BY GOD’S GRACE
By: C. Mason Davis
A man died and went to heaven. Of course, St. Peter meets him at the pearly gates. St. Peter says, “Here’s how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you’ve done, and I will give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in.” “Okay,” the man says, “I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart.” “That’s wonderful,” says St. Peter, “that’s worth three points!” “Three points?” he says. “Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service.” “Terrific!” says St. Peter, “that’s certainly worth a point.” “One point? Golly. How about this: I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans.” “Fantastic, that’s good for two more points,” he says. “TWO POINTS??” the man cries, “At this rate the only way I get into heaven is by the grace of God!” “Exactly, son! Come on in!”
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Ephesians 2: 8-9; “For by grace ye are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: It is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Grace is when God grants us blessings we don’t deserve. God's grace is usually defined as undeserved favor. Mercy is when He spares us from the fate, we brought upon ourselves. Love is when He is generous with both. And gratitude is what we feel when we realize how much grace, mercy, and love God has given us. What is God's grace in our daily lives? It is God acting generously and powerfully, to do for us that we cannot do ourselves.
God's grace is amazing because it is an undeserved and free gift. It is the exact opposite of what we deserve; there is nothing we can do to earn or merit it. It is from God out of His kindness and love. He offers us the hope and help we need, starting with salvation. God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. While God's grace is free to all those who trust in Jesus as their personal Savior, it was purchased at great price. The great price that Jesus paid on the cross. Grace refers to God's favor upon those who have transgressed his law and sinned against him. God's grace not only offers salvation but also secures it.
But what is unexpected grace: Most people think everything that happens is all random coincidence. The truth is that all things happen for a reason, even though some things are too perfect to be random, and some seem to be perfect because they’re random. It all comes down to God’s purpose and His plan for us all. 2 Corinthians 12:9 states, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 1 Corinthians 15:10, “By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain.” The grace we stand in is a state where we can receive blessings from God that we could not receive before. We have gone from outside grace to inside grace. We now have a new relationship with God where He is our loving Father instead of our judge. We have gone from deserving punishment to receiving undeserved favor.
God demonstrated His grace for us by not only saving us from the punishment of sin, but also offering us the opportunity to spend an eternity with Him. That is the true standard of Grace. The Creator of the universe took away our punishment and offers us eternal life. In John 1:17, “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” God's mercy and grace give me hope - for myself, and for our world. What gives me the most hope every day is God's grace; knowing that his grace is going to give me the strength for whatever I face, knowing that nothing is a surprise to God.
We are building up of the body of Christ. This takes courage. It involves our life-long obedience, including the ways we treat our families, others and ourselves. Sacrifice Proportionately--As Christ sacrificed for us. Acknowledge our faith and show our faith in the gospel for the glory of God. Have you ever noticed times in your life where you overcame difficult circumstances, or temptations, or were able to extend love and forgiveness to others when you didn't really “feel” like it? That's the grace of God flowing through you! The Lord's grace is sufficient to lift you from death and sin and to endow you with eternal life. It is sufficient to change you, transform you, and perfect you. What shines with God's grace? God's grace is not a theory or a concept, it is a reality that shines brightest amidst our human needs and limitations. There is light at the end of the tunnel! You just may not be able to see it yet. But if you continue to follow Christ, walking by faith and not by sight, your faith will eventually become sight. To walk In Grace is not just a tagline–it's an invitation.
Often, we think that God is only interested in just the good people. If your life is good enough, then you can expect God's favor. But when you have doubts, God is the shining light trying to show you the way. In 1 Peter: 5-10: “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” Just as Jesus’ parable about the shepherd that had 100 sheep until one of them went astray. The shepherd left the 99 and went looking for the lost one. In that same way, by God’s grace, He came looking for that one that was lost.
