Pieper, 1968.2. Chapter 2, "The Concept of Saving Grace"

Chapter 2, “The Concept of Saving Grace”

What is saving grace? The concept of saving grace is that care for sinful man which chooses to forgive them. The declaration of the Gospel is grace. It is God’s free favor on account of Christ. The purpose of grace is to save people.

This may be a confusing term because we use the term “grace” to refer to something huyman as well. Yet in reference to salvation, grace is not something infused into us or something we are able to pass on. We may benefit from God’s grace but we never possess it.

Pieper discusses the idea that this infused grace of God never leads to salvation. Salvation is only because of God’s favor, not because of something he places into us. Any other view ultimately leads to salvation by works. Yet when we seek to have salvation on account of anything in ourselves, Galatians 5:4 says we have fallen from grace.

Pieper further says that the Calvinist refusal of universal grace means they must base salvation on infused grace. This ultimately leads to a reliance on something in man rather than trusting entirely to Christ on our behalf. A similar problem exists for Arminians and for any sort of synergist.