Understanding Grace

Title: Understanding Grace

1.Statistics of what God is doing around the world

A. Every day the average number added to the body of Christ worldwide averages 174,000.

B. 3,500 new churches are opening every week worldwide.

C. Every month another 15,000 in India are baptized as new believers in Jesus Christ.

D. Six new churches open every day in South Korea, and it is the site of nine of the world’s largest churches - some with more than 800,000 members.

E. In a six-year period in one Muslim country two million Muslims came to Christ

F. China's Protestant community had just one million members in 1949. In 2010 there were more than 58 million Protestants in China.

A leading expert on religion in China, believes that number will swell to around 160 million by 2025.

To what do we credit this growth? Most of these places are places of intense persecution, limited or no resources or live in hostile conditions,

Colossians 1:6 might be the answer

“All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has being doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.” (Colossians 1:6)

The gospel bears fruit and grows all over the world when people hear and understand God’s grace in all its truth.

What God is doing all over the world He wants to do in Ireland too! When Ireland hears and understands God’s Grace in all its truth we will bear fruit and grow in our own faith too.

Our goal today: To grow in our own understanding of God’s grace so that we can grow in our faith and bear fruit.

Our Starting point: What is God’s Grace?

We hear about God’s grace but do we understand what it is?

Definition: Grace is the favorable disposition of God towards sinners on account of Christ

Let’s try to understand and apply this definition of Grace better by breaking it down into three parts

A.Grace is the favorable disposition of God

3 Examples of the favorable disposition of God recorded in the Bible

1.Creation

Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. (Genesis 1:31)

2.Christ

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:9)

3.Church

And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. (Acts 4:33)

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2

Grace is the favorable disposition of God and the favorable disposition of God implies

1.Peace from God (the church)

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2

Peace = Harmony with God, well-being with God; prosperity with God

2.Power from God (the church)

And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. (Acts 4:33)

Power from God = Dynamite, supernatural strength

3.Praise from God (Creation and Jesus)

Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. (Genesis 1:31)

Praise from God = God’s approval, pleasure

Here is what we need to first understand about God’s Grace

Everything we need in order to bear fruit and grow is all found in God’s grace!

We should already know that everything we need to get saved (right with God) is found in Grace

“For it is by grace we are saved through faith and this not of ourselves it is a gift from God”

Its just as true that everything we need to grow and bear fruit is also found in Grace

1 Corinthians 15:10

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Illustration

Think for a moment about what we need to bear fruit and grow in our spiritual life?

1.We need peace with and from God!

Forgiveness, reconciliation, friendship with God

Grace is peace from God

For it is by Grace we are saved (peace with God)

2.We need power from God!

Grace is Power from God

2 Corinthians 12:9

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.