Do you realize that over half of the New Testament was written by a man that once hated Christians? Saul was the main enemy of the church. He was having believers put in prison. But one day that all changed. In Acts 9:3-4, “And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven. And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” Long story short, Saul became the apostle Paul and wrote more of the New Testament than anyone else. What happened in this case is that God’s grace came looking for Saul. God didn’t write off Saul as a lost sheep, but He never gave up on him. Don't ever give up on anybody. Just remember, God’s grace is looking for them too. And this same man, Paul, wrote in the book of Romans 3:23-24, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” No matter who you are or what you’ve done, God’s grace is free for your taking. That's the way God's grace is. Ephesians 2:4-5 states, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace ye are saved.”
Examples of Grace in the Bible from the Old Testament are: God allows His exiled people to enter the Promised Land in spite of their doubts and disobedience. He allows King David a second chance at life and love after David had his best friend killed so he could marry that friend's wife. And Noah's story when he sent out a dove to search for dry land. It returned carrying an olive branch only when the rain had stopped, and this was the sign and symbol of God's forgiveness. The dove also symbolizes God's grace.
John, chapter 4, is about Jesus talking with a Samaritan woman at a well. Jesus told his disciples that, "I must go through Samaria." His reason was to meet a certain woman. She was a woman believed to be unworthy for making poor choices in her life. He revealed himself as the Messiah to her. When Jesus revealed to this woman that He is the Messiah, it was the first recorded time in the Bible to whom He admitted so to someone. John 4:26, “Then Jesus declared, ‘I, the one speaking to you – I am He.’” “When the disciples saw Jesus talking to this woman, they were amazed and bewildered. Not only was Jesus talking to a woman, not only a Samaritan, but of all people, this lady. Revelations 22:21 says, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” God’s grace is for anyone who seeks it, asks for it. His grace can penetrate any situation. It’s never too late for you can still become who God's created you to be. His call on your life is irrevocable, unstoppable.
This is what grace is all about. It's promiscuous. It doesn't just come to the people who are considered the fine upstanding people. In reality, it’s more for those who need it most. What about those who don't even believe in God. God’s Grace is for them, too. God's grace knows no boundaries with no limitations. An example of God’s grace can be found in the book of Jonah, 2:7-9, “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the LORD.’”
I heard about a pastor who stopped by a small convenience store one evening to pick up some milk. There was a young man in line behind him that was buying cigarettes and alcohol. He looked very distraught. You could tell that he was on drugs, and this pastor knew he was supposed to reach out to him, talk to him, pray for him, encourage him, and he was going to do so outside the store after they both had paid. But when the clerk turned his back, the young man ran out of the store, jumped in his car, and sped off having stolen those items. The pastor's family was out in the car waiting. They saw all this take place. They said, "Dad, he went that way in a blue car". This pastor felt so compelled that he had to find that man. They got in the car and started driving through the community, looking for that blue car. Luke 19:10 says, “God came to seek and to save those that are lost.” About 20 minutes later they spotted the blue car at another grocery store. The pastor went in, and the young man had another basket of alcohol and cigarettes. He was going to steal again, and when he saw the pastor, he nearly passed out. The pastor said, "Young man, God's hand is on your life. This is not the way you're supposed to be living. You're better than this". His eyes got really big, and he asked, "Who are you?” The pastor said, "I'm a pastor here in town, and God sent me to you to let you know you have a destiny to fulfill." He began to tremble, and tears came down his cheeks. He said, "I'm a heroin addict. I've gone to rehab again and again, but I just can't quit." The pastor said, "Tonight is your night. If you're willing to walk away, the power of those addictions is going to be broken." He put the cigarettes back, put the alcohol away, and that night was his new beginning. That was his turning point. Today, he's totally free, living a clean, sober life.
