A Biblical Case For Free Grace Theology

In this article, I will be examining the clearest and most explicit affirmations of Free Grace Theology from the Bible. Free Grace Theology asserts that salvation is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8), given freely through faith in Jesus Christ. This is a gift from God which cannot be lost, and our good works do not determine if we get to heaven or not. However, God can still discipline unrighteous Christians in this life and our good works affect our degree of eternal rewards.

In this blog, I will explore key biblical passages that uncover how Scripture consistently upholds the notion of grace as truly free and irrevocable.

Revelation 22:17

17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

The references to thrist and the water are obviously metaphorical for God's grace. But of specific focus is the word "freely" (δωρεάν). In both English and Greek, the word specifically refers to something without merit or payment. It is described thus that we can partake in salvation without any cost on our part. We do not need to give our good works as payment for salvation to God, but God gives his grace to us freely through just faith.

The Gospel of John

The Gospel of John has a very strong emphasis on the doctrine of eternal security, and affirms eternal security in multiple passages, such as:

John 5:24

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

John 6:37

37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

John 6:39

39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

John 10:28

28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

John 11:25-26

25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Matthew 5:19

19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:19 explicitly shows that works are not a part of our salvation. In this passage, Jesus concretely tells us what happens to someone who has believed but breaks his commandments. That person who has believed but breaks the commandments of God will be least in the kingdom (have the lowest rank), but he will still be in the kingdom of God, and cannot enter hell. This passage clearly thus shows that works do not get us to heaven, since Jesus is here explicitly affirming that a person who breaks the commandments will get into heaven. Although they will be the lowest there.

1 Corinthians 3:14-15

14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire

This verse is of particular interest, since we have much evidence that there was a large Free Grace movement within the very early church (as seen from the writings of Augustine) which centered their arguments from this passage. These verses build a contrast between the Christian whose works are righteous, done through Christ with a good motivation (who will get eternal rewards) and the Christian who has lived an unrighteous life but has believed on Christ (who will lose eternal rewards, but will still enter heaven).

It is very noteworthy that the passage explicitly clarifies that even the one whose work is burned (referring to living unrighteously) is still said to be saved, as the passage reads "but he himself shall be saved". Although the Christian who failed his Christian life is still saved, he will experience loss of reward. 

This verse simply does not make sense if works are needed to enter heaven. Within the Reformed perseverance of the saints doctrine there could be no carnally living Christians in heaven, since they believe that every Christian will live righteous to the end (as they believe in determinism, and deny that free will exists), and within the Arminian system one must remain in good works to retain their salvation. There simply is not the possibility of one's works being burned up in those systems as this verse says. 

This passage simply does not make sense without Free Grace theology. The judgement is simply pointless if the Reformed or Arminian person is correct.

2 Timothy 2:13

13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

This is a very short but impactful verse. It uses the first person plural pronoun "we", if we believe not, thus Paul is speaking to Christians who already are Christians and have once believed in God. If they someday stop believing, God will abide faithful. The next words "he cannot deny himself" expounds upon these words. For God to throw a person who has been sealed with the Holy Ghost (Ephesians 1:13-14) would be to go against his own word, which is contrary to his own nature.

1 Corinthians 3:1-3

3 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

This is a very strong point for Free Grace theology. Note how Paul describes these individuals as carnal and unspiritual, they are full of envy, strife and division. But Paul still calls them "brethren" (which is a term exclusively reserved for those who are saved). Despite all their carnality and bad living, Paul still calls them "brethren". Later in the book of Corinthians, it shows that God did discipline them with earthly punishments for their wicked deeds (1 Corinthians 11:30), but they were still not going to hell. Although we can experience earthly judgement for bad deeds, the Bible shows that we are still sons of God if we have once received grace.

King Saul (1 Samuel 28:19)

19 Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.

King Saul is a strong Old Testament example of eternal security. King Saul started as a righteous man who obeyed God with his heart, however he later began to be influenced by evil spirits. His unrighteous living lead him to be disciplined by God, and his life ended prematurely. However, despite this, it is said in 1 Samuel 28:19 that he would be in paradise with his sons. 
Some may argue that the "with me" is generally referencing the realm of the dead and not paradise, however his sons were clearly saved and righteous, and the the text implies that they would be in the exact same place. Thus, this verse shows that Saul did not lose his salvation for his bad works and is now in heaven, although he did have to endure strong discipline and a loss of eternal reward.

Ezekiel 44:10-16

This is a longer passage, and often neglected. However, this is an explicit affirmation of eternal security in the Old Testament. The context of Ezekiel 44:10-16 is that of the millennial reign, as the whole of the end of Ezekiel deals with that. 

The passage is important because it shows that even the unrighteous Levites who abandoned God were still let into the millennium (thus they did not lose their salvation and did not enter hell), although they lost their reward. Ezekiel 44:10-11 describes this judgement on the unrighteous Levites. Although these Levites were saved and are going to spend eternity with Jesus, they lost their right to minister in the temple, and have to have lesser roles. 

This passage is very important, because it shows that even the apostate Levites were not thrown into hell by God. Although our eternal rewards are affected by our works, God will not throw anyone who believes into hell. Even these Levites who lived carnally and abadoned God were not sent into hell. And although the righteous Levites described in verses 15-16 gained more rewards than the unrighteous Levites by being able to minister in the temple, both groups are going to spend eternity with Jesus.

Here is the passage of Ezekiel from the King James Version:

10 And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; they shall even bear their iniquity.

11 Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having charge at the gates of the house, and ministering to the house: they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them.

12 Because they ministered unto them before their idols, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity; therefore have I lifted up mine hand against them, saith the Lord God, and they shall bear their iniquity.

13 And they shall not come near unto me, to do the office of a priest unto me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, in the most holy place: but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed.

14 But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein.

15 But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord God:

16 They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge.