Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
11/2/97 pm
Grace, Grace Marvelous Grace
Reading — Ephesians 2.8-9; Titus 3.5-7; 2 Corinthians 9.15;
Romans 8.35, 33-37; Titus 2.11-14
The concept, the doctrine of grace is best summed up by Paul as he writes to Titus in chapter 2, beginning with the verse numbered 11, For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live sober, self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age, looking forward to that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own peculiar, special people, eager to do good works.
Church, these verses take: the facts of the gospel… the scheme of redemption… the plan of salvation… and the doctrine of grace and meld them together into an understandable theme.
Here we see: Salvation, Redemption, Grace, Obedience, Moral Purity, and Good Works, all placed in the same setting. Paul says that our salvation is the result of God’s grace... But grace teaches us that Jesus’ redeemed, blood bought people, must live special, peculiar, disciplined, lives.
Our study tonight is GRACE. I love to preach on grace. Just because there exist some false teachings, in religious circles today, we must not run from teaching about the joys of grace. Grace is a Bible concept... It is a Bible doctrine. In fact, GRACE is what the Bible is all about... Isn’t it?
DID YOU KNOW THAT, GRACE IS UNIQUE TO CHRISTIANITY.
No other world religion presents salvation a free gift... Without ANY meritorious works.
- Paul told the church at Ephesus, we are saved by grace through faith.
- Peter, before the Jerusalem council on Gentile inclusion into the
church, declared; We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus
that we are saved.
- Paul tells Titus that we are justified by His grace... So that we might be
hairs to eternal life.
The lesson tonight is a study of GRACE. Acrosticly, we will take the letters of the word GRACE and let them spell out truth on this most important and edifying subject.
FIRST THE LETTER G... G—STANDS FOR GOD’S GRACE.
You see, we need to know what grace is because our salvation, our redemption is by grace. In whom we have redemption, through the forgiveness of sins, according to his grace.
If salvation is by grace, according to grace, I want to know what grace is... Don’t you? So, we need a working definition. What is grace?
- It is unmerited favor.
This simply means grace is neither Sought... Wrought... Nor Bought by human means. Grace is a free gift of God bestowed upon human kind. While we were yet sinners... Before we knew Jesus, or before we even knew we needed Jesus, He died for us... That’s grace!
- Grace is God’s initiative on our behalf.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
- Acrosticly, Grace is God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Our New Testament is filled with examples of grace. The word grace does not appear in the story of the Prodigal Son, but GRACE is what this narrative is about. We are the Prodigal, we waste our inheritance from the Father in riotous, unrighteous living. We take the great blessing God has given us and use them to peruse a hog pen life-style. Then we come to ourselves realizing there is something better than this in the Father’s house. The Prodigal said, I don’t desire to be called a son... And he didn’t... And he didn’t. I want you to notice that the Prodigal never thought of Grace... No he didn’t! He reasoned like this, I’ll go home and WHAT?...
- Work for my father.
- Become a hired hand in my father’s house.
I will go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your (What) hired men.' But the father didn’t let him finish his speech. Grace, Grace!... The father got the Prodigal:
- A ring,
- A robe,
- Shoes for his feet,
- The fatted calf for his hunger,
- Forgiveness,
-• And fellowship with those in the father’s house.
Folk, that’s grace, not what we deserve, but what we need.
As the Good Samaritan traveled down life’s Jericho Road, he met a Jew who needed something. Now, because of the way Jews treated Samaritans, this man was certainly not under any obligation to help him. But the Samaritan:
- Bound up his wounds,
- Put him on his own donkey,
- Took him to an inn,
- Told the inn keeper... His care is at my expense.
Audience, God is the Good Samaritan.
Paul says, nothing can separate us from the love of God!
- He binds up our wounds,
- Carries us in His arms,
- Provides for our daily care,
- Then saves us at his expense.
Paul was right in Athens wasn’t he? Indeed! Indeed! It is in Him that we live, move and its to Him that we owe both our existence and our salvation. We are twice God’s.... Twice bought... Once in creation and once in salvation.
The scribes and Pharisees brought Jesus a woman caught in the very act of adultery. The woman deserved to be stoned for her sin. But stoning was not what she needed... Forgiveness was her real need. Jesus said, Neither do I condemn you... Go your way and stop your sinning.
Folk, we need such a Savior.
- We need redemption,
- Atonement for our sins,
- We need reconciliation with God.
- We need forgiveness,
And that can’t be earned, merited, bought, or traded for.
We cannot earn our own salvation... We never could. Here it is church, the idea of self-justification is deeply ingrained in raw humanism. But the Hebrews writer tells us that the sacrificial blood of bulls and goats could never do it. Even under the Law of Moses, there was the annual remembrance of sin... Not forgiveness. If we could have earned it, then there would be no reason for God to send His Son to purchase our pardon.
G—Stands for grace.. God’s unmerited favor, expressed to us through His Son as a free gift.
R — STANDS FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Folk, there are only two roads that man can travel... One is right and one is wrong.
- One is the broad way that is all inclusive.
- The other is the straight and narrow and it is very exclusive.
One leads to eternal destruction and the other to everlasting life. One way is God’s way, the other is man’s way. Solomon wrote, There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Jesus put it in these words, Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. He said, Your are either for me or against me... There is no middle ground... No neutral zone.
Some are ready to say, but preacher that is narrow mindedness. Yes it is isn’t it? It is amazing how we accept narrow-mindedness in every field except religion.
- In mathematics we are narrow-minded enough to accept that 2 plus 2 equals 4 and no other answer is appropriate... No other answer is right.
