Intro:
Can a thinking person really believe in the Grace of Almighty God?
Grace:
Wonderful capacity of God to accept you just the way you are.
You don’t have to prove yourself, earn anything, make your way,
I will receive you as you are, forgive you for what you’ve done.
You don’t have to prove yourself to me. That is God’s Grace.
D L Moody was confronted by a man who said I want to take 30 seconds to tell
you something it took me 40 years to learn.
1. Nothing I can do to earn my salvation.
2. God never ask me to do anything to earn my salvation.
3. God has done everything necessary for my salvation.
His Grace is sufficient for my sins.
He was right. That’s what the bible teaches.
READ ROMANS 11: 1-5
In vs. 5 Paul is dealing with people have rejected the Grace of God.
This passage makes reference to the Jews who have rejected the Gospel of Grace.
In fact: the entire 10th chapter of Romans deals with Israel’s refection of the Gospel of Grace.
Israel has said NO to the Grace of God.
Then, in chapter 11 the question is ask, does that mean that all of Israel, the Jews, have been cast away by God?
Paul says in vs. 1 NO Not all Jews have been cast away because I am a Jew.
“ I’m from the tribe of Israel, I’m from the tribe of Benjamin” “I am a Jew”
Then, in vs. 5 Paul say’s:
In fact, right now, at this present time, there is a remnant of the Jews who are according to the election of Grace.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
He is simply saying that right now even though Israel has rejected the Grace of God, there are some who have received that Grace.
NOW. Look at vs. 6 (READ)
He is saying: Some are right with God by Grace.
If their right with God by grace then it’s grace alone.
Nothing else can make them right with God. Grace is all there is or Grace is nothing at all.
Your either saved by the Grace of God
OR
Your saved by your works
Paul said: It’s by Grace and Grace alone.
Two Things That Keep Us Form Believing in Grace
1. Ego
2. Logic.
EGO: (Foolish Ego)
Says we are the exception to the rule. We don’t need Grace.
Says I’m a good person
Good to my wife / husband
Good to the kids.
Good to my mother in law.
I make a good living
I’M good enough…….
Why do I have to have Grace?
Bible says: The heart is man is deceitful and desperately wicked.
Know what it’s deceitful about?
The fact that it’s desperately wicked!!
Hardest part about getting someone saved is to convince them that they are lost.
To convince them they are lost…..to know what sin is about.
We have this idea that we are OK the way we are
THIS IS FOOLISH EGO
LOGIC (Faulty Logic)
Says this is too good to be true. There must be more to this than Grace.
Our Problem
We live in a performance based society.
TERESA SNYDER STORY
On our jobs. Not how hard we work. How much we get done.
Hebrew people were saying if that’s the way we are, God must be that way.
Their logic was saying God must be like us.
In our world if you must perform, thin in God’s realm, how MUCH MORE must we perform. Grace isn’t logical
That’s a faulty logic.
It’s a logic that looks at God from man.
Instead of
Looking at man from God.
Scripture says; God’s ways are higher than mans ways and Gods thought are higher than mans thoughts.
In James; Bible says: Mercy triumphs over judgment
Know what that means……….
It means God ought to judge us but his mercy triumphs over judgment
THAT”S GRACE!!!!!!!!!!
Theoretically: 3 ways to be saved.
1. Die before the age of accountability
2. Live an absolutely perfect life
3. (Logically) By God’s Grace.
The Grace of God says: just as you are I’ll accept you.
JOHN NEWTON STORY
SING FIRST VS. of Amazing Grace Page 378
It took no more Grace to save John Newton that is does to save you.
It takes no less grace to save you that it did John Newton.
THAT’S WHATS SO AMAZING ABOUT GRACE…….
Can a thinking person really believe in the Grace of Almighty God?
If you’re a thinking person, there is nothing else you can believe.
PRAY
