Reaching Forward With Grace

Text: Romans 5:1-11

Introduction

Q — “Have you ever had someone offer you something so generous you thought, ‘What’s the catch?’ Maybe a financial gift, an undeserved promotion, or forgiveness from someone you hurt badly. You almost push it away because it feels too big. That’s how many of us quietly feel about God’s grace.”

Quote: (Charles H. Spurgeon) “I remember how overjoyed I was when I received pardon. I did not know how to contain myself for delight, but after a while this thought assailed me—such great mercy is too good to be true. My surprise at it staggered me. How could it be that I was actually forgiven, and through the blood of Jesus made clean in the sight of God? The goodness of God astounded me……And it seemed to me as if the Lord could not have meant all the wonders of his love for such a dog as I was. I was ready to turn away from it through the greatness of it. But then I remembered that it would not do for God to be giving little mercy. He was too great a God to spend all his power in pardoning little sinners and granting little favors. I came back to this—that if his grace was not too big for him to give, I would not be such a fool as to refuse it because of its greatness.” Charles Spurgeon, 300 Sermon Illustrations from Charles Spurgeon, ed. Elliot Ritzema and Lynnea Smoyer (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2017).

“We think a lot about our physical lives—payments, food, clothes, our reputation. But how often do we think about the temptations we’ll face this week, the judgment that is coming, and the glory God deserves? When my own focus drifts from the grace of God, my life stops moving toward Him. Maybe you’ve noticed the same thing in your life.”

How often does the reality of temptation you will face this week, the judgement that is coming, and God’s deserved glory cross your mind? It is very simple, the reason some of you here today lack a life in motion toward the things of God is that your focused has shifted from the blessing from God’s grace.

Your life become full with what you focus on the most!

Today I want to help your mind redirect back to the amazing grace of Jesus Christ. Later in this series, we will meditate on several gifts that are channeled to us though God’s grace.

BOTTOM LINE — The blessings of God’s grace should always be enough to motivate you to reach forward to the glory of God with your life!

1) Grace Is A Gift Of Serenity (Peace)

Verses 1-2

A. Why is there a need for a gift of peace?

Turn to Romans 2:1-11.

Romans 3:19–20 “19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

When the knowledge of my offense of sin toward God came into full focus, I became consumed with fear, worry, and anxiety.

Jesus changed all this for me when I trusted Him as Savior!

However, your conversion does not motivate Satan to leave you alone to enjoy your peace with God.

Q — How many of you would agree that Satan works real hard to divert your mind away from the peace you have with God?

Philippians 4:7 “7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

B. Every Believer has access to this grace of peace!

Notice verse 2

Illustration — “Picture this: You drive three hours to a theme park with your kids. It’s hot, the parking lot is packed, and everyone is excited. You walk up to the gate, dig through your pockets… and realize you forgot your ticket. It doesn’t matter how far you drove or how badly you want in—without proof of purchase, you’re not getting through that gate.

The resurrection of Jesus is your proof of purchase. It’s God’s stamped, printed receipt that says, ‘Paid in full. Admitted into peace with the Father.’”

2) Grace Is A Gift Of Stability

Verses 2b-6

God has given you a foundational grace (v2)

1 Corinthians 15:1 “1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;”

A. You are able to live with a joyful HOPE

“rejoice” = to boast or show off

Illustration — How often do parents show off their children, boat owners show off their boats, car owners show off their cars, home owners show off their home (social media)? However, how often does your life “show off” the grace of Jesus Christ?

“Hope” = Living with a confident expectation

God’s gift of grace solidifies in my mind why I should have this kind of hope in “this life.”

Notice verse 4 — “patience = experience = hope”

Personal example: “When we learned our unborn baby might be born with clubbed feet, my first reaction wasn’t, ‘Praise the Lord!’ It was fear. I remember sitting in the car after that appointment, hands on the steering wheel, saying, ‘Lord, I know you’re good…but this doesn’t feel good.’ Over the months that followed, something happened. God didn’t just fix my emotions overnight. He met us through His Word, through people in our church, through a deeper awareness that He was not punishing us—He was walking with us. Looking back, I can see what Romans 5 is talking about: that suffering produced patience, patience produced experience, and experience produced hope. And the constant thread in all of it was His grace.”

You might say, “How can there be any hope in those experiences?” I am glad you asked!

James 1:3 “3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”

Romans 8:28 “28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

LISTEN...whatever touches my life, I know, from past experiences, God is going to show off His grace. God forbid if I allow doubt, fear, stubbornness get in the way of showing off God’s grace!

Bible examples: Daniel’s life, the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace, the widow and her son almost ready to starve to death, Lazarus, and even the resurrection of Jesus Christ!

2 Corinthians 8:2 “2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.”

1 Peter 1:7 “7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”

You were provided this when you had no clue you needed it (v6)

Q — Who is thankful that God loves us enough to reprove us of our spiritual weakness?

3)Grace Is A Gift From Sovereignty

Verses 7-8

A. God’s heart exceeds that of man’s interests

It is often times unusual for people to give up their lives for someone who is upright.

Every once in a while, a person will have the courage to die for someone who is a “generous friend.”

LISTEN...many of us love our lives too much. We fight through life to get what we want to better ourselves!

God did not wait until you performed well enough to deserve His grace...that would never happen!

B. Our sovereign God chose GRACE provided through His SON

1 Peter 3:18 “18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”

1 John 3:16 “16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”

Quote: The cross defines what Scripture means by “love” (1 John 3:16). Love is the voluntary placing of the welfare of others ahead of one’s own. It is action, not sentiment. Love is the mightiest force in the world. Robert H. Mounce, Romans, vol. 27, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995), 137.

4) Grace Is A Gift Of Safety

Verses 9-11

A. Grace declares every Believer safe from wrath

God has declared the guilt of every Believer, DEAD!

to be justified v. — to be or become judicially vindicated as having complied with the requirements of the law (of God).

1 Thessalonians 1:10 “10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”

2 Corinthians 5:18–20 “18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

(v10) “much more...saved by his life”

Hebrews 7:25 “25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”

Romans 8:34 “34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”

A daily deliverance from sin’s power and dominion!

Every provision your soul needs to be saved, sanctified, and later glorified resides in the GRACE OF GOD!

B. One figure stands in the middle of God’s redemptive plan

His name is JESUS CHRIST!

Transition Application

(v2 & v11) You who are believers have access to this Grace!

God reminded Paul that His grace that he already had access to, was and forever will be, SUFFICIENT!

Helps to focus on Grace

Spend more time reading scripture about God’s grace.

Pray more thanksgiving prayers about God’s grace.

Share this truth with others.

Why is this important?

If God’s people (people of the resurrection) continually choose not to demonstrate a life motivated by God’s amazing grace, why would your children, family, neighbors, and world ever desire to receive it?

Closing Illustration:

In Warren Wiersbe’s Meet Yourself in the Psalms, he tells about a frontier town where a horse bolted and ran away with a wagon carrying a little boy. Seeing the child in danger, a young man risked his life to catch the horse and stop the wagon.

The child who was saved grew up to become a lawless man, and one day he stood before a judge to be sentenced for a serious crime. The prisoner recognized the judge as the man who, years before, had saved his life; so he pled for mercy on the basis of that experience.

But the words from the bench silenced his plea, “Young man, then I was your savior; today I am your judge, and I must sentence you to be hanged.”

One day Jesus will say to rebellious sinners, “During that long day of grace, I was the Savior, and I would have forgiven you. But today I am your Judge. Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire!” Craig Brian Larson, 750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers & Writers (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2002), 214–215.

LISTEN…

“In that frontier town, the man who once was the boy’s savior now stood as his judge. The time for rescue was past; the time for sentence had come.

Right now, you are living in the day of grace. Jesus stands as Savior, offering peace, stability, love, and safety from wrath. But one day, if you keep refusing Him, the Savior you ignored will be the Judge you cannot escape.

Unbeliever: this is your day of grace.

Believer: this is our day to live like grace really is as big and beautiful as God says it is.”