Dispensational Theology-Part 6
| By: Dr. Renald Showers; ©2001 |
| The sixth dispensation—the dispensation of grace. Necessary because mankind was unable to obey God on the basis of any of the previous offers. Possible because of Christ’s ministry. Dr. Showers explains. |
Contents
THE SIXTH DISPENSATION
Introduction
Before the sixth dispensation is examined, we must consider several important truths concerning the grace of God. First, in the Scriptures the grace of God deals with far more than salvation from the penalty of sin. For example, it was by the grace of God that Noah survived the flood (Genesis 6:8), that Israel was restored to its homeland after the Babylonian captivity (Ezra 9:8), and that afflicted people were sustained in their trials (Proverbs 3:34). It is by the grace of God that believers are given spiritual gifts and ministries (Romans 12:6; Galatians 2:9). Indeed, the grace of God has so many facets that the Apostle Peter called it “the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).
Second, although the grace of God was functioning throughout Old Testament times, it began to function in some new sense as a result of the ministry of Jesus Christ in His first coming. The Apostle John indicated this when he wrote, “the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). John appeared to be making this new function of grace parallel with the function of the Mosaic Law. The Mosaic Law never functioned as a way of salvation from the penalty of sin (Galatians 2:16), but it did function as a rule of life (a ruling factor). In light of this, John was saying that grace began to function as a rule of life (a ruling factor) as a result of Christ’s ministry in His first coming.
Third, other passages reveal that grace began to function as a ruling factor as a result of Christ’s ministry. The Apostle Paul wrote the following statement to Christians during the present (sixth) dispensation: “ye are not under the law but under grace” (Romans 6:14). In this passage Paul signified that the function of grace that he had in mind is parallel with the function of the Mosaic Law. In fact, he was claiming that grace has taken over the function which the Mosaic Law had in the fifth dispensation of God’s rule. As noted earlier, the Mosaic Law never functioned as a way of salvation from the penalty of sin, but it did function as a ruling factor. Thus, the function of grace which Paul had in mind in Romans 6:14 is that of a ruling factor. This is indicated further by the word under which implies being under rule (William F. Arndt and F. Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon Of The New Testament, 4th rev. ed., Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1957, p. 851). Paul was asserting that believers in Christ in this present (sixth) dispensation are now under grace, instead of the Mosaic Law, as a ruling factor. Thus, while grace continues to function as the way of salvation from the penalty of sin during this sixth dispensation, it has assumed the additional function of a ruling factor as a result of Jesus Christ’s ministry in His first coming.
In Titus 2:11-12 the Apostle Paul signified that one of the functions of the grace of God is that of “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” The word that is translated teaching means to “practice discipline, correct, give guidance” (Arndt and Gingrich, p. 608). Thus, Paul was saying that grace practices discipline over believers for the purpose of prompting them to reject a godless lifestyle and to adopt a godly one. Paul indicated that the grace of God is functioning as a ruling factor “in this present world.” The word that is translated world means “age” (Arndt and Gingrich, p. 27). Grace is the ruling factor that uniquely characterizes the dispensation of this present age.
The Dispensation Of Grace
The Time.
The sixth dispensation of God’s rule extends from the death of Jesus Christ to His Second Coming. This is the majority view concerning when the present dispensation will end. Some Dispensationalists believe that the Tribulation period will involve a separate dispensation, but the majority have held that the sixth dispensation will not terminate until
Christ’s Second Coming. For a discussion of the relationship of the Tribulation period to the present dispensation, see Charles C. Ryrie, Dispensationalism Today, pp. 54-57.
The Scripture.
The Scripture portion which covers the sixth dispensation is Matthew 27:57; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:50, and John 19:31 through Revelation 19:21.
The Ruling Factors.
The fifth dispensation demonstrated that mankind would not obey God on the fivefold basis of the human conscience, the restraint of lawlessness by the Holy Spirit, human government, promise, and the Mosaic Law. As a result, God began a sixth dispensation by instituting His grace as a new ruling factor.
During most of its course the sixth dispensation has five ruling factors which God uses to govern people: the human conscience, the restraint of lawlessness by the Holy Spirit, human government, promise, plus grace. It should be noted that, although the human conscience, the restraint of lawlessness by the Holy Spirit, human government, and promise continued as ruling factors into the new dispensation, the Mosaic Law did not continue as a ruling factor. God intended the Mosaic Law to be in effect only until the ministry of Christ (Galatians 3:16, 19, 23-25; compare Romans 6:14; Matthew 27:50-51). It also should be noted that the restraint of lawlessness by the Holy Spirit will be removed as a ruling factor when it is time for the Antichrist to be revealed near the end of this dispensation (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8).
As a ruling factor for the believer, grace consists of two things: a confirmed favorable disposition toward God (the law of God in the heart, Romans 7:22; 2 Corinthians 3:3-11; Hebrews 8:8-12) and the indwelling Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Dispensational theologians have named the sixth dispensation after the new ruling factor because that is the factor that makes the sixth dispensation distinct from the fifth.
The Special Revelation.
The special revelation which God gave for the sixth dispensation is recorded in the latter part of the Gospels, the Book of Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation 1-19. Unsaved Jews and Gentiles are to receive the gift of righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. The organized Church is to fulfill the Great Commission, to maintain a pure membership, to discipline unruly members, to prevent false teaching from existing within it, and to contend earnestly for the true faith. Individual believers are to live sensible, godly lives, to be associated with a local church, to evangelize and make disciples, and to use spiritual gifts properly.
Mankind’s Responsibility.
Mankind’s responsibility during the sixth dispensation is to obey God on the fivefold basis of the human conscience, the restraint of lawlessness by the Holy Spirit, human government, promise, and grace.
Mankind’s Test.
This responsibility subjects mankind to the following test: does mankind obey God on the fivefold basis of the human conscience, the restraint of lawlessness by the Holy Spirit, human government, promise, and grace?
Mankind’s Failure.
Mankind fails the test of the sixth dispensation. The majority of unsaved Jews and Gentiles do not accept the gift of righteousness through faith in Christ. Organized Christendom does not fulfill the Great Commission, maintain a pure membership, discipline unruly members, prevent false teaching from existing within it, and contend earnestly for the true faith. Individual believers do not always live sensible, godly lives, associate with a local church, evangelize and make disciples, and use spiritual gifts properly. By the end of this dispensation, the unsaved will stage a major revolt against God’s rule (Psalm 2:1-3; Revelation 16:12-16; 19:17-21), and organized Christendom will be very apostate (Revelation 17).
Mankind’s Judgment.
Mankind’s failure during the sixth dispensation brings God’s judgment and chastisement. God chastens and even brings premature physical death to some believers for disobedience (Acts 5:1-6; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5; 11:27-32; Hebrews 12:5- 13; 1 John 5:16). He puts some local churches out of existence (Revelation 2:5). Toward the end of the dispensation God will remove the Holy Spirit’s restraint of lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8); apostate organized Christendom will be destroyed (Revelation 17:16); God will pour out divine judgments upon the world (Revelation 6-19), and God will crush the revolt of the unsaved (Revelation 19:17-21).
