Introduction

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: 'Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.' All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: 'Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!' Then one of the elders asked me, 'These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?' I answered, 'Sir, you know.' And he said, 'These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'

Understanding God's Grace

Now, grace is a word we hear often in church. We sing about it in our hymns, we talk about it in our Bible studies, and we pray for it in our prayers. But what does it really mean? What does it mean to be recipients of God's grace?

At its core, grace is unmerited favor. It's receiving something good that we don't deserve. It's a gift from God, given freely and generously, without any expectation of repayment. It's not something we can earn or achieve. It's not a reward for good behavior or a prize for spiritual achievement. It's a gift, pure and simple.

And it's not just any gift. It's the gift of salvation. It's the gift of eternal life. It's the gift of being made right with God, of being forgiven of our sins, of being washed clean and made new. It's the gift of being able to stand before the throne of God, not in our own righteousness, but in the righteousness of Christ.

But grace isn't just about what we receive. It's also about what we're freed from. It's about being freed from the power of sin, from the guilt and shame that come with it, from the fear of judgment and condemnation. It's about being freed to live a new life, a life of love and service, a life of faith and obedience, a life that reflects the love and grace of God.

Now, when we talk about grace, we often talk about it in terms of salvation. And that's certainly a big part of it. But grace isn't just about our eternal destiny. It's also about our daily lives. It's about how we live and move and have our being. It's about how we relate to God and to others. It's about how we handle the challenges and trials of life. It's about how we respond to the ups and downs, the joys and sorrows, the victories and defeats.

Grace is what enables us to keep going when the going gets tough. It's what gives us hope in the midst of despair. It's what gives us peace in the midst of turmoil. It's what gives us joy in the midst of sorrow. It's what gives us strength in the midst of weakness. It's what gives us courage in the midst of fear.

And grace isn't just something we receive. It's also something we give. It's something we extend to others, just as God has extended it to us. It's about forgiving those who have wronged us, just as God has forgiven us. It's about showing kindness to those who have hurt us, just as God has shown kindness to us. It's about loving those who are hard to love, just as God has loved us.

In the multitude standing before the throne in Revelation, we see a picture of grace. We see a picture of what God's grace looks like in action. We see a picture of what it means to be recipients of God's grace, to be freed by God's grace, to live by God's grace, and to extend God's grace to others.

And in the midst of all this, we see a picture of God Himself. We see a God who is rich in mercy, who is full of compassion, who is abounding in love. We see a God who is not distant or detached, but who is intimately involved in our lives, who cares deeply about us, who wants nothing more than to shower us with His grace.

The Everlasting Mercy of God

The mercy of God, as we see it in Revelation 7:9-17, is not a fleeting thing ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO