It took many years for me to finally see how all the
little things that I kept ignoring added up to a larger 
picture of deception and unhealthy dogma to say the
least. I think that I found out, burned out, and walked 
out!!

I think that I proved for myself that it is indeed
impossible to be saved by our own efforts and works, 
as the 2X2s encourage us to do. I tried to do everything 
just right, to follow all the rules, and never rock the
boat.  I did all of this in sincerity and with a great desire
to serve God in the way that I believed to be right. No 
one could have talked me out of my belief in "the way." 

So, I wasn't a troublesome "professing" person, but I
realized that this wasn't enough for salvation. I needed 
the grace and mercy of God. I needed the salvation that 
only Jesus could provide on the cross. 

Why is it that I never really heard this message, pure and
simple?  Salvation according to the 2X2s always came 
with a lot of strings attached. I know that faith without 
works is dead, but I think that the 2X2s preach that you'll 
be saved if you have works, which to them means going 
to their meetings and taking part and following all the rules,
while true works are a RESULT of our salvation by the 
grace of God. It was as if a great weight was lifted from 
my shoulders when I read that we cannot win salvation 
with works. What a thankfulness in my heart!! What joy! 
We want to serve God because we love Him, and because 
He first loved us, and saved us by His grace and love for us.

I have just begun to try to understand the Bible after 20 
years of the 2X2s!! That says it all. I am thankful for what 
He has shown us, and pray for courage to trust Him for the 
next step along the way.           With Love, Anna B.    11/99

Question:

How would you describe the Grace of God/how would you explain God's Grace to the friends?

Answer:

The absolutely free, unmerited and undeserved blessing and favour of God, not initiated by anything we have done, but by His goodness and love for us. This is perfectly illustrated in the free gift of salvation through the sacrifice of Christ, His atonement for our sins on the cross. 2/97

Answer:

Mercy is easy to understand: we don't get what we deserve.

Grace is just as easy to understand: we get what we don't deserve.

Now what can be more simpler than that?... 2/97

Answer:

As to the question: How would you describe the Grace of God/how would you explain God's Grace to the friends?

My preference would be to share with anyone, the term: "Gift of Grace" (Greek: Charisma), rather than the term "grace" (Greek: Charis).

"Grace" can apply to favorable regard, delight, or pleasure: of words, actions of a person, the thanksgiving on the part of a receiver, etc.

When I think of grace in relationship to a gift given, I think of the pleasure God has in having given mankind the Gift of eternal life.

He is Just, and has justified those who believe in Jesus. He has given believers all they need for eternal life with Him. He is the ultimate gift giver - He gave because He loves us, and it pleased Him. Eternal life is not a "payment for good deeds done." It is a free Gift from the One who created us. 2/97

GOD is love and He is the only one who can (and will) wash our sins ("failures", if you prefer!?) away through the blood of Jesus... by His GRACE through faith in Christ. 12/96

The word "grace" is used in the Bible to refer to all that God is free to do for mankind because of the Work that has ALREADY been performed for us by the LORD JESUS CHRIST ON THE CROSS. Grace means that man has received from God that which he has NOT EARNED or DESERVED. Nothing that we are, and nothing that we can DO, is enough to qualify us for anything that the Lord has to GIVE us. In fact, our works cause us to be arrogant in the presence of God, something He will not tolerate.

Salvation by the grace of God through faith in Jesus was to my remembrance never taught in the 33 years in this group. 12/96

You want to hear good things about the friends and the way? Go to a gospel meeting. Go to a Sunday morning meeting. Go to a "Bible" study. Go to a special meeting. Go to a convention meeting. Talk to a worker. Talk to an elder. Talk to a hearty "saint". But, and again, a very big BUT, do not, yes DO NOT, expect to hear a balanced oration about the good and the bad. DO NOT expect to hear about the love of God shown and given to us by His GRACE! 12/96

Jesus Christ did the doing for us on the cross by dying in our stead which is the free gift of our salvation by GRACE only.

I believe I have salvation by the grace of God through faith in the finished work of Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

Your behavior has nothing to do with God’s acceptance of you. If you are trying to please God by being good enough you will find defeat and frustration. Once you trust God’s GRACE to transform you, you will have peace.

The workers definitely don’t view GRACE as a real gift but rather something that man must qualify for.

Grace is God giving to YOU something that you CANNOT obtain on your own. Grace is God’s acceptance of you even though you do not deserve it and are not worthy of it.

Since the "ex-movement" is now in full swing some workers have been preaching about GRACE. This is commendable but do they really understand it and, if so, do they ACCEPT it?

If they begin to explain it correctly they will find that the friends will realize that all their unwritten rule-following has been for not! Grace rids us of legalism which is rampant in the fellowship.

When one accepts God’s free gift of grace, through Christ’s sacrifice, one is not obligated to do "works." Works (or legalism) can be many things. All of the "have-tos" are of works. Having to attend church, having to avoid certain activities like dancing or TV, having to dress according to a standard code and for women, having long hair, etc. These are all WORKS. These things do not gain us entrance to heaven!

One worker said "Well, they say we don’t have to do works but I’ve never heard of a job yet that doesn’t require a bit of work!"

Where does this worker err?

He is not understanding that CHRIST has DONE the JOB. The job/work He did was the dying for our sins on the cross. Jesus took all of our sins UPON HIMSELF. This was His gift to us and God provided Christ’s sacrifice by GRACE and what is required of us is that we believe, by FAITH, that Christ HAS taken away our sin.

To work for something (by keeping standards) that has been provided freely for us is NOT part of what God wants. Our acceptance of God’s GRACE, however, makes us WANT to reach out to others and do all we can to be pleasing to God. Our actions in this regard are NOT for the purpose of being accepted by Him but to show Him our gratitude for what He has ALREADY done for us.

Christ said it Himself as He hung on the cross: "It is finished."

EPH 2:8,9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." 2/97

Grace is awesome and absolutely essential that we understand so that we can fully comprehend and appreciate Christ’s death on the cross for our salvation. 2/97

I did not understand God's gift of GRACE until I read Charles Swindoll’s book THE GRACE AWAKENING. 2/97