Receive Not the Grace of God in Vain

For as by one man's disobedience
many were made sinners,
so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Moreover the law entered,
that the offence might abound.
But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
That as sin hath reigned unto death,
even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life
by Jesus Christ our Lord.
KJV Romans 5:19-21

​As boundless grace is given to every one in order that it shall reign in him against all the power of sin, as certainly as ever sin reigned and in order that sin shall not have dominion, then if sin still reigns in anyone, if sin yet has dominion over anyone, where lies the fault? Clearly, it lies only in this, that he will not allow the grace to do for him and in him that which it is given to do. By unbelief he frustrates the grace of God. So far as he is concerned, the grace has been given in vain.

But every believer, by his very profession, says that he has received the grace of God. Then if in the believer grace does not reign instead of sin, if grace does not have dominion instead of sin, it is plain enough that he is receiving the grace of God in vain. If grace is not bringing the believer onward toward a perfect man in the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, then he is receiving the grace of God in vain. Therefore the exhortation of the Scripture is, "We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain." 2 Cor. 6:1. 

The grace of God is fully able to accomplish that for which it is given, if only it is allowed to work. We have seen that grace being altogether from God, the power of grace is nothing but the power of God. It is plain enough therefore that the power of God is abundantly able to accomplish all for which it is given - the salvation of the soul, deliverance from sin and from the power of it, the reign of righteousness in the life, and the perfecting of the believer unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ - if only it can have place in the heart and in the life to work according to the will of God. But the power of God is "unto salvation to every one that believeth." Unbelief frustrates the grace of god. Many believe and receive the grace of God for the salvation from sins that are past but are content with that and do not give it the same place in the soul to reign against the power of sin, that they did to save from sins of the past. This, too, is but another phase of unbelief. So as to the one great final object of grace - the perfection of the life in the likeness of Christ - they do practically receive the grace of God in vain.

Excerpt: 'Receive Not the Grace of God in Vain' by A.T. Jones; Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Sept. 22, 1896 

Resource: 'Lessons on Faith' - A.T. Jones & E.J. Waggoner; pg. 85-88  (pdf & audio)