Marty Cauley

The Race of Grace Marty Cauley

"The Race of Grace" contains brief chapters that introduce topics developed more in depth by other books by the author. The opening chapters contrast Paul's discussion of his own successful running of the race of grace with that of the Galatian believers who had run well initially but then fallen from grace subsequently. The author ties this race analogy in with his own discussion of these themes as found in his other books, particularly "Breaking the Rocking Horse," "Sealed and Secure," and "Fallen from Grace but Not from Perfection." Like the author's other introductory books, this release uses proveitists as a coined term to describe the opposing theology of those who allege that the way professing believers live proves whether or not they are saved. The purpose of this book is to provide unconditional security as an alternative to proveitism. Forfeitist is the coined term used to describe those conditional securitists who maintain that some believers actually lose the free gift of eternal life if they are unfaithful or cease to believe. This form of conditional security in particular is countered by a survey of the principle arguments used in "Sealed and Secure," and "Fallen from Grace but Not from Perfection." However, "The Race of Grace" has an additional chapter to augment that discussion by delving into the biblical affirmation of believers as being given to Jesus. The principle texts used developed in "The Race of Grace" in relation to believers being given are Jn 6:37-40 and Jn 10:27-29. Believers are given permanently by the Father to Jesus. Additionally, believers are given eternal life permanently. The supposition that believers must continue to believe (much less perform righteously) in order to remain secure is nullified by a thoughtful examination of these texts. Even if following the Lord in Jn 10:27 is supposed to represent linear contingency, it nonetheless is shown to be compatible with unconditional security. Indeed, four plausible ways of harmonizing Jn 10:27 with Jn 10:28-29 are considered. An appendix discusses the role of public confession and water baptism in the believer's role of running the race of grace. These two matters are required for salvation from disqualification pertaining to rewards rather than for salvation from eternal damnation in hell. The primary benefit of this book is to encourage a biblically accurate understanding of unconditional security as an alternative to the ever popular works righteousness of proveitism and forfeitism. The legitimate biblical concern pertaining to believers running and wining the race of grace should not be misconstrued so as to bring their security from hell into question.