John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” It doesn't say, “God so loved the good people,” or “God so loved people that have it all together.” God loves people with addictions. God loves people that have gone astray. God loves people that have made mistakes. His grace is unrestrained. In fact, Paul said in Romans 5:20-21, “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” One might think the further you go away from God, the less interested He would be. But it's just the opposite. God leaves the 99 and comes searching for you. When you go the wrong way, like Jonah, God's going to send a whale. When you get off course like this young man with addictions, God's going to have somebody find them. When you make a mess of your life, like the lady at the well, Jesus is going to choose to go through Samaria because He wants to let a woman know that through His grace, she shall have a new beginning."
Even when we don’t think we deserve His forgiveness or His grace, but He still forgives. That's what grace is all about. You can't earn it. You don't have to be good enough. It's a free gift. All you have to do is ask to receive it. Don't go your whole lifetime like the old man, feeling guilty, living in guilt, condemned, beating himself up for 31 years. Our penance has already been paid 2,000 years ago. It's not our goodness, it's God's goodness. God created us as worthy. That's why it's called amazing grace. You don't deserve it. You didn't earn it.
Jesus was traveling through a town, and there was a man named Zacchaeus, the chief of the tax collectors. He wanted to see Jesus, but he was a small man. The streets were so crowded he decided to climb up into a tree to get a better view. As Jesus came passing by, out of the hundreds and hundreds of people screaming, waving, trying to get his attention, Jesus stopped, looked up in the tree, and said, "Zacchaeus, come down. I want to go to your house and have dinner." They had never met before, but Jesus knew his name. The religious leaders and the pharisees were very upset about this. They couldn't understand why Jesus would want to associate with Zacchaeus, a tax collector. They were known for being dishonest, cheating people and taking advantage of them. They had bad reputations and they thought if Jesus were for real, he would know he was going to dinner with the wrong kind of person. Jesus went home with the most notorious sinner. This didn't line up with the pharisees way of thinking. They thought that Jesus would rebuke Zacchaeus, or at least ignore him. But this is where grace shows. Grace comes to the least likely, and to those that don't deserve it, but to those that have made a mess of their lives. Jesus didn’t berate or accuse Zacchaeus of anything, He simply loved him. He showed him mercy. He became his friend, and Zacchaeus, of his own free will, said, "From this day forward, I'm going to give half my income to the poor, and if I've harmed or cheated anybody, I'm going to make things right". He changed his ways, not because he was shamed into it, but because he was loved into it, by the grace of God. “By the grace of God” is a formal phrase that means through the help or kindness of God. What does blessed by the grace of God mean? Simply put it is God's favor and kindness toward us. God rains down grace on all mankind. He gave us the beauty and wonders of nature that we see each and every day. He gives us near misses when accidents are heading our way. He often brings us the right thing just in time.
The Lord’s abundant grace constantly reminded Paul of his great love and mercy shown towards him and all people, even the Thessalonians. God’s grace is the ultimate cure for negativity. Grace combats negativity as it transforms thanklessness into thankfulness. Paul does not describe these troubled Christians as horrible people. He doesn’t despise them. Instead, he thanks God for them. In 2 Thessalonians 2:13, He says: “But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.” Disappointment and letdowns have scarred each of God’s grace can also transform heartaches to hope. Negativity takes its toll on the heart by attempting to destroy any hope it finds. Heartache and grief are the result. This is also a condition that affects each of us. In fact, heartaches and grief are chronic us.
The reason God brings Christians together is, so we aren’t alone in this struggle. Christian faith is all about togetherness, hope, and sharing joy. The opposite of those things is loneliness, despair, and sadness. These things often cause a great deal of negativity and constant depression. God combats those feelings with the cross of his Son. Christ Jesus suffered and died for us and that’s the answer! Jesus experienced the ultimate loneliness, despair, and sorrow, as his own Father forsook him. And Christ did all this willingly. As 1 Peter 2:22-23 says, “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.” Grace cuts away and removes the isolation that plagues us. Jesus Christ is the reason we are together. And he’s the reason we can share heaven with each other one day. Philemon 1:25 says, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”
Psalm 23:6, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” And my prayer for all of us is that we’ll accept God’s love and find His grace. Amen!
