Amazing Grace!

I. INTRODUCTION

MAN AND GABRIEL AT HEAVENS GATE

There is a story that speaks of a man who died and faced the angel Gabriel at heaven’s gates.

The angel said, “Here’s how this works. You need a hundred points to make it into heaven.

You tell me all the good things you have done, and I will give a certain number of points for each of them.

The more good there is in the work that you cite, the more points you will get for it. When you get to a hundred points, you get in.”

“Okay,” the man said, “I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart.”

Gabriel replied, “That’s wonderful. That’s worth three points.”

“Three points?” said the man with a surprised look. “Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my money and service.”

“Terrific!” said Gabriel, “that’s certainly worth a point.”

“One point?” said the man with his eyes beginning to show a bit of panic.

“Well, how about this: I opened a shelter for the homeless in my city, and fed needy people by the hundreds during holidays.”

“Fantastic, that’s good for two more points,” said the angel.

“TWO POINTS!” cried the man in desperation. “At this rate the only way I will get to heaven is by the grace of God.”

“Come on in,” said Gabriel.

*Transition*

today we are going to talk about what exactly is the grace of God

Now there is always this tension between knowing that God gives us His grace but, also knowing that we are to be obedient and walking in Holiness.

I believe today’s scripture speaks to this. Let’s read...

1 Peter 1:13–16 (ESV)

13Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

14As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,

15but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

16since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

II. THE DEFINITION OF GRACE

Generic definition- Unmerited Favor

Wesley’s definition- John Wesley defined grace as God's "bounty, or favour: his free, undeserved favour, ... man having no claim to the least of his mercies.

It was free grace that ‘formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into him a living soul,' and stamped on that soul the image of God, and ‘put all things under his feet.'

As Apostle Paul said “By the grace of God I am what I am”

Combined definition- God’s grace is the manifestation of His presence and power

III. THE DRAWING GRACE

Prevenient Grace

Prevenient grace includes, according to Wesley, ... all the ‘drawings' of ‘the Father,' the desires after God, ... that ‘light' where the Son of God ‘enlightens everyone that comes into the world,

Prevenient grace can also be linked to God’s work in directing “his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8)

Now Apostle Paul would be a great example of prevenient grace, right? In Galatians 1:15 it speaks of Paul being called by Gods grace to reveal Jesus in him!

We have heard of his past.

How he was really religious and pious.

He knew all the scriptures,

he went to the temple every day and worshiped.

2. But religion doesn’t save you! Only a relationship with Jesus Christ saves you.

d.I remember years ago going to a Christmas lights and display show. We came across a table of someone who did ice sculptors.

When he started out he just had this thick piece of chunky blocked ice. You had no idea what he was going to make.

He would chisle and chip away and would carve his design into the block of ice. When he was done, it was a total art of transformation.

It was a masterpiece but, it could never get that way without the artist.

I see prevenient grace as being something similar.

It’s the start of the process from our creator to prepare and enable us to receive his redemption in us.

Now as Wesleyans we believe this is available to every one.

Calvinists would say this is only available to those who will be saved.

But we can resist God’s grace. Just because something is enabled for us doesn’t mean that we are going to activate it.

e. Prevenient grace can be described as...

A porch of a house to enter. It is the grace that finds us and woos us to come on to the porch and over to the door and give us a decision to either go through the door or to stay out.

IIII. THE DELIVERING GRACE

Justifying Saving Grace

It’s a doorway into a new identity and new creation.

That might be different then what we learned. Because in a lot of circles they teach, that salvation is the end goal, that it is enough, if you hang on to your faith until Jesus comes.

But in reality, salvation is just the starting point of our journey with God. But the real work of transformation begins when we walk into the doorway of salvation.

b. John Wesley in his journal describes his experience at Aldersgate Street.

He has been a believer for years. Was going through the motions and He said that he went to a service that he really didn’t want to go to.

He went though, and said that during the service that he felt his heart strangely warmed.

and truly felt that he finally trusted in Christ, Christ alone for salvation and an assurance was given that God had taken away his sins, even his and saved him from sin.

c. What I think we can understand about this grace that saves and delivers us from sin is that God doesn’t just cover our sin so we appear righteous but, we become righteous and holy people. This is just the doorway.

V. THE SANCTIFYING GRACE

Living in the house

second work or grace and a deeper work where we are empowered to love God with all our heart, mind and soul and to love our neighbors as our selves.

Entire sanctification is the phrase used to describe this.

What This means is, that we get to a point in our journey where we have more of an inclination toward Holy living rather than a sinful lifestyle.

Wesley affirmed that God's grace seeks nothing less than a new creation in the likeness of Jesus Christ.

Sanctifying grace is God's freely given presence and power to restore the fullness of God's image in which we are created.

Wesley talked about sanctification in terms of Christian perfection by which he means entire "holiness of heart and life."

In a sermon entitled "Christian Perfection," Wesley declared that Christian perfection does not imply Christians are exempt from ignorance, making mistakes, infirmities or being tempted.

. He affirmed perfection as another term for holiness. Sanctification, then, is the continuing process of being made perfect in love and of removing the desire to sin.

VI. Means of Growing in Grace

Although God's presence and power to create, forgive, reconcile and transform are universally and present, we can resist God's gracious presence and work in us and the world.

The freedom to say "no" to the invitation to be reconciled and transformed remains.

We aren’t puppets. God has given us a free will to either choose Him or choose the world.

iiii. There are some practicals means of grace. Such as

In Prayer

Reading of the Scriptures

Fellowship and partaking of the Lords Supper

In Acts of Mercy

As we do these, they should be done as a response of our love for God.

VII. APPLICATION

The only way we can change the world is when the power of love is more than our love for power.

How much of the grace of God are we receiving into our own lives?

How much of the grace of God are we giving to others?

I think of the story of the ice sculpture that I shared earlier. We all have images of who we think we should be. But thank God for his grace!

God sent His perfect son, Jesus Christ, to live among us. He is the ideal image in which humanity was created.

And then He gave us the gift of grace so that, as we live and dwell with Him, we might become more and more like Him.

For it is by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.