For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10
n Grace is not merely a means of escape, it is an enabling to live the life of a Christian.
n Grace isn’t given to us so that we can do what we want and still be o.k. Grace is given to us to enable us to faithfully serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
n If grace was merely designed to keep us out of Hell, there was really no reason for Jesus to come and shed His blood. The reason Jesus released grace through His shed blood was to restore the relationship between God and man.
What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
1. Grace Enables us to Live Christlike Lives.
a. One of our biggest mistakes is when we try and make it on our own. We must learn to tap into our source of grace and strength that will enable us to live like Christ.
b. Each choice we make gives us an opportunity to say “Yes” to Christ and “No” to the world. With our choices and our actions, we either draw closer to God or further away from Him.
c. God tells us to come out from among the world and be separate (2 Cor 6:17). Grace enables us to do that – to separate ourselves from this world and turn ourselves unto God in true service and worship.
d. We don’t just need grace one time at our moment of salvation. We need grace everyday to enable us to live the life of Christianity; which is a life of separation and consecration unto God.
e. HEBREWS 12:1-3 – To fix your eyes on Jesus requires that you turn your eyes from something else. Jesus must always be our source.
f. 2 TIMOTHY 2:1 – Paul instructs Timothy to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. We desperately need the work of grace in our lives every day. That is our strength.
2. Grace Enables us to Follow the Leading of Holy Spirit.
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Romans 8:13-14
a. Imagine what God could do with someone who was totally committed to Him.
b. How many times in our lives have we sensed God’s Spirit leading us into something we weren’t totally interested in/wanting to do? It happens often, but the power of grace enables us to realize the benefit and blessing of following God’s Spirit.
c. What is right is not always popular and what is popular is not always right. But, what is right is always right.
d. God’s grace has been given to us to enable us to hear, speak and act in accordance with Holy Spirit.
i. Hear – one who is living a holy life will remain attentive to what the Spirit is saying.
ii. Speak – one who is led by the Spirit will only speak what the Spirit is saying.
iii. Act – one who is in tune with the Spirit will do nothing without the Spirit’s leading.
e. Isn’t this exactly the way Jesus Himself lived? Hasn’t He taught us to live as He lived?
3. Grace Enables us to Please God.
a. God’s grace is at work in His children to produce in them both the desire and the power to do His will.
b. Grace is the enabling power that God has given to each of us to allow us to fulfill His purpose for our lives.
c. Nothing pleases the Lord more than to see His children living a successful Christian life through the power of His grace.
d. It is because of grace that one day we will hear God say, “Enter in thou good and faithful servant.”
