Why they call Grace, Amazing!

During the building of the Golden Gate Bridge over San Francisco Bay, construction fell badly behind schedule because several workers had accidentally fallen from the scaffolding to their deaths. Engineers and administrators could find no solution to the costly delays. Finally, someone suggested a gigantic net be hung under the bridge to catch any who fell. Finally in spite of the enormous cost, the engineers opted for the net. After it was installed, progress was hardly interrupted. A worker or two fell into the net but were saved. Ultimately, all the time lost to fear was regained by replacing fear with faith in the net. We pay nothing for God's eternal love and nothing for His son’s death, and nothing for the Spirit and our grace and faith, and nothing for the gift of salvation...What an astonishing thought it is to think of the unmeasurable difference between our deservings and our receivings.

Grace is no cost to us, for the price of what we deserve, was already paid, a net was even put up for us so we don’t have to live our lives in fear.

In my devotional life, I’ve been going through a newly released edition of the book Steps to Christ, with historical introductions and additional commentary on each chapter. Steps to Christ is one of those book, that should probably be read about once a year. The author, Ellen White one of our church founders unpacks the biblical subjects such as justification, sanctification, human free will, and repentence in this commentary about God’s gift of salvation. To this day I have never read a book that better comments on the scripture’s definition of grace.

Today, we are going to talk about God’s grace toward humanity, and how it is delivered and recieved. Also we can’t really unpack grace and understand it more if we don’t better understand repentance, and forgiveness. Then we will talk about a quality of grace we don’t spend much time considering, or at least, I’ll admit freely, I hadn’t until this week. I’ll tell you what that is a little later, but before we go any further let’s take a moment to invite God’s spirit to be with us, by praying.

If you have your Bibles I would encourage you to turn to , verse 39.

While Jesus was hanging on the cross, the criminals to his left and right began to interact with Jesus. It says in verse 39:

39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you today, you will be with me in paradise.”

39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The 2nd criminal says a lot by first rebuking the other criminal’s words and then a plea for Jesus to remember him!

He openly admits that justice was being enacted upon he and his criminal mate, but the one who was the embodiment of goodness, and merit, Jesus, had done nothing wrong, and yet he was suffering their fate.

Jesus hears more than the words recorded in Luke. He hears a man verbally approaching him with nothing to hide. He has accepted his sentence as remorse for his actions. He doesn’t approach Jesus for fear of what was to become of him. Jesus looks into the heart and sees God’s light has exposed in the man’s heart where his sin exists, and in these final moments has chosen to repent. Remember me in your kingdom. Jesus still holding love for humanity in fact still interceding for them, asking the father to give them forgiveness and mercy for their crimes against their maker, tells the man He will be with Him again in paradise. Wow, bringing hope to a sin filled criminal while hanging on a cross. Maybe thats hope for you and me! If Jesus can assure salvation to a criminal sentenced to death, whats stopping him from doing the same for me?

In the book Steps to Christ, chapter 3 opens with 2 questions.

How shall a man be just with God? How shall the sinner be made righteous?

The answer given which was revealed to her by God through scripture and deep faithful relationship to God, was so simple. The author Mrs. Ellen White says, “Its only through Christ...” If I could share that revelation to you, and everyone here would walk away understanding fully, there would really be no reason for me to continue preaching. The answer has been given. Many will claim understanding in hearing this answer, maybe falling into extremes of of overly wise or overly foolish. We hear, through Christ alone and then focus only on self, by self cleansing, and personally trying to rid ourselves of sin. Others get uncomfortable perceiving there is somehow an attitude that we might be saying it is pointless to uphold the law because we just claim God’s grace and there be no moral accountability to God’s statutes.

