To offer and convey to men the merits which Christ has secured for the world by His death on the cross, God employs certain visible means, through which the Holy Spirit works and preserves faith and accomplishes the sinner's salvation.

1. What are the means of grace?

 "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the Word of reconciliation." - 2 Corinthians 5, 19.

 The first and foremost means of grace, God's Word of reconciliation, is the Holy Bible.

 "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2, 38.

 "He took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is My body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of Me.  Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you." - Saint Luke 22, 19- 20.

 Since God has connected His gracious promise of forgiveness with the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, these also are true and effective means of grace, because of God's promises attached to them.

2. What is the two-fold function of the means of grace?

 First of all, the means of grace pledge, offer and confer God's grace and Christ's righteousness.

 Second, the means of grace have an effective, operative power, which actually works, strengthens and preserves in the heart of man a living faith in the gracious forgiveness of their sins.

3. Is the printed and written Word alone effective?

 "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature!  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." - Saint Mark 16, 15-16.

 "These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name." - Saint John 20, 31.

 "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained." - Saint John 20, 23.

 "The Word is nigh thee, even in they mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the Wo9rd of faith, which we preach." - Romans 10, 8.

 The Gospel is a true means of grace in every form in which it is presented to the sinner, whether preached publicly, or read, or directly pronounced in absolution, or considered in the heart.  No matter how the Gospel is brought before the minds of men, it is always the true means of grace, offering and conferring the grace of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

4. Is there any difference between the grace conferred in the Gospel, and that given in Baptism or the Lord's Supper?

 The same grace is offered and conveyed by each of these means.  The whole grace of God is offered and conferred by anyone of them.  By whatever means God offers grace to men, He always grants His entire grace, and not merely a part of it.

5. What is a Sacrament?

 A Sacrament is a sacred act (a) instituted by God Himself; (b) in which there are certain visible means connected with His Word and (c) by which God offers, gives and seals to us the forgiveness of sins which Christ has earned for us.

6. How many Sacraments are there?

 There are only two such Sacraments, Baptism and the Lord's Supper.

7. What is the importance of the means of grace?

 Scripture itself stresses the doctrine of the means of grace as being of fundamental importance.

 First, it teaches that conversion occurs solely through the means of grace, the Word and the Sacraments.

 "We are born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." - 1 Saint Peter 1, 23.

 "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2, 38.

 Second, it declares definitely that all who reject the means of grace will forfeit salvation.

 "The Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him." - Saint Luke 7, 30.

 Third, the Bible shows clearly that contempt for the means of grace is not simply a little sin, but rebellion against His mercy which He punishes with eternal damnation.

 "The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." - 1 Corinthians 1, 18.

8. Did believers in the Old Testament have any means of grace?

 "To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins." - Acts 10, 43.

 The gracious message of the forgiveness of sins through faith in the promised Redeemer was the divine means of grace also during the whole of the Old Testament.

 As the Gospel of Christ, so also the rite of circumcision was a means of grace, conveying forgiveness of sins.  The sacrifices, too, inasmuch as they prefigured Christ, assured the Old Testament believers of God's forgiveness.  Recall also the Passover.

 "He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they are not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also." - Romans 4, 11.

9. Is prayer also one of the means of grace?

 Prayer is not to be regarded as one of the means of grace.  The Word of the Sacraments are the means by which God deals with us, while prayer is the means by which the believer deals with God., Prayer, properly, is a fruit of Christian faith and not the means by which faith is created.

 Test Paper - Lesson 18

1. What is the purpose of the means of grace? ...............................................................................
......................................................................................................................................................

2. Which are the three means of grace?
a. ..................................................................................................................................................
b. ..................................................................................................................................................
c. ..................................................................................................................................................

3. What are the two functions of the means of grace?
a. ..................................................................................................................................................
b. ..................................................................................................................................................

4. Is the following statement true or false: The Word of God has heavenly power whether in printed form, in written form, in spoken form. ...........................................................................

5. In your own words please tell what a Sacrament is ....................................................................
......................................................................................................................................................

6. Complete the following Bible passage: "Repent, and be baptized everyone of you......................
.......................................................................,............................................................................"
Acts 2, 38.

7. What were the means of grace in Old Testament days?
a. ..................................................................................................................................................
b. ..................................................................................................................................................

8. Is prayer also a means of grace? ..................................................

9. Complete the following Bible passage: "God was in Christ, reconciling ....................................,
............................................................................................................................; ........................
.................................................................................." - 2 Corinthians 5, 19.

10. Have you been baptized? ..........................................................

Make every effort to fill in the answers from memory.  If you are not sure of certain answers, you may look them up in the lesson.  Your paper will be graded according to the following standard: 10 correct: perfect; 9 correct: excellent; 8 correct: very good; 7 correct: good.