Title: His Good Grace, Freely Given…
Scripture: Romans 3:20-24
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. 21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Introduction
The use of credit in the world, such as credit cards or bank loans, is phenomenal! Look at these credit card statistics of graduate students in the U.S. in the year 2,000:
Ninety-five percent of all graduate students had credit cards.
Of the 95% who have credit cards:
• Average number of credit cards = 4
• Average credit card debt = $4,776 (median=$3,068)
• 20% have credit card debt between $6,000 - $15,000
• 6% have credit card debt greater than $15,000
Here’s some more statistics about debt in the United States, specifically bank loans :
The U.S. consumers’ average debt is 12 percent higher compared to the same time last year.
The U.S. consumers have an average debt of $11,224 compared to last year’s average debt of $10,024.
25 percent of U.S. consumers have debt that is above the national average of $11,224
Where are we going with all this? I think we really need to know what is out there in the world and what is going on in the world. The world wants us to spend our hard-earned money on non-essential things that don’t really help us very much. The world wants us to have a false sense of security so that if we don’t have the money now, we can always either place it on some type of charge card, credit card, or maybe even borrow the money from the bank.
I’m sure many of you read the newspaper and listen to the news. I like to watch the news through a variety of sources on the internet. Through multiple sources one can readily see that things are getting much worse in the world. The world is falling apart, very quickly.
Here are some headlines from just one day, Tuesday, July 5th:
Human remains found in hunt for boy.
Gunmen killed at Indian Temple.
Teenager killed for his IPOD.
Al Qaeda suspect killed in Riyadh
Sex Killer released from prison.
What a mess! As a race of people where are we heading?
Now here’s a question, “Why does the world reject something that could solve this chaos in an instant?” Why do they instead seek to ridicule the Christians and their beliefs?
Christian nations are put down and made fun of as ‘infidels.’ What’s an infidel, a person who does not acknowledge your god.
Many countries in the past have welcomed missionaries into their war-torn or starving nations. But, after helping them get back on their feet, they are kicked out, or maybe something worse was done.
Many countries have welcomed the help of Christian nations. As a matter of fact, I recently read of a country that was indignant with the U.S. because the United States wouldn’t send any money to them. The U.S. is not a rich country as many countries believe. It’s simply a country that had its start in Christianity and has been blessed by God. But, lately, I’m not so sure…
The Bible is explicit in the fact that God will bless you, when you are following His will for your life. And, it is explicit in the fact that God doesn’t care who you are:
(Romans 2:11) For God does not show favoritism.
Today we are going to look at some Biblical aspects of ‘What will’ and ‘What won’t’:
I. What Won’t Save You?
II. What Will Save You?
III. The Subject of Grace
I. What Won’t Save You!
In verses 20 and 23 of Romans chapter three, Paul lets us know just who is included in the fallen nature.
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Now, if you’re wondering if that includes you, don’t wonder any longer, because it does include you. There are no exceptions to this rule, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
When we go back to Genesis 3, we see what happened when Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil:
(Genesis 3:7) Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Their eyes were opened. When we study the use of the word eye or eyes in the Bible we find many variations. But, none stick out further than:
(Matthew 6:22) "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.
We see here the eye as an extension or tool of the soul. Meaning, that if the soul of man is good and obedient to God, the eye will search out that which is good to look upon and turn away from that, that is not good.
Yet, as one slowly turns away from God, his countenance changes. As one slowly turns away from God, his thought process changes. As one slowly turns away from God, the eyes desire to look on the evil of the world. The evil becoming more and more alluring and attractive.
When the soul has strayed sufficiently from God in its pursuit of evil, it will, as we learned last week in Psalm 81, be given over to that evil by God.
(Psalms 81:12) So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.
Did you know that everyone has the capacity or the predisposition in varying degrees within themselves to become an alcoholic? Did you know that everyone has the capacity or the predisposition in varying degrees within themselves to become addicted to something in their lifetime? Whether you believe it or not is irrelevant, though some would argue degrees of addiction or possibly chemical addiction over physical, or mental.
Why this penchant for addiction? Why do we have within ourselves desires that seemingly seek to overcome or take control of our lives? Why? Because of what is says in Romans 3:23:
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Man, in his fallen state cannot recover the ground that was lost in the Garden of Eden, nor can he even attempt it.
Again, what happened in the Garden? Through the first Adam our eyes were open to the fact of sin. There is no going back from that. That is what God meant when He told Adam:
(Genesis 2:17) but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.
