by Rick Combs
The phrase “according to” occurs 174 times in 67 verses in the Pauline Epistles – KJB. This is an important topic. The entire Bible records this phrase 1,796 times in 670 verses. It would be interesting for you to do a study on this. The result would be very interesting.
This teaches us that what we believe in the Bible is not random. For instance, salvation in the Old Testament was “according to” something such as what made Noah, Abraham, and the children of Israel righteous. In the gospels, God offered Eternal Life according to something. It is important to examine what those “according to(s)” are. Without being too dramatic, our salvation and eternal state depends on it.
Regarding our salvation in the day and dispensation we live in, it is according to something. The Apostle Paul tells us that the preaching of the Cross is the power of salvation.
Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”
It is the cross that saves us because it directly deals with our sin which separates us from God. It is the ONLY way.
Galatians 1:3-4 “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.”
The Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself for our sins that we might be delivered from this present evil world. This will occur when the Lord Himself descends from Heaven with “a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God” and gathers the body of Christ unto Himself (1 Thessalonians 4:16). This is in accordance with the will of God and our Father.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 gives specific details. The Gospel that saves is that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose the third day. That is what you need to trust in. Put all of your spiritual eggs in that basket of truth. No other options!
3 “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”
This great gospel of salvation is a sure thing and true because it is established according to the scriptures. Christ’s death and resurrection was prophesied in Isaiah 53:8-9, Psalms 16:10, and the prophet Jonah. Hosea 6:2 also declares that He would rise on the third day.
Ephesians 1:7-9 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself.”
Redemption and the forgiveness of sins is through his blood. Only that! There is no other way of salvation. It is according to the riches of His grace. Not the system of the law, but the system of grace. This means it is absolutely free. Within this grace system, God has abounded toward us in all wisdom and the ability to discipline ourselves with reason and common sense (prudence).
The entirety of the mystery of God’s will and His eternal plan is made known to the body of Christ because it gives Him good pleasure to do so. This was His purpose for us all along from before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).
A common complaint goes something like this; “But I was never taught this at my church and Sunday School growing up.” Unfortunately, most of us were taught things in church that were incomplete or downright wrong. The challenge from the preacher to “check out what I say in the Bible” generally falls on deaf ears. We take his word for it without ever doing any research.
May we be those who like the Bereans in Acts 17:11. They “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
Grace and peace unto you!
Amen