6: The Dispensation of Grace
Primary source for this discussion: Ankerberg Theological Research Institute
Author: Dr. Renald Flowers
“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; it 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).” Matthew 27:57; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:50, and John 19:31 through Revelation 19:21.
“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.
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).”
“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 fails in the Sixth Dispensation.
The Wandering Mind 
on 6 October 2007 on 3:47 pm
Can you expand on what you mean by ‘mankind fails’. Is the gospel weak in it’s power to accompllish?
on 10 October 2007 on 1:47 pm
First thing to understand is that these are not my words. You can read the full article at ATRI. As with the previous dispensations, Mankind fails to be able to live by God’s commands. The discussion on Dispensationlism has nothing to do with what the Gospel can do for us – Dispensationalism is a recognition of the various phases in Mankind’s relationship with God, necessitated by Mankind’s inability to live by His commandments.