You will surely die! He didn’t mean that Adam was going to eat a poisoned piece of fruit and fall over physically dead, for man is not just made up of physical pieces! Man is composed of three parts, what we call the trichotomy of man: body, soul, and spirit.
When Adam chose to disobey God, man’s original order, spirit, soul and body, was changed to body, soul, and spirit. Man’s whole being was turned around and the spirit was essentially put to death. That is why we need to be re-born through Jesus, so that we can be put back into the right order.
What won’t save YOU? The world, the people in the world, and you in the world.
II. What Will Save You
21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
Paul tells us that righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. So, how do we believe in the first place? I mean elsewhere in the Bible we are told that we are unable to understand the things of God, unless the Spirit of God is at work in us. And, if we don’t have Christ, then the Spirit of God is not working in us. So how are we able to believe, that is, to take those first steps in God’s direction if we have no inclination in a sin-filled body to do so? How are we to do that? How are we supposed to make that transition from body, soul, and spirit, to spirit, soul and body? Let’s go back to the Gospel of John, chapter 3, verse 3, where Jesus tells Nicodemus:
3 … I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
Understanding this, and knowing what Paul said in Romans, Chapter 1, specifically verse 20, about God’s invisible qualities being revealed to man, then, we have to assume that within everyone there is something planted by God telling us to turn to Him. And, we have to assume that standing before everyone there is something telling us to turn to Him. Then, in 2 Corinthians 6:2, Paul tells us that now is the time!
(2 Corinthians 6:2) For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
Let me give you an example. Every so often I hear of the Immigration department offering amnesty [or forgiveness] to those foreign workers that have overstayed their visas. These workers are living and working illegally in this country, either because they wanted to stay and work or because they were made to stay by people that took away their passports.
Whatever the reason, the immigration people offer amnesty to these illegal residents. They announce that anyone living illegally in this country can go to immigration and be allowed to leave without any fear of fine or imprisonment. The only problem, the worker himself must personally come to immigration, and only between a certain time period. Only by making a personally appearance at the immigration office will their case be heard. They cannot have someone go for them. They cannot call on the telephone, or send an email, they must show up in person.
But, that’s the immigration side. What does the worker think? Does he or she believe the offer? Does he or she believe that no harm or fine will be pursued? What promise do they have other than what was stated by the immigration office?
In the case of God’s salvation, what promise do you have other than that which has been spoken to your heart by God? That’s all you have. But it should be enough. God has spoken to the hearts of men and women, and through nature, that not only does He exist, but, you can have forgiveness in Jesus.
How does that work? Well, the normal course of feelings as we grow up in this lost and dying world is that we are terribly inadequate. No matter what people do, or how much people try to build up our self-esteem, we will still have in varying degrees that innate feeling within ourselves that we are woefully inadequate. What is that? Where does it come from? That is God subconsciously convicting our sin-nature to turn to Him, to follow Him. His kindness is drawing you to repentance.
That is why, when we do finally put our faith in Jesus there is a feeling that a tremendous burden has been lifted off of us. And, it has! Spiritual Death is a heavy burden to have to carry around all of your life, and once it is lifted off of your shoulders, you begin to fill lighter. Once you put your faith in Jesus, you have Jesus-esteem, not self-esteem, and that will tell you that you may humbly appear before God to claim His offer of being able to stand righteous before God.
Romans 3:22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
What will save you? Jesus will save you. Deep within every human being is a voice that is begging man and women to turn to Him. Do they? Well, they all have the opportunity to do so? But, do they? Sadly, no. Many resist the call of God in many ways.
They resist Him altogether, and call themselves atheists.
They resist Him somewhat and call themselves Catholics
They resist Him somewhat and call themselves Muslims
They resist Him somewhat, but use everything said about Him and attribute it to themselves and call themselves Moonies.
The resistance is what condemns. The resistance to God’s FULL KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM is what condemns us and allows that feeling of inadequacy to remain.
What will save? Jesus saves! But, how can that be? Why is it so? What makes man so different than anything else in the world?
Let’s talk about the subject of Grace
III. The Subject of Grace
Think about these verses from John, chapter 3,
(John 3:16-18) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Now back to Romans 3:23 & 24,
“for all … are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Many people, when they graduate from High School are chosen because of their abilities, whether physical or mental, to receive a scholarship to attend college. They are freely given the opportunity, because of what they have done, to attend a certain college all expenses paid. The college will call them and let them know that all they have to do is show up at the college registration office and they will be taken care of. Again, there is presence needed. A ‘taking’ of the offer is required for the offer to be made valid.
