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What Does It Mean to Be "Saved By Grace"?

The concept of salvation by God’s grace is one that is greatly emphasized in the preaching, teaching, and singing that regularly occurs in Baptist churches. A favorite Bible verse of many Baptist church members is Ephesians 2:8, which reads as follows: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” Fanny J. Crosby’s famous hymn, Saved By Grace, is a favorite of many Baptist people. Baptists preach, teach, and sing about being saved by grace, but some Baptists, at least, do not seem to fully appreciate just what it means to be saved by God’s grace.

To be saved by God’s grace means much more than simply to be saved apart from works or to be saved by receiving the gift of eternal life. To be saved by God’s grace means also to have been unconditionally chosen to salvation by God the Father in eternity past (Eph. 1:4-5,11; II Thes. 2:13; II Tim. 1:9) and designated at that time as one of Christ’s sheep for whom He would shed His blood and die (Jn. 6:37; 10:11,14-16,26-29; 17:2,6,9,24). It means to have been ordained to eternal life by God the Father in eternity past (Acts 13:48) and to have had one’s name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8; 17:8). It means to have been regenerated solely by the will of God (Jn. 1:12-13; Rom. 9:16; Jas. 1:18) and effectually drawn to the Lord Jesus Christ in repentance and faith (Jn. 6:44,65). It means to have received even repentance and faith as gifts from God (Acts 5:31; 11:18; 18:27; Rom. 10:17; 12:3; Gal. 5:22).

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