Knowing God Series #15
“Understanding His Amazing Grace”
Review
I. The nature of God
II. The Attributes of God
A. God is infinitely GREAT in His ability / capacity
B. God is infinitely and perfectly PURE in His morality and judgments
C. God is infinitely GOOD in His relationships
1. God’s infinite LOVE
Jesus communicated the depth of God’s love for us in three pointed parables. (Luke 15)
The Lost Sheep – the priority of meaningful relationship
The Lost Coins – the passion or intensity of meaningful relationship
The Lost Sons – the Patience of His passion to establish relationship
The parable of the lost sons never ceases to move me.
The one son rejected relationship with His father and demanded independence.
The other son rejected relationship with His father and demanded affirmation.
The parable powerfully illustrates the heart of the father toward the sons in the face of rejection.
The rebellious son came to his senses. The father never stopped loving or looking for his return.
I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men. So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. Luke 15:19-20
Out of God’s goodness also flows grace.
2. God’s infinite GRACE
This term appears more than 120 times just in the New Testament. The Old Testament employs terms similar in meaning but grace finds its highest demonstration in the New Testament. This aspect of God’s goodness relates to undeserving creatures with undeserved blessing. Failure to understand this aspect of God’s goodness condemns us to a life of fear and misery. You cannot go deeper with God until you learn to live in confidence of His love and grace. Many grow up with the view of God as a policeman looking for infractions of the law. The last thing you want when you see the lights flashing behind you is to establish a meaningful relationship with the policeman. You know the only reason he signals a desire for connection is to tell you what you did wrong. The word grace comes from a word that means gift. A gift cannot be earned
Wages come from required service. A gift is something given to us from the heart of the giver apart from the merit of the receiver. Various phrases have been offered to aid our understanding of this concept. “God’s unmerited favor” OR “God’s riches at Christ’s expense”
There are at least two absolutely necessary core concepts that cannot be overlooked in this truth.
1 – It is totally disconnected from merit.
2 – It is utterly needed favor from a powerful benefactor.
I like another variation. “God’s Resources At Christ’s Expense.” God freely opens His unlimited warehouse to all those who ask.
The Bible makes it clear that all our attempts at earning status before God are like filthy rags.
The Bible also makes it clear that what we really deserve is judgment.
The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
The only reason God can pour out blessing on undeserving law-breaking rebels is because Jesus died in our place. Because Jesus gave Himself not only for our insidious infractions but our insufficient righteousness, God is legally and morally free to forgive sin and pour out blessing (grace) on us.
In love He predestined us 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 (graced) 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 on us. Eph1:3-8
Paul uses words from the “grace” family three times in this short passage. “the glory of His “grace” which He freely “graced” on us in the beloved.” “riches of His “grace which He lavished on us.”
Lavished means “to superabound (in quantity or quality), be in excess, be superfluous; to cause to superabound or excel :- (make, more) abound, (have, have more) abundance, (be more) abundant, be the better, enough and to spare, exceed, excel, increase, be left, redound, remain (over and above). Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary.
But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. Rom 5:15
For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Rom5:17
Not only did He lavish grace but will in eternity show or display the surpassing riches of His grace.
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
Paul used a present tense verb here; the continually surpassing riches of His grace. The availability of God’s grace is abundantly clear. Because God has no limits, His grace has no limits.
The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:20-21
Does God’s favor stop at salvation? Neither does God’s grace. Please don’t limit God’s grace just to salvation. I.e. saved by grace but kept by works. We need God’s favor all through our life. God’s grace applies to more than just salvation. We need to understand it but don’t limit it.
Allow its usage and application in scripture to paint the masterpiece that it is. The foundational concept of grace has to do with favor, or blessing granted apart from merit.
The late Moody Bible Institute Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest defined "grace" as "a favor freely done, without claim or expectation of return." Wuest further declared that in pagan Greece this favor was always done for a friend, never an enemy.
As mercy is God's goodness confronting human misery and guilt, so grace is his goodness directed toward human debt and demerit. A. W. Tozer (1897-1963)
Eternity Past Grace
The application of that blessing and unmerited and unlimited favor applies from and to eternity.
It is clear from the passage we referenced earlier that God exercised His grace before the foundation of the world.
If God’s choice is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. Rom11:6
just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. Ephesians 1:4
Common Grace
A.W. Tozer summed up his thoughts on concept of common grace this way.
What have you received of His grace and mercy? Even though you may still be unconverted and going your own way, you have received much out of the ocean of His fullness. You have received the pulsing life that beats in your bosom. You have received the brilliant mind and brain within the protective covering of your skull. You have received a memory that strings the events you cherish and love as a jeweler strings pearls into a necklace and keeps them for you as long as you live and beyond. All that you have is out of His grace. Jesus Christ, the eternal Word, who became flesh and dwelt among us, is the open channel through which God moves to provide all the benefits He gives to saints and sinners. And what about the years, the rest of your existence? You cannot believe that you have earned it. You cannot believe that it has something to do with whether you are good or bad. Confess that it is out of His grace, for the entire universe is the beneficiary of God's grace and goodness.
