The Bible is a very precise book and God always does things in a very precise way. If you will read the Bible from cover to cover you will find that there is not a lot of wiggle room to be found in its pages. There aren’t many gray areas that you will discover. You will not be able to say, “Yes I know that this particular thing is wrong to do BUT just maybe I could get by with it. You will not be able to say, “That thing is wrong on some occasions BUT on others it’s okay.” You will not find many plans of salvation for today but only one plan of salvation. Jesus said, “I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life. There are not many ways to come to the Lord in salvation but just one way. There is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. There is one God and father of all who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Knowing that the Bible is very meticulous and exact in nature causes me some trouble when I read certain scriptures because there isn’t very much room to wiggle out of some of the predicaments that I get myself into and perhaps you get yourself into as well.
For instance the Bible tells us that sin separates us from God and makes it so he can’t hear us:
Psalm 66:18
18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
That scripture causes me great concern because I know that as good a person as I might be from time to time sin gets into my heart.
Proverbs 15:29
29 The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.
That doesn’t make me feel too good when it says that God is far from the wicked.
John 9:31
31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
If I have sin in my heart God doesn’t hear me.
Isaiah 59:2
2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
Those scriptures are very precise and exact. There is no tolerance found there for sin at all. There is no wiggle room for sin in a person’s life whatsoever.
This leads me to another dilemma for the Bible further tells us that we are all sinners and we have sin in our life. We all start out the same way as far as God is concerned.
Psalm 51:5
5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Romans 3:23
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
1 John 1:8
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
So here we have this gap because we are all sinners and sin separates us from God. We read the scriptures together how that sin separates us and sin will not allow God to hear us and how sin will cause God to hide his face from us. The scriptures are very precise and exact on this subject.
The scriptures give us an image of a great gap or a large space between a holy God and a sinful fallen mankind.
(Illustrate the gap)
I wonder today how can this gap be bridged? I wonder how can I make it across this gulf between me and God if sin is still there.
Before I answer that question I would like to point out something else from the scripture that causes my heart to have great joy.
In the Bible, from cover to cover, I see God pursuing after fallen mankind. In the very first book of the Bible after God creates Adam and Eve we read how they both fell into sin. Before their sin God came down in the cool of the day to have fellowship with Adam and Eve. According to the scriptures that we have already read that daily process should have been over because sin separates us from God. But I read and I see God pursuing after Adam and Eve the very next day. Adam, where are you? Eve, where are you?
In the scriptures we see it over and over again and I’m glad we do see it, God pursuing fallen mankind.
∑ Abraham
∑ Jacob
∑ David
∑ Peter
∑ Saul - Paul
What gives God the right to violate his word that says sin separates us from him? I’ll tell you what give him the right – It’s called GRACE!
Titus 2:11-12
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
The grace of God that brings salvation, it says has appeared to all men. It’s available for everybody. Not everybody will accept it but that doesn’t change the fact that it is available to everybody.
1 Timothy 2:3-6
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
Grace is a wonderful thing to have pursuing after me and I am thankful that we are living during the time of grace today.
John 1:16-17
16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
What is grace? It has been said that grace is the unmerited favor of God and that is true. I didn’t deserve God’s grace and you didn’t deserve God’s grace but he freely gave it anyway.
More precisely, grace is both the desire and the power to do the will of God. Grace not only tracks you down and pursues after you but it also gives you the desire and the power to do the will of God for your life.
It was the grace of God that rubbed off on the apostles and changed them and allowed them to reach their world. It was the grace of God that so transformed their life that they turned their world upside-down with the gospel message.
When God touches a life with his grace you have the ability to live for God and do the will of God.
Let me tell you what grace is not. Grace is not a license to sin. Grace is not you doing what you want to do Monday through Saturday and then coming to church on Sunday. Grace is not doing what pleases you.
Romans 6:1-2
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Grace gives you the freedom to live above sin. Where sin doth abound grace does much more abound. Everything we need can be found in Jesus and in his grace.
∑ Grace sets the captive free
∑ Grace heals the broken-hearted
∑ Grace sets at liberty them that are bruised
∑ Grace brings healing
∑ Grace brings salvation
∑ Grace brings deliverance
∑ Grace picks you up out of a horrible pit of sin and sets your feet on a solid rock
The song says, “Tis grace that brought me safe this far and grace will bring me home.”
Galatians 1
Death- burial- resurrection
Repentance- Baptism- Holy Ghost
Luke 15
Lost coin
∑ only one lost I still have nine
∑ Just leave it
∑ Not worth looking for
That might be you today
ÿ Not a prestigious family
ÿ Not worth much
Lost sheep
∑ Blemished lamb
∑ No good anyway
∑ Still have 99
Maybe this is you today
ÿ Blemished by sin
ÿ No good in current condition
Lost son
∑ Rebellious son
∑ Not worthy anymore
Maybe this is you today.
ÿ Was saved once before
ÿ Can I still come back to God?
Anything and everything that you need today is available and here because of the grace of God.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
His grace is all you need today.