- In chemistry, water is H2O... H2O2 is no longer water, but hydrogen peroxide. One we drink for life, One we use as a disinfectant.
- In physics... The law of gravity is very narrow-minded... In fact it is ridged. This law runs the universe.
If God has laws in the material realm that are fixed and cannot be violated, would He be so haphazard, in the spiritual realm, where the eternal destinies of billions are at stake?.. No. No.... A thousand times not. Listen, here is God’s spiritual law... Ready?
- The wages of sin is death.
- The soul that sinneth it shall surely die.
The plan of salvation is: so plain, so clear, so simple, that those who miss it, must do so only with human assistance.
For instance:
- Romans 6.23 tells us that God’s gift of eternal life comes by or through Jesus Christ, the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- Peter concluded in Acts 4.12 that, There is no salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. That’s narrow... But that is God’s way. And it is exclusive of all other ways.
- He that believes and is baptize shall be saved, he that believes not shall be condemned. That’s narrow... It appears to exclude the nonbeliever.
- Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is narrow and exclusive.
Perhaps you’re thinking, but wait, I though salvation was a free gift. Now it sounds like I am working for it. No No! Let me give you an example. Lungs were made to breath air...
- Three parts, about 78% nitrogen,
- One part about 21% oxygen,
- And 1% other gases.
Gills, on the other hand we’re made to breath water... H2O...
- Two parts hydrogen
- And one part oxygen.
Reverse the environment and both those with lungs and gills die. You see, life is a free gift of God. Yet, keeping our head out of water is NOT a work that earns us life. It is a law of God. The spiritual life of peace, contentment and inward happiness here; forgiveness of all our sins; salvation; and eternal existence in heaven, is a free gift of God, but we cannot possess it
- One without Jesus Christ,
- Two, without our personal response to His commands.
We must be willing to live by God’s spiritual laws. Are we willing?
Look at Titus two again... The grace of God that brings salvation, also teaches us how to live RIGHTEOUSLY... How is that?
- Deny ungodly ways.
- Deny worldly lust.
- Live sober, self-controlled, upright, Godly lives.
- And be a people ready to do good works... Good deeds.
So, even though grace is a free gift, it teaches us that we need to exclude evil and that we become a people and person of good deeds.
R—Stands for righteousness.
A—STANDS FOR HIS APPEARING.
The glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Now I want us to note two ways Jesus comes to us...
- One by living in us, bringing us peace while we are in this world.
- One in the fact that He will come again to get us at the end of time.
In John 14, Jesus said, In my fathers house are many mansions and I go to prepare one for you, and if I go, I will come back to get you. In verse 27 He promises, until I do come to get you, My peace I leave you, My peace I give you. What kind of peace was Jesus promising? Peace that comes from knowing that one day He will come to get us. Peace that comes from knowing that we are:
- Saved...
- Reconciled...
- Purchased...
- Pardoned....
- Redeemed...
- Heaven bound people.
Question!... Why is there is peace in heaven?... Why is there is peace in heaven? Because Jesus reigns there. And today, there can be peace, genuine peace, in the human heart.. IF... IF, JESUS REIGNS THERE. Perhaps, this is our trouble. We have no peace, because Jesus is not reigning in our hearts. Wherever Jesus reigns, there is peace.
- Praise God for His grace, and the peace it brings as He lives in our hearts.
- Praise God that one day He will come physically and take us to heaven.
C—STANDS FOR THE CROSS.
Christ without the cross is not grace is it? The work of grace was the death of Jesus on the cross. Listen to the prophet Isaiah:
- He was wounded for our transgressions.
- He was bruised for our iniquities.
- He was numbered with the transgressors.
- He bore the sins of many.
It’s the same today, as it was in the time of Paul.. The cross of Christ is an embarrassment and a stumbling block for many. There are those today, who are embarrassed by what they term bloody religion. But the grace of God is based upon the blood of the cross. Scripture tells us, without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness.
For many, the cross is a stumbling block because it is a constant reminder that we are sinners... Sinners in need of: Constant... Continual... Perpetual forgiveness.
All have sinned, all have fallen short... There is none right no not one. You see we must have the blood of the cross as a propitiation, as a payment for our sins. Romans 3.35 says, God presented Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement, and it is through faith in HIS (What) blood that our sins are forgiven.
We can’t save ourselves without the cross. All our good works, all our good deeds are but filthy rags in God eyes. We need the cross.
“Not the labors of my hands,
Can fulfill thy laws demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
These for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring;
simply to thy cross I cling.”
Church, as children of God, the blood of Jesus:
- Forgives us of all PAST sins.
- Forgives us of our PRESENT sins of this day.
- And will continue to forgive us of TOMORROW’S sins,
As we walk in the light of His Word. Christian people don’t have to die with their fingers crossed. Indeed, the way of the cross leads home.
C—Stands for the cross.
E — STANDS FOR EXHORTATION.
The good news of God’s grace is that it is not limited to only a few... The gospel is for all. The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. Tonight... Right now, Jesus stands at the door and knocks. We hear Him whisper;
- Come unto Me all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.
- The bride and the Spirit say come- Whosoever will let him come.
You see the church, and God are waiting for you to respond to God’s marvelous grace. Come be a child of God by:
- Faith,
- Repentance,
- Confession,
- And New Testament baptism, immersion in water for the forgiveness of all your sins.
Perhaps you’re here tonight, as a child of God, and you haven’t been walking in the light... Come home!
