INTRODUCTION
- Today, we begin a mini-series entitled One Thing within our Core 52 series.
- Paul was a world traveler and premier teacher, yet he had a remarkable ability to simplify the most complicated ideas into a singular truth that one could carry with them.
- In this series, we will explore some of his singular truths, which will make a world of difference.
- Today, the truth under examination is grace.
- The message will not be a typical message on grace; rather, we will see how grace impacts salvation.
- When speaking of salvation, we spend much time on what one must do to be saved.
- That is an important discussion; however, a question we need to wrestle with before we discuss the steps to salvation is how we are saved.
- What saves us?
- If we do not grasp HOW we are saved before we follow the steps to salvation, we can fall into the trap of not understanding what the steps to salvation mean.
- We could also fall into the trap of thinking that following the steps to salvation—faith, confession, repentance, baptism, and then living the new life—somehow earns us salvation.
- We think the steps themselves are why we can have salvation when, in truth, the true reason we can be saved is much more profound.
- We can also fall into the trap of trying to earn salvation or see it as a paycheck for a job well done.
- We often refer to grace as the prayer before we eat, but my friends, grace is much more profound.
- Grace is what sets Christianity apart from all other faiths.
- Philip Yancey tells this story in his book What’s So Amazing About Grace?
- Decades ago during a British conference on comparative religions, scholars from around the world were debating whether there were any beliefs that were unique to Christianity.
- Someone suggested that it was the idea of the incarnation, that God took human form in Jesus.
- But someone pointed out that other faiths believe that God appears in human form.
- Another claimed it was the resurrection, but again, other religions had accounts of people returning from the dead.
- As the debated dragged on, professor and author C.S. Lewis walked into the room.
- He plopped down in a chair took note of the heated debate, and asked, “What’s this rumpus about?”
- They explained they were debating what’s unique about Christianity.
- Lewis replied, “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.”
- After some discussion, the conferees had to agree.
- Christianity alone claims God’s love comes free of charge, no strings attached.
- No other religion makes that claim.
- Buddhists, for example follow an eight-fold path to attain enlightenment.
- Hindus believe in karma, that your actions continually affect what you receive from the world.
- Jews must follow the law.
- Muslims achieve righteousness through prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and purification through good deeds.
- Even then, they can never be sure of their salvation.
- (Credit Dan Raymond's sermon on Core 52, sermon 45 for finding the story.)
- Let’s turn to Ephesians 2:8 as we look at the relationship between salvation and grace.
Ephesians 2:8 (NET 2nd ed.)
8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God;
SERMON
I. We are saved by grace.
- The first part of verse 8 states that we are saved by grace.
- The word FOR at the verse's beginning illustrates the kindness resulting from God’s grace.
- Grace is the goodwill freely disseminated (spread, given) (by God), especially to the recipient's benefit, regardless of the benefit accrued to the disseminator.
- God gives freely gives grace to those who seek Him.
- To properly understand our salvation, we need to understand that grace is God’s unmerited favor.
- Grace is not something we can earn from God.
- Paul simplifies the subject of salvation, which can be very complex, into a simple statement that should stop any arguments: We are saved by grace!
- Grace is the reason that salvation is available to humanity!
- Paul states that by grace, by God’s loving-kindness, the cause that allows salvation to be provided!
- Without God’s grace, there is no salvation.
Romans 3:23 (NET 2nd ed.)
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
- We are told that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory!
- Yet there is a fix!
Romans 6:23 (NET 2nd ed.)
23 For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- God’s grace allows us to avoid the consequences of sin.
- The word saved is in a verb tense that indicates a past completed action with present-day results.
Ephesians 2:5–6 (NET 2nd ed.)
5 even though we were dead in offenses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you are saved!—
6 and he raised us up together with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
- We can be saved from the day we are baptized into Jesus until He returns!
- The perfect tense of “saved” emphasizes the finished reality of salvation.
- Saved people cannot use this verse to guarantee salvation if they later abandon their faith.
- The perfect tense does not address the issue of future permanence.
- Hence, the second part of the verse.
- I want to share a cultural thought from our reading that will help us see how Paul’s readers would have understood our passage.
- You will find this material in your reading, but nevertheless, I will share it.
- We will use it as a thread to tie the message together.
- In Paul’s day there the socio-economic system was a follows.
- The social setting of the time paints a picture of the relationship between faith, grace, and works.
- In the ancient world's economy, about 2 percent of the population controlled virtually all the goods and services.
- The 2% were called patrons. Moore, Mark E.. Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Build Your Bible IQ in a Year (p. 307). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
- These patrons hired employees (or slaves) in their homes, such as doctors, lawyers, teachers, and artists.
- These servants were called brokers, making up approximately 5 percent of the population.
- Meanwhile, those employed outside the home—day laborers, farmers, craftsmen, etc.—were called clients.
- This group made up the majority of the population (about three-quarters).
