Grace Flows Down
God's sovereign grace is a free, sure, and unconditional love that flows down to us, undeserved and unchanging.
Alexander Whyte preaches on the concept of being under grace rather than under the law, emphasizing that grace is an expression of God's love that flows down to us unconditionally, freely, and eternally. He explains that grace is God's sovereign love adapting to our unworthiness and misery, always remaining sure and unchanging, not dependent on our works or merit but solely on faith. Whyte highlights that grace is the ultimate demonstration of God's condescension towards us, offering a promise that is secure for all who believe.
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"Ye are not under the law, but under grace"
(Rom. 6:14).
And then, what is grace? Grace is love. But grace is not love simply, and purely, and alone. Grace and love are, in their innermost essence, one and the same thing. Only, grace is love adapting itself to certain special circumstances. As, for instance, love may exist between equals, or it may rise to those who are above it, or it may flow down to those who are beneath it. But grace has only one direction that it can take. Grace always flows down. And thus it is that sovereigns are said to be gracious to their subjects. But though a subject may loyally and truly and devotedly love his sovereign, yet the most loving of subjects is never said to be gracious to his sovereign. Because grace always flows down. Now, among many other relations that God holds to us, He is our Sovereign, and therefore His love to us is always called His sovereign grace. It is called mercy also, because we are in misery on account of our sin. But it is called grace above all, because we are not only in an estate of sin and misery, but because we are so infinitely beneath God, and are in that and in every other way so utterly unworthy of His love. And thus it is that with its infinite condescension toward us, grace has the most absolute freeness in all its outgoings and down-flowings also. And as grace is free, so is it sure. Nothing can change, or alter, or turn away sovereign grace. And, with all that, it is unconditional. That is to say as no merit of mortal man ever drew down on him the grace of God, so no demerit and no ill-desert of any man on whom it has once rested, will ever cause that grace to be withdrawn. It is not of works, lest any man should boast. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed. If by grace, then it is no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace. Grace, then, is grace,--that is to say, it is sovereign, it is free, it is sure, it is unconditional, and it is everlasting.
Sermon Outline
- I. What is Grace?
- A. Grace is love adapting itself to special circumstances
- B. Grace flows down, never up
- II. God's Relationship to Us
- A. God is our Sovereign
- B. His love to us is called sovereign grace
- III. The Nature of Sovereign Grace
- A. It is free
- B. It is sure
- C. It is unconditional
- D. It is everlasting
Key Quotes
“Grace always flows down.” — Alexander Whyte
“Grace is free, so is it sure.” — Alexander Whyte
“It is not of works, lest any man should boast.” — Alexander Whyte
Application Points
- We should recognize and receive God's sovereign grace with humility and gratitude.
- We should not try to earn God's grace through our works, but rather trust in His promise to give it to us through faith.
- We should rest in the security of God's unconditional love and know that it will not be withdrawn from us.