Why Do We Need Grace? Series

INTRODUCTION

• SLIDE #1

• Last week we opened up our Amazing Grace series by looking at the Genesis of Grace. We learned that God had a plan to offer redemption to mankind when the fall happened.

• This week we will focus on why we need grace.

• In order to be able to able to understand WHY we need grace, we need to backtrack a little to talk about what sin does to one’s life.

• It is good to understand that through Jesus our sins are forgiven, BUT if we do not understand the nature and consequences of sin in our life, we will not truly appreciate grace and forgiveness.

• Without understanding the magnitude of sin and its affects in my life, I will have a tendency to cheapen the gift of grace.

• On one level, we kind of understand what sin does; for instance, someone cheats on their spouse, or robs a bank, we know what happens when one gets caught.

• I believe on a deeper level we tend to write off what sin really does to us.

• We excuse sin in our lives, but magnify it in the lives of others.

• We treat sin like high blood sugar, or smoking, or things that contribute to heart disease.

• We think we are the only one who nothing bad will happen to us if we do not watch our blood sugar, or our weight, or stop smoking. We think we really do not need to heed the warnings or the warning signs.

• Diabetes, a heart attack, lung cancer happens to other people, not to me.

• So today, as we examine the reason we need grace, we are going to examine the nature and consequences of sin, we will see what it does to us.

• By the way, sin does what we will discuss to everyone; whereas, everyone who smokes will not die of lung cancer, everyone who ingests boat loads of sugar will not become a diabetic.

• EVERYONE is a sinner according to Romans 3:10 and Romans 3:23 as well as a commonsense look at the world.

• We will be examining a few passages out of the Book of Romans, but we will begin with a rather nasty verse from the book of Romans to get us started.

• SLIDE #2

• Romans 1:18 (CSB) For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,

• SLIDE #3

SERMON

I. Sin makes one guilty.

• This is the first universal truth concerning what sin does to us. It makes us guilty before God.

• Dr. Jack Cottrell in his book Thirteen Lessons on Grace states, “Sin must be acknowledged before salvation will be accepted.”

• When we dumb down or make light of the effects of sin in our life, we will never full appreciate the salvation we can have through Jesus.

• One of the primary effects of sin in our life is that it makes us guilty.

• We must realize that guilt is not an inward condition, it doesn’t involve our nature or our being.

• It is a matter of relationships.

• To be guilty means to be in a wrong relationship with God and His Law. (Cottrell, Thirteen Lessons on God’s Grace, p.40)

• When you get a speeding ticket, you are on the wrong side of the relationship between you and the speed limit sign.

• Being guilty of speeding to do with your heart, your car, the price of eggs in China, you were guilty of speeding, no matter why you did it, you are technically guilty.

• Even if you are rushing an injured person to the hospital, you have broken the law and if caught, you are guilty until either the office declines to write the ticket, or the court exonerates you of your guilt.

• So, the issue of guilt is first of all, a legal issue.

• As long as we perfectly obey God’s laws all the days of our life, we would not be guilty and we would be in perfect fellowship with God.

• When we break one of God’s laws, we are guilty of breaking the whole law.

• SLIDE #4

• James 2:10 (CSB) For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all.

• But your Honor, I only robbed one bank, or I only embezzled from one company, or I only killed one person.

• If you do those things, you lose your entire freedom.

• In the case of 1 sin, the price is much higher.

• SIDE #5

• Romans 6:23 (CSB) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.