- This left the bottom 15 percent as “expendables” who served in the lowest occupations—miners, prostitutes, ditch diggers—and had very short life spans.
- According to Mark Moore, the patrons. brokers and clients had clearly defined social roles and responsibilities.
- The patron’s job was to provide the resources needed for his clients to survive, such as a job, home, land, medical care, and legal protection.
- Do you know what the total of the gifts patrons provided was called?
- Grace is the exact word Paul uses concerning why we can enjoy salvation.
- God is the patron, and we are the clients in this illustration.
- When Paul’s readers saw and heard the word grace, they understood what he was telling them.
- Now, we will expand on the illustration in our next point.
- Let’s read our passage again.
Ephesians 2:8 (NET 2nd ed.)
8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God;
II. We are saved through faith.
- We are saved by grace, through faith!
- What does Paul mean when he writes we are saved through faith?
- Many try to relegate faith to believing something.
- That is a part of faith.
- Being saved THROUGH faith indicates that participation in the salvation provided by God’s grace is conditional.
- To be a recipient of salvation, we must meet the condition of faith.
- Faith should be translated as FAITHFULNESS.
- Faith means fidelity or habitually doing what God lays out for us.
- I am not being faithful or exhibiting faith if I am not trying to live for Jesus.
- This is vital for us to grasp because too many folks treat baptism as a salvation insurance policy.
- Now, let’s get back to our illustration.
- Remember, patrons, then the brokers, were employed by the patrons.
- The broker’s task was to expand the patron’s influence.
- Brokers were evangelists responsible for acquiring more clients.
- Why would the brokers look for more clients?
- The more clients a patron had, the more money it cost them.
- In ancient times, wealth wasn’t the most coveted commodity; honor was.
- The more clients a patron provided for, the more honored the patron was in the community.
- Now, let’s get to the job of the clients.
- The primary purpose of the client was to honor their patron.
- Their only job or response to the patronage (grace) they received was to make their patron famous!
- The patron would never mention the gifts (grace) he doled out, but the client was to never fail to mention every gift (grace) that the patron had bestowed upon him as often as possible.
- The Greeks used a word to describe the loyalty the clients offered their patrons. That word was faith, perhaps better translated as “fidelity.” Moore, Mark E. Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Build Your Bible IQ in a Year (p. 308). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
- The same word Paul uses when he says that THROUGH faith.
- When Paul says this, he describes Jesus as the patron, and we are the clients!
- Our role as Christians is to be faithful and do whatever we can to make Jesus famous!
- As we make Jesus famous to others, they will have the potential to experience the grace of Jesus!
- As God’s grace shines through us, others will want to have what we have in Jesus.
- God gives us grace, and we show grace to others.
- That is part of being faithful!
- Grace is what one person gives to another when they have the opportunity!
- God’s grace should show through our words, deeds, and actions toward others!
Ephesians 2:8 (NET 2nd ed.)
8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God;
III. Salvation is a gift, not a paycheck.
- Let’s clear up a misconception.
- Paul makes it clear that we are saved by God’s grace through our fidelity to Him.
- Then he says, "Salvation is not from yourselves; it is the gift from God."
- Man’s way of salvation is to earn it.
- I will be a good person, I will so much to help other, and other such things.
- A gift is freely given, while a paycheck is what you expect when you do a job, or for some, you just show up.
- Look at verses 8-10 with me.
Ephesians 2:8–10 (NET 2nd ed.)
8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are his creative work, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them.
- Verse 9 states salvation is not from works so that no one can boast.
- This was a massive struggle for the religious leaders to the point it made them arrogant.
- If one thinks they can earn their salvation, it will breed arrogance within them and contempt for the lost.
- Verse 10 shows what we are called to do because of the salvation we have received by God’s grace.
- Our faith response is to show fidelity to God by doing the good works God prepared for us.
- When we earn a paycheck from God instead of doing what we do for Him as a loving response to Him for what He has done, we will have a shallow, arrogant, unsatisfying, unfulfilling faith.
- This is kind of like a marriage: Make it about yourself, only do things to get things, and the marriage will get old, stale, and unfulfilling after a while.
CONCLUSION
- God’s grace saves us.
- The steps to receiving salvation—faith in Him, confessing Him as Lord, repenting of our sins, and being baptized into Him —are not works but rather the proper response to the grace God wants us to receive.
- Our response to the grace we receive is fidelity to Him.
Revelation 2:10 (NET 2nd ed.)
10 Do not be afraid of the things you are about to suffer. The devil is about to have some of you thrown into prison so you may be tested, and you will experience suffering for ten days. Remain faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown that is life itself.
- During a solar eclipse, the moon perfectly aligns with the sun, casting a shadow on the Earth and creating a breathtaking celestial event.
- Key Point: Like the alignment of the sun and moon during an eclipse, our faith in God aligns us with His grace, creating a transformative experience in our lives.