But that’s not God’s grace!
What about this? Early on, during my travels, I had noticed some large red boxes located in different areas of different airports. They were called amnesty boxes. These boxes were placed there just in case there was a second thought by the traveler. Hmm, a second thought by the traveler, I wonder what the first thought was. Apparently, the first thoughts had been to smuggle weapons, or drugs, or plants, or something that was not allowed on the airplane, to another location. So, the customs people thought they would offer one last chance to throw away the forbidden items. But, that’s not all it does. Every time that certain someone who has that certain something that is certainly not allowed on that plane passes by that box they are reminded that they are breaking the law. Every time that certain someone who has that certain something that is certainly not allowed on that plane glances or looks at that box over in the corner while they are sitting in the lounge, they are reminded that they are breaking the law. All they have to do is drop whatever it is in the box before they go through customs and they won’t have the possibility of getting caught hanging over their head.
But, that’s not God’s grace.
Oh, what about this? A man is in a hurry to get to an interview for a job. He knows that he will be late if he doesn’t hurry, but traffic is bad. He decides to take the bus lane. He quickly moves through traffic and arrives at the interview with plenty of time to spare. However, one month later he receives a notice in the mail. A picture of his car driving through the bus lane had been taken, and now he was being fined for his actions. Rather than simply paying the fine, he goes to the traffic office and complains. He argues that he was entitled to use that lane for a short time, since he was going to be turning. He didn’t mention that his turn was four or five blocks away! But, the man at the traffic office decides to grant his request, and removes the fine. No charge, no fine, the man is happy.
But, that’s not God’s grace.
Now, suppose the person passes up the box and gets on the airplane with more golf clubs, deer antlers, money, or electronic equipment than they are allowed to carry into the next country? Suppose they slip by the customs officials as they leave the country and they have a great flight. Maybe they buy ten cartons of cigarettes, duty-free, while they are on the plane.
But then, right before landing the stewardess hands out those dreaded customs cards. Now, again, the opportunity exists for the man or woman to either declare on paper what they have, or possibly face the consequences if they are caught. But they don’t take the opportunity. Instead, when the plane lands, they get off and go to the baggage claim area to pickup their bags.
Now, at baggage claim they are again offered the opportunity to simply take off the tag and leave the bags there. A great opportunity to leave the bags behind and not get caught. But they pick up the bags take the bags with them.
At the customs desk, the man or woman tries to use a truthful-sounding voice and say, “I have nothing to declare to customs!”
But the customs agent doesn’t believe them, and searches the bags. He sees the illegal items, but the agent lets the man or woman go anyway. Why? Because he felt like it.
But that’s not God’s grace!
Well, suppose a man is guilty of every law that was ever made? The man had been caught in the act and there is no way out. Every charge has incontrovertible evidence. His trial comes up and he is rightfully convicted. But, right before his sentencing, another person that he doesn’t even know steps up and says he’ll take the man’s place, he’ll take the punishment that he deserves. Well, all of this is acceptable to the judge, but the guilty man must believe that it will take place on his behalf. He must decide whether to take the offer or take the punishment.
The judge looks to the guilty man and asks him if he believes that this innocent man will do this. The guilty man hangs his head, admits that he did all those things, but says he will allow the other man to be punished in his place.
That’s what God’s grace is all about. The Bible tells us that we were sinners from birth because of the first Adam. And, Jesus tells us that when we committed one sin, we are guilty of them all. But, He went to the cross to pay for all of that.
Now, standing before every man and woman is that same offer. Within each and every man and woman is the compelling tug of God’s grace in our hearts to turn and put it all on the cross. But, like the judge in the story, God is there asking us that same question: Do you believe that this innocent man, this man Jesus, will do this?
Conclusion:
Jesus came to this earth to accomplish one thing: to grant eternal life to all that believe in Him. Let’s look at it this way:
We were told He was coming to this earth.
He told us He was here, while He was on this earth.
He told us He was here, shortly after the resurrection.
We were told He was Here [by others] on this earth.
And, He is right now, in Heaven, telling us He is still here!
But there has to be a catch, doesn’t there? I just can’t have something for nothing! Yes, there is a catch. I must step forward. I must step forward with that faith that God has placed in my heart, and the redemption that Jesus accomplished on the cross, and claim my salvation. There is no other way.
What won’t save me? The world, my friends, my relatives…
What will save me? The finished work of the cross.