Those that are uncomfortable with sermons on grace are really actually worried about permissiveness--about the way the preaching of grace seems to say it's okay to do all kinds of terrible things as long as you just walk in afterward and take the free gift of God's forgiveness. . .While we may be worried about seeming to give permission, Jesus wasn't. He wasn't afraid of giving the prodigal son a kiss instead of a lecture, a party instead of probation; and he proved that by bringing in the elder brother at the end of the story and having him raise pretty much the same objections we might have. He's angry about the party. He complains that his father is lowering standards and ignoring virtue, and essentially rewarding such behavior. And to that, Jesus has the father say only one thing: "Cut that out! We're not playing good boys and bad boys any more. Your brother was dead and he's alive again. The name of the game from now on is resurrection, not bookkeeping.

You see there is a tension present within this conversation. How can we answer, “through Christ only” are we made just or righteous with God if there is an expectation of action from His followers?

There might be some here who could have been lawyers, some of you like to dot every “i” and cross every “t.” Those of you like that might be quick to say, “we do have to do something, to receive grace, we have to repent.” To those who have that thought, I am going to make you feel further uncomfortable *** smile*** in hearing me say. You are so right, but you may also be soo wrong. Let’s look at repentance. When the crowd being convicted of sin in their lives after hearing Peter preach at pentacost, they ask, “what shall we do?” What was Peter’s answer??? (tell me what was it?) REPENT!!!

Steps to Christ Chapter 3—Repentance

At another time, shortly after, he said, “Repent, … and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.” Acts 3:19.

Steps to Christ Chapter 3—Repentance

Repentance includes sorrow for sin and a turning away from it. We shall not renounce sin unless we see its sinfulness; until we turn away from it in heart, there will be no real change in the life.

Mrs. White comments on repentance, saying:

There are many who fail to understand the true nature of repentance. Multitudes sorrow that they have sinned and even make an outward reformation because they fear that their wrongdoing will bring suffering upon themselves. But this is not repentance in the Bible sense. They lament the suffering rather than the sin.

In other words its like me when I was a child after I had disobeyed my mother for who knows what reason, I could be heard all the way from my bedroom crying out, Mom I’m sorry!! I’m sorry, can I please be done having to sit in my room. My mom had the wisdom and discernment to recognize I wasn’t sorry for what i had done, but might hate being couped up in my room enough that I might learn to not disobey her. Thats why parents go in to the room afterward to explain the punishment, so the child not only understands the consequences but can also acknowledge the reasons for why it was wrong what they had done.

David learned a thing or 2 about repentance in his life. David has 2 unique prayers found in the psalms that illustrate the nature of sorrow for sin.

He longed for the joy of holiness—to be restored to harmony and communion with God.

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,

whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord

imputeth not iniquity,

And in whose spirit there is no guile.”

, .

“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to

Thy loving-kindness:

According unto the multitude of Thy tender

mercies blot out my transgressions.…

For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my

sin is ever before me.…

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:

wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.…

Create in me a clean heart, O God;

And renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from Thy presence;

And take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation;

And uphold me with Thy free spirit.…

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, Thou

God of my salvation:

And my tongue shall sing aloud of Thy

righteousness.”

.

As Mrs. White says:

A repentance such as this, is beyond the reach of our own power to accomplish; it is obtained only from Christ, who ascended up on high and has given gifts unto men. There can be no effort make excuses, and no desire escape judgment.

White, E. G. (1892). Steps to Christ (p. 25). Pacific Press Publishing Association.

think on that for just a moment. What is being suggested is that the willingness to repent is not a natural tendency of the sinner. Expressing a need or an inclination for repentance comes from the Holy Spirit already working on you!

There can be no effort make excuses, and no desire escape judgment

I liked how one of our sabbath school editors put it.

he says: A while back I was convicted that I was drinking too many sodas. I prayed about it. I started drinking a lot more water, and then one day decided to “splurge” and have a Pepsi. That was a waste of $1.06, because after two sips it tasted so sickening sweet, I dumped the rest out and refilled the cup with water. God changed and converted my taste buds when I was totally powerless.