God'S Grace

Introduction: Scripture Reading- Titus 2:11-14

1. The word grace can be defined as “unmerited favor.”

  1. Grace – receiving what we do not deserve.
  2. Mercy – not receiving what we do deserve.

2. As with many Bible topics, people swing to extremes.

  1. Some say that we must “earn” God’s grace.
  2. On the other extreme is the idea that grace is so powerful we need not take sin too seriously.

3. In this lesson, I wish to present three important truths about God’s grace.

Discussion:

I. Grace Is Resistible

  1. The doctrine of “Irresistible Grace” states – “God's grace and salvation cannot be effectively resisted. When God determines to save a man, that man is saved! Neither that man himself nor the devil, nor the wicked world are able to prevent his salvation.” -Reformed Free Publishing Association
  2. This doctrine of “Irresistible Grace” is a part of the theology of Calvinism.
    1. Rom. 9:19 “Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?”
    2. “Grace, if it is grace, must be irresistible grace. Because God is an irresistible, powerful, and sovereign God, His grace is irresistible, powerful and sovereign. God and God’s grace cannot effectively and ultimately be resisted by the most obstinate of sinners.”
  3. However, this is not a part of God’s scheme of redemption revealed in Scripture.
  4. Consider these passages: (Titus 2:11-12; 2 Cor. 6:1; Acts 13:46; John 12:32).
    1. Acts 13:46 apotheomai- “put away from you”, reject (NKJV and NIV); whether or not they were trying to be humble or some other reason, they rejected God’s word and thus God’s grace.
    2. Acts 26:27-28 “King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuades me to be a Christian.”
    3. Acts 24:24-25 “And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. And as he (Paul) reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.”
    4. Rom. 6:14-23 [Read] Grace is a gift to be accepted or rejected. We are never forced to accept a true gift, not even grace.
    5. What is really being said in Rom. 9. Notice who is speaking in vs. 19, the Jews (or Paul is referring to the Jews). God it is your fault that I have sinned, you made me this way. This is not affirmation of fact, this is the apostle Paul saying that the Jews blame God for their disobedience. However, it was because of their disobedience and God’s grace that he was longsuffering with them and offered salvation to them first, before the Gentiles, but they rejected that grace.

II. Grace is Amazing

  1. “Amazing Grace” – John Newton, 1779.
    1. Rom. 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
    2. Rom. 3:23; 5:12 “3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. “5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered the world, and death by sin; and so passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
    3. I John 1:8-10 [Read]
  2. Paul, the apostle (1 Timothy 1:12-17).
  3. Then there’s your story. Not talking about “witnessing” because we weren’t there 2,000 years ago to witness anything. As far as, giving a “testimony”; this isn’t an AA meeting. We have all sinned and come short of God’s glory, we never deserved salvation and never will, that is why Paul refers to it as a free gift. So we can’t earn or merit it.
    1. The Greek word(s) in the NT used for testimony means evidence or witness. (Strong’s: marturia and marturion; same word different forms.)
    2. The only way we can use the same Greek word today, is as evidence. Matt. 5; Christians, God’s people, are the light of the world, not our own light but God’s light being reflected. Our lives should reflect and be evidence of God’s grace and love.
  4. The world/religious world can offer just about anything God offers [love, a home, acceptance, etc.], and in some cases better than God can offer it (Heb. 11:25 “[Moses] Choosing rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God, than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.”), except for one thing, grace.
    1. God is a just and loving God. He offers us 2 choices, obey him and receive eternal happiness and glory with him or disobey him and receive eternal punishment, pain, and suffering in Hell with Satan and his demons/angels.
    2. God’s grace is the good news of the gospel. That Christ was willing to die for us while we were yet sinners and God, the Father, was willing to give His only begotten son, so that we might have a hope of eternal salvation. [Col. 1:15-23] hope- looking forward to, not blindly, but because of the evidence of God’s love and fulfillment of promises.
    3. “Don’t allow this good news to simmer on a back burner. It needs to be front and center!”
  5. (John 1:16). “And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.” Vs. 18 says that Christ declared God. The Greek word there means to tell aloud. Jesus preached about God and the kingdom/the church and we know that Jesus was put to death by the Jews for preaching and proclaiming that he was the Son of God. They thought he was being blasphemous, but it was truth.
    1. Paul and Barnabas, in Acts 15:26 were said to be men that have hazarded their lives, meaning they were willing to put their lives at risk (death, imprisonment, etc.) for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
    2. Those Christians in the 1st century who overcame Satan and sin it was by the blood of Jesus (Rev. 12:11) and when they declared Christ, “they loved not their lives unto to death.”
    3. Christ was willing to die for us while we were lost and in the stranglehold of sin and the Christians of the 1st century were willing to put their lives in danger just to preach the Gospel, are we willing to do that today?

III. Grace has Expectations

A. (Titus 2:11-12).

  1. It, grace, teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts.
  2. It, grace, also teaches us to live soberly, righteously, and godly.

B. Grace isn’t a “hall-pass” to sin and live as you wish.

1. It demands a changed life (Romans 5:20-6:2). “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid.”

C. In order to first accept God’s free gift of grace, there are expectations; commands if we want to make it to heaven. Eternal life, through salvation, is God’s gift and he paid the price, so he has every right to set the terms for accepting this gift.

1. Repentance in the NT (metanoia) means to feel guilt for an action(s), a reversal or change of mind on a decision; change of life.

2. 2 Cor. 7:8-11 Difference between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. ASV 1901

i. vs. 8 metamellonmai- to regret

ii. vs. 10 ametameletos- to be changed, a form of the same word meaning to regret

iii. Forms of the same word, metanoeo, but different meanings, depending on the context.

3. Godly sorrow leading to repentance is not meant to be regretted or changed, but that does not mean that we can’t change our minds again and go back into the world.

i. Several verses in the NT explain that we can fall away from God’s grace, if we choose to reject him and go back to that life of sin.

ii. Gal. 5:4; 2 Pet. 2 “vs. 15 have forsaken (abandoned) the right way and gone astray”; “vs. 20 the latter end (final) is worse with them than the beginning.”; vs. 21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known to turn from the holy commandment (prescription) delivered unto them.

ii. Jesus is referred to as the Great Physician, sin is a disease or cancer that is a death sentence, but the Gospel is the prescription from the Great Physician to escape that death. 2 Pet. 2 is referring to those who have accepted the prescription or treatment and are now refusing that treatment and accepting death unto eternal life in Hell.

Conclusion:

  1. The NT teaches of 2 ways to eternal life: God’s grace is our only hope for eternal life in heaven.
  2. By living in sin, refusing to admit that we have sins and repent of sins, and resisting God’s commandments, we make God’s grace of no effect in our lives. (John 3:16-21 Should not, might not be lost, must hold or possess everlasting life. Those who believe should not be lost, but possess everlasting life. How do we obtain or possess everlasting life so that we are not lost?
  3. If you want to experience God’s amazing grace, then surrender your will to his. (Rom. 6; Heb. 5:9)
  4. There are 2 sides to every coin: God did his part in offering a way out of sin and the punishment of it; we must do our part and accept that grace by obeying his will. The NT shows a logical progression and is the command of God that we 1) Hear, 2) Believe, 3) Repent, 4) Confess our faith, 5) Be immersed, and 6) Live faithful unto death.
  5. Invitation: Will you accept or reject God’s grace this morning?

Author: Patrick King