Philippians 1:2 (AV)
2 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
A. What is the evidence that you are truly a believer of Jesus Christ?
- Is the evidence visible?
- How is it displayed in life?
- Note the early church impact on the world
> Answer:- That you have grace & peace
- Check It Out - Every single letter of Paul begins with Grace & Peace
- Timothy & Titus includes "mercy" with grace & peace
- 1st & 2nd Peter, 2nd & 3rd John
- Grace & Peace begins in Revelation
B. Grace Given to Israel
Ex 12 – 430 yrs.
- Imagine being a slave in Egypt
- No hope of escape or freedom
- v.6-7 Take a lamb kill it apply the blood to the door
- v.13 When I see the blood I will pass over you
- They Believed & acted in faith
- Imagine their freedom
- We believe & act in faith
- 1 John 1:7 (AV)
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
C. Grace & Joy
- “Grace” Gk. χάρις (charis)
- Loving kindness, undeserved favor, involving a relationship
- It brings delight, good fortune
Greek, charis was related to chairo, “to rejoice.”
- "Joy" χαρά [chara /khar•ah/]
- Gladness
Ephesians 2:4–9 (AV)
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened (make alive) us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
D, Grace needs to be contrasted with God's wrath
- In light of sin
- Sin is rebellion against God
- Go back to the 1st Passover again
- Blood of the lamb made little sense
- Don't make a mockery of blood of Christ
- Thinking little of the cross
- Justifying & excusing our sin
- Sin brings down the wrath of God upon sinners
- "Wrath" = boiling anger
- Not a impulsive reaction
- Divine wrath is a deliberate reaction against sin
- We have been saved by grace, past tense.
- Paul, writes, "Grace to you," present tense.
- We need God's grace continually, daily, hourly, every minute
- God shows both mercy and grace, but they are not the same.
- Mercy withholds a punishment we deserve; grace gives a blessing we don't deserve.
- Grace and peace are the opposites of judgment and war
- Grace simply means that I receive freely God's blessings that I don't deserve.
Example:- You were stopped in your old clunker for going 60 mph in a school zone.
- The ticket is high, and you can't pay it.
- You appear before the judge with nothing to say for yourself.
- He hears your case
- To your surprise, the judge cancels your fine.
- That is mercy.
- The judge doesn't stop there.
- He walks you outside and hands you the keys to a new car.
- That is grace.
- Selfish people lose so much in life, because even when they realize they are wrong, they don't know how to ask for forgiveness or show regrets.
Dr. Farrah Gray motivational speaker
1 John 3:1 (AV)
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
E. Mercy & Grace
- In mercy, God chose to cancel our sin debt by sacrificing His perfect Son in our place
- Titus 3:5–6 (AV)
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
> 2 Corinthians 5:21 (AV)
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
- But He goes even further than mercy (not receiving what we deserve)
- Christ extends grace to His enemies
Romans 5:20 (AV)
20 .... where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
- Grace is "generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved"
F. Grace Bounty
1.) He offers us forgiveness
Hebrews 8:12 (AV)
12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
Ephesians 1:7 (AV)
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
2.) Christ offers us victory
1 Corinthians 15:57 (AV)
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Overcoming the enemy
- Rom 8:34-39
3.) Jesus gives joy
John 15:11 (AV)
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
John 17:13 (AV)
13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
4.) Abundant life
John 10:10 (AV)
10 ...: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
5.) Eternal treasure
Luke 12:32–34 (AV)
32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
6.) His Holy Spirit
Luke 11:13 (AV)
13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
7.) Eternal Life
- A place in heaven with Him some day
John 14:3 (AV)
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
- Freely with no strings attached
- When we accept His offer and place our faith in His sacrifice.
- Grace is God giving the greatest treasure to the least deserving—which is every one of us.
G. Peace
- Peace is the result of experiencing God’s grace.
- The outflow or overflow of χάρις "grace"
- It spills out - It can't be kept inside
- What does peace look like?
- Contentment, Satisfaction
- All is well in spite of the turmoil that swirls around you
- The order is important:
- You cannot know God’s peace without first taking hold of His grace.
- Where God’s grace is lacking, peace will also be in short supply.
- Peace points to the inner well-being that comes from being reconciled to God through what He provided in Christ.
Isaiah 26:3 (AV)
3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
- Both grace and peace operate first vertically, but also horizontally.
- If you know God’s grace and peace, you will become a gracious, peaceable person toward others.
- You will show grace to them because God’s grace is real in your life.
- You will seek peace with them because God’s peace floods your heart
- It is a command you to live at peace with others
Romans 12:18 (AV)
18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
What Is Your Mission?
- To seek & demonstrate grace & peace
- Attack & destroy all what Jesus has done
