Frustrating God’s Grace
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” (Galatians 2:20-21)
Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” We have all sinned in our deeds, words, and even thoughts. Sin has separated us from God. “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God,” (Isaiah 59:2) Sin has also condemned us to hell: “For the wages of sin is death;” (Romans 6:23) “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” (Revelation 20:14)
God does not want people to be in hell: “The Lord is…not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) That is why Jesus, God the Son, came to earth: to die for our sins, be buried, rise again, and be our Saviour: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
Jesus’ death paid for our sins: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities:” “…the LORD (God the Father) hath laid on him (God the Son, Jesus) the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5, 6) “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree,” (1 Peter 2:24) Jesus was buried. On the third day He rose again, victorious over sin and death: “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” (Revelation 1:18)
When a sinner receives Jesus as personal Saviour, the Lord forgives him and gives him eternal life. The Lord also lives inside, which is why Paul said, “…I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:” Jesus does all this by His grace, not any merit on the sinner’s part. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.“
Paul also said, “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” Before his conversion, Paul was a zealous Jew. Yet he learned that if righteousness could be obtained by keeping religious laws, then Jesus’ death for sins was a waste: “…Christ is dead in vain.”
No doubt many people make the same mistake. They may go to church and believe the Bible is God’s word. They may believe Jesus is God the Son and died for their sins. They may celebrate Christmas and Easter. They may mean well. Yet if people think works can atone for sins, they are not trusting God. They are literally frustrating His grace. In a sense, they are saying, “I don’t believe God’s word where it says Jesus’ death paid for all my sins.” Nothing else can atone for sins. Only Jesus’ death can atone for sins.
As one saying goes, people may miss heaven by eighteen inches. They may know about Jesus in their heads, but not believe on Him in their hearts. To believe on Jesus as Saviour is not just to agree there was a Jesus or that He was God the Son and died for your sins. It means to stop trusting your church, baptism, works, or anything else to get you to heaven. Jesus died for your sins to get you to heaven. It means you invite the risen Saviour into your heart and life, trusting entirely in Him to forgive and save you.
To learn more about receiving Jesus as your personal Saviour and His gift of eternal life, please go to www.clevelandbaptist.org, click “Helpful Links,” then “How Do I Go to Heaven?”
Brian Miller 4/1/2026
Cleveland Baptist Church 4431 Tiedeman Road, Brooklyn, Ohio 44144 216/671-2822