The Tozer Topical Reader – Volume One.
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. John 1:14,17
Grace upon grace is like the waves of the ocean which roll in one after the others. God’s grace just keeps rolling over his creation. Just as God extends unmerited favor (grace) to all creatures, He instructs us to do the same.
But 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. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:35-36
Saving Grace
Saving grace is the application with which we are most familiar.
It refers to the specific application to those chosen from the foundation of the world.
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
For we also 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 we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:3-7
The centrality of God’s grace and love sets Christianity apart from all other religions. Every other system requires some sort of effort to acquire favor with God. Thinking we can actually earn God’s favor demonstrates a very weak and arrogant view of sin. It is pure pride that we could ever think we could do anything to merit the favor of a holy God. God eliminated all boasting by granting us salvation as a most glorious gift of His grace.
Living or empowering Grace
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 obviously goes beyond initial salvation. This is a favor or power to live out what He has imbedded in. This favor empowers us at every juncture of life. It is power to endure suffering and tribulation, power to minister to one another, power to deal with our past, present and future. The Hebrews suffered intense persecution and pressure to return to Judaism. The writer designed the whole book around the superiority of Christ and the message of grace. He both exhorts them and encourages them to persevere by God’s grace.
For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Rom5:17
Grace is the central invitation to life and the final word. It's the beckoning nudge and the overwhelming, undeserved mercy that urges us to change and grow, and then gives us the power to pull it off. Tim Hansel
As grace is first from God, so it is continually from him, as much as light is all day long from the sun, as well at first dawn or at sun rising. Jonathan Edwards
A man can no more take in a supply of grace for the future than he can eat enough for the next six months or take sufficient air into his lungs at one time to sustain life for a week. We must draw upon God's boundless store of grace from day to day, as we need it. D. L. Moody
Living by grace is like the wick in an oil lamp which burns brightly as long as it is continually immersed in oil. So, the life continually immersed in the daily grace of God burns brightly without burning up.
Grace is an energy; not a mere sentiment; not a mere thought of the Almighty; not even a word of the Almighty. It is as real an energy as the energy of electricity. It is a divine energy; it is the energy of the divine affection rolling in plenteousness toward the shores of human need.
Benjamin Jowett (1817-1893)
You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but 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 Pet 3:17-18
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 2 Peter 1:2-4
Grace in this context refers to a divine empowerment to live out what grace started.
God gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” James 4:6
And God has said to me (Paul), "My grace 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
Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened (stabilized or confirmed) by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited. Hebrews 13:9
God calls us to extend love and empowering grace to each other.
Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace (energize) to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29
Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. Colossians 4:6
Think about how God blesses us in spite of us. Is that how we bless others? God freely blesses us, God called us to freely bless others.
Teaching or motivating grace
Not only does grace save us for good works but it also instructs us to produce good works.
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. Titus 2:11-14
Continual trips to the throne of grace or the storehouse of God’s power motivates us and teaches us to become more like the one who called us. The contemplation of God’s grace motivated Paul to work even harder.
For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 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 15:9-10
God’s grace enabled Him to move beyond his troubling past.
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:12-14
Eternity Future grace
Just as grace existed and was extended before time in eternity past, it will continue into eternity future.
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
Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." 1 Peter 1:13-16
Dr. Charles Spurgeon tells of a man to whom was entrusted a large sum of money for the benefit of a poor minister. He thought it would be best to distribute the gift, instead of sending it all at once.
So he mailed the poor minister five pounds and, inside the envelope, he placed a little slip of paper on which was written, "More to follow." Thus, for ever so long, the old minister received regularly his little package of money, always with the "More to follow" note inside.
Thus God deals with us. The grace we receive today is but a pledge of that which will be given tomorrow; that which we receive tomorrow will likewise be stamped, "More to follow." —Rev. Calvin Reid
We have sufficient grace for today but there is also MORE TO FOLLOW.
God drenches and saturates our life with His grace and favor from eternity to eternity.
He chose us on the basis of grace.
He provides basic necessities to everyone on the basis of His grace.
He saves us on the basis of His grace.
He empowers us for everyday living through His grace.
He teaches us how and empowers us to live by His grace.
He will demonstrate more grace at the return of Jesus Christ and through the ages.
• His grace saves us.
• His grace inspires humble thanksgiving.
• His grace enables us to deal with our past.
• His grace enables us to endure present distressing difficulty.
• His grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.
• His grace (power) multiples as we grow in the knowledge of Christ.
• His grace stirs us to serve Him more diligently.
• His grace empowers us to live faithfully and serve Him effectively.
• His grace to us inspires us channel his grace through us to energize others.
• His grace urges us to come into His presence where we can receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need.
His love has no limits, His grace has no measure, His power no boundary known unto men.
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth, and giveth, and giveth, again.
Two warnings concerning God’s grace.
Don’t miss or fall short of it by failing to apply it
I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly. Galatians 2:21
See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God Hebrews 12:15
You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. Galatians 5:4
Don’t turn it into an excuse for sin
For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Jude 1:4
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Romans 6:1-2
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? Romans 6:15-16
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ… Ephesians 1:3
