TRANSFORMING GRACE
Titus 2: 11/14
I believe that it was The Talley Trio that sang the song, “No other word for grace, but amazing.” And then we sing the song, “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see.” This song was penned by a man who had been the captain of a slave vessel.
Grace, the unmerited favor of God, none of us deserves grace, but God has given it to all, for the bible says, “For the grace of God hath appeared to all men.” Not just grace, but transforming grace.
I read about an Amish mother that took his young son to a large four story mall, and were amazed at everything they saw, especially fascinated by two shiny, silver walls that moved apart and back together again.
The boy asks, “What is this, mother?” And the mother having never seen an elevator before responds, “Son, I have never seen anything like this in my life.” So they watched the wall move apart then back together, and then a grey haired wrinkled man walked through the opened wall and it closed. A few minutes later the walls opened again and a handsome young man walked out. The mother leaned down to her son and said, “Go get your father.”
What the woman and her son saw was a transformation, well at least they thought it was. Now I would like to talk to you about something that is TRANSFORMING, it’s the GRACE of God. Let us look at the word grace for a moment, G R A C E this is God, reaching, accepting, caring and encouraging and this grace that has appeared to all men, will bless the life of every believer.
When God’s offer of grace is accepted, the work of grace begins and continues throughout life. “For this grace teaches us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. Looking for that blesses hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works?”
God’s grace is welcoming, “for the grace of God has appeared to all men.” Grace says, “You’re wanted, you’re invited.” The grace of God has appeared. That word appeared conveys the idea of being made known, it’s like light coming into the darkness. That’s why Peter could write about us a Christians in 1 Peter 2:9 that “Christ calls us out of darkness and into His wonderful light.” It was God sending His son into the world to literally “turn on the light.”
This grace has appeared to all men. It has been declared, it‘s been announced, it is not a secret for grace invites us to come to Him. In the book of Revelation chapter twenty-two and verse seventeen, “The Spirit and the bride say, come, and let him who hears come, and he that is athirst come. Let him take the water of life freely.”
You can think of the welcoming grace as the front porch to a home. It’s the front porch that attracts, it has the welcome mat, but we can’t get in, we don’t have the key!
God offers a welcoming grace; He also provides a saving grace. And when we are at the front door, someone that has the key has to unlock the door for us. It’s not a key of our righteousness; it’s not a key of good deeds. The only key is God’s grace through the sacrifice of His son Jesus Christ.
It is not by works but by the grace of God through faith. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and it is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, so that no one can boast,”
We can’t earn it anyway, our righteousness is like filthy rags, we may work as hard and as long as we want, but still can’t get the job done. So we can stop worrying about being good enough, God says’ “I know that you’re not good enough. That’s why I sent someone who was good enough, my Son, Jesus so that He could do what you couldn’t do.”
God’s grace forgives pardons and justifies. The word justification is a big word we don’t use much anymore; it literally means a legal declaration that gives one a right to stand in the presence of God with no condemnation. It involves an imputed righteousness of Christ in which we, although we are sinners, we are pronounced not guilty of sin as in a court of law. We have been cleared of all charges against us.
And another word that is not used much anymore, it is called sanctification, which simply means to be set apart for His purposes. Once we accept Jesus Christ into our life, the work of the Holy Spirit begins this transforming grace process.
Let’s go back to the front porch, we were on the porch and His grace unlocked the door and now we’re through the door, He has declared us justified, and sanctification begins the works of removing the cause and effects of sin in our lives.
And from the point of salvation, we begin to grow in grace, the Word declares, “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” In this Christian journey there will be times that we will need an extra measure of God’s grace. When the tempter brings confusions and you don’t know what to do, on your knees you turn to Jesus for He will see you through. For His grace is sufficient for every need, trial, and hardship that we might encounter.
Paul says, “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” The work of God’s grace is an ongoing process, one of Joel Hemphill’s songs reminds us, that we’re a work under construction. The songs say, “He’s still working on me to make me what He wants me to be.”
You will remember that the Apostle Paul was brought through some difficult situations. And he stated “Lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord three times, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
Let us be mindful of the fact that the law was given by Moses, and none were able to keep the law, try as they may. But grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. And none of us are worthy of this grace but it is freely given. As a matter of fact it will chase you down, for it hath appeared to all men.
In the gospel of John chapter one and verse fourteen he state, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
This grace will teach us how to live; it will be there in times to trouble to catch us when we fall. This favor of God will be like a scarf around your neck, a covering for your head. It is amazing, it’s more than wonderful, the unmerited favor of God that is given without measure to all that will receive it.
