’ve not heard it).Question: The Lord’s Table is a means of grace. Agreed. Though, do we feed upon grace at the Lord’s Table or do we feed upon Christ? Secondly, does a distinction need to be made?Q. 168. What is the Lord’s supper?A. The Lord’s supper is a sacrament of the New Testament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine according to the appointment of Jesus Christ, his death is showed forth; and they that worthily communicate feed upon his body and blood, to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace; have their union and communion with him confirmed; testify and renew their thankfulness, and engagement to God, and their mutual love and fellowship each with other, as members of the same mystical body.Q. 169. How hath Christ appointed bread and wine to be given and received in the sacrament of the Lord’s supper?A. Christ hath appointed the ministers of his word, in the administration of this sacrament of the Lord’s supper, to set apart the bread and wine from common use, by the word of institution, thanksgiving, and prayer; to take and break the bread, and to give both the bread and the wine to the communicants: who are, by the same appointment, to take and eat the bread, and to drink the wine, in thankful remembrance that the body of Christ was broken and given, and his blood shed, for them.Thanks for the comments. It is helpful to not swing too far in the opposite direction simply to make a point. Hopeful Ferguson hasn’t done this; but I do know reading his quote helped focus my attention on Jesus Christ.
@ Nathan said:Question: The Lord’s Table is a means of grace. Agreed. Though, do we feed upon grace at the Lord’s Table or do we feed upon Christ? Secondly, does a distinction need to be made?By God’s grace we feed upon Christ – that is the benefit conferred. Likewise When Paul speaks about feeding the believers the “food” of God’s word I think it is the same principle. As John said, the Word was God (John 1). When we hear God’s word preached and read we are feeding upon Christ. Another good reminder for those who dare to step into the pulpit that unless they preach Christ and Him crucified in the whole counsel of God and not preach “themselves” they will undoubtedly starve their hearers, no matter how temporarily entertaining and emotionally fulfilling their performance may be.I’ve certainly appreciated contemplating on the intent of the quote and though I am still concerned the headline claim may be a little sensational (perhaps not unduly though) I likewise have appreciated my attention being focused on the Lord Jesus.Also, for those who have a responsibility to pray corporately it’s important to make distinctions like this and not allow a lazy use of words to form the kind of thinking this quote is trying to correct in the first place.Thanks for sharing it with us.Matt