“Amazing Grace”
I. Our Wealth and Worth In Christ 1-4
A. Paul blessed God for blessing us with every spiritual blessing 1:3-14
1. Specially Chosen 1:4
2. Purposefully Adopted 1:5-6
3. Freely Redeemed and Forgiven 1:7-8
Introduction
There are many teachings of the Bible but there is one particular truth that sets Christianity apart from all others. It is perhaps the most misunderstood, misapplied, abused doctrine.
I'm speaking of that most wonderful teaching of grace. Without grace, Christianity is nothing.
Ryrie,
"The concept of grace is many-sided. This makes the word difficult to define precisely, and yet is one of the loveliest words in our language and designates one of the most important doctrines in theology.
Ephesians has already had a great deal to say about grace and there is still much more to come.
He predestined as to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished upon us.
Grace is the basis for forgiveness, redemption and adoption.
Unless I understand at least the basic idea of grace I don't really understand Christianity.
I. The Need for Grace
Jesus Christ is the only one that perfectly conformed to the laws of God in thought, word, attitude and deed. The rest of us have miserably failed to come even close to the mark. We have continually strayed. Like a chain is only as good as its weakest link, our whole relationship with God collapses when only one link (law) is broken. If we sin in one point, we sin in all.
We are guilty. The law was intended to demonstrate that there was and is not one person worthy of God's favor. All have sinned and come up short of demonstrating the kind of life necessary to sustain relationship with a holy God. No one could earn a place in God's kingdom.
Every other religious system incorporates some means of earning the favor of God here or hereafter. Each one emphasizes that man by his own merits is really pretty good. He really is significant in this world. That is the core of sin in the first place. Seeking to establish and live life apart from a vital relationship with the Source of life. Scripture is clear that we are not and can never be worthy. Since no one can earn it or work for it, it can only be acquired on the basis of grace. Mercy is God taking note of our pitiful and rebellious condition and withholding what we did deserve. Grace is God extending to us the things we did not deserve in spite of our pitiful and rebellious condition.
II. The Meaning of Grace
Grace has been revealed from two sources.
A. The written Word
Many Biblical concepts require many words to explain. Grace, on the other hand, employs just a few powerful words in the Scriptures to communicate its meaning.
1. Old Testament Words
"Chen"
This word meant to bend or stoop, and came to include the idea of condescending favor.
It is particularly significant in its use to describe God's rewriting of the Law tablets for the obviously undeserving Israelites.
"Chesed"
This Old Testament Word actually defies exact description and occurs about 250 times. It holds a very close relationship with the New Testament word for Grace.
Two aspects emerge from its frequent usage.
1 - an eager and ardent desire by which anyone is led
2 - acts of kindness between those involved in relationship
This word is used to describe God's intense acts of kindness toward those whom He has chosen to enter into relationship.
2. New Testament
"charis"
This is the primary root used in the New Testament to communicate God's favor. The Greeks used the word in their everyday language to communicate the concept of good will, loving kindness, and favor as well as that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, charm, or loveliness.
The New Testament refined the concept even further.
Ryrie
"The grace of God in the New Testament is His unmerited favor in the gift of His Son, who offers salvation to all and who gives to those who receive Him as their personal Savior added grace for this life and hope for the future. Every facet of this broad conception of grace is rooted in the fact that the grace of God is the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ."
B. The Living Word -- Jesus Christ
"The Law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."
To see the beauty of grace we need also to observe the attitude and actions of Jesus on earth. Everything He did was a demonstration of Grace and truth.
Summary
Grace describes the purposeful extension of kindness and favor apart from personal merit.
Grace offers kindness and favor on the basis of the giver's option not the receiver's merit.
In the case of God, it is a holy God offering life and blessing to sinful man on the basis of His own choice and not the character or conduct of men. It is God's Riches At Christ's Expense.
III. The Application of Grace
A. Common Grace
Common grace is the favor God grants to all men regardless of their actions.
"Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men." Luke 6:35
B. Saving Grace
Saving grace is the blessing of salvation extended to those individuals responding to God's call by faith.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
We must be careful to exclude any form of a merit system from our spiritual thinking. Anytime we include any kind of act on our part to gain salvation, we destroy the very essence of Christianity. Man is saved by grace alone through faith in Christ. God saves us on the basis of Christ's person and work, not ours. It has to be that way because we did not have any. We were spiritually and morally bankrupt. God did not offer me salvation because I was such a great guy. I have salvation because He is such a great God!
We once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace (favor) we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:3-7
Only our trust in the promise of God saves us; not our adherence to rule, or observance of some ceremonial act or membership in some church or denomination. It is by grace through faith alone.
C. Living Grace
Many readily embrace the truth of salvation by grace through faith alone. But what about our daily life and walk with God after salvation? How do we please God? Does some other process kick in after we are saved? Paul strongly exhorted the Galatians for such thinking.
You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Galatians 3:1-5
Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Hebrews 11:6
Our fleshly efforts can no more mature us than they could save us. We need daily grace.
We need living grace. Living grace is the favor and blessing offered on a moment by moment basis to all who come to God in humble trust.
Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16
This favor of God has to do with spiritual empowerment. It cannot be earned any more than saving grace. This grace is not deserved but it must be received. This grace must be received with empty hands.
Paul spoke of God's grace for his everyday life and ministry
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10
Rom 12 indicates that every follower of Jesus has been granted a gift to serve the body of Christ according to the grace (spiritual empowerment) given to us. Peter adds the thought that we are stewards of the manifold grace of God.
God communicated to Paul in the midst of a severe attack by the enemy.
And He (God) has said to me, "My grace (empowerment) is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
Proper Perspective
Hebrews 12 warns us to make sure that no one comes short of the Grace of God. Make sure that no one fails to appropriate God’s divine storehouse of favor intended not only to save us but to energize us. Most of us grew up in a merit based system of favor. We get only what we deserve. Do right, you get rewarded. Do wrong, you get punished. This is a system or rules and reward or punishment. Legalism has to do with the motive behind adherence to the code. Obeying a code or following a standard of conduct is not legalism. Doing so in order to gain something or escape something or earn something is. The principles and commands Jesus expanded on in the New Testament are much more difficult to follow than the Old Testament Laws because they include heart motive.
God’s laws are a reflection of His character and wants us to not only do what please Him but actually want to do it. Law says do or else. Grace offers, "Know and enjoy the things I have done for you and respond accordingly." The more we fully understand grace and love, the more we will be motivated to respond to God and obey Him out of deep gratitude and love, not out of some perverted fleshly manipulation to get God to respond to me or avoid punishment. The New Covenant has to do with God’s way of living life written on our heart.
Do not let a merit based mentality pollute your relationship with God. "How could God do this to me, I have been so faithful and clean and have accomplished so many things for Him."
"Why doesn't God answer my prayer? I have read my Bible and prayed all this week!" "I need God to get me out of this financial or marital mess, so I'd better get back to church and pray more and read my Bible more." This is the proud flesh thinking we can earn God’s favor through fleshly acts. The motives are faulty. It is nothing but legalism. Christianity is the only system that has hope for the truly hopeless. A merit system capitalizes on greed and guilt.
Do in order to get. Feel bad when you don’t do it. Grace offers favor apart from doing and encourages becoming. When the heart changes, the behavior changes. When the heart is gripped by love and grace it longs to please and enter into deeper relationship.
Each day we eagerly return to the throne room where the God of all mercy and grace extends abundant mercy and dispenses sufficient grace to help us in our time of need. And we are in daily need of such grace to continue to live faithful in a twisted world.
It is a growing process.
grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. 2 Peter 3:18
D. Resurrection Grace
Peter encourages us to keep focusing on a future favor or blessing that will be granted at the return of Jesus.
Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace (favor) to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:13
Such a focus motivates us to live differently today in light of tomorrows blessing.
E. Eternal Grace
Later in Ephesians Paul refers to an eternity of favor laid up for us.
so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:7
Application
How do we respond to a message of on God's Amazing Grace?
1. Confess trying to earn God's favor by the works of the flesh.
by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. Romans 3:20
(but we are) justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; Romans 3:24
2. Continually humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God.
3. Continually return to the throne of grace in time of need.
4. Don’t fall short but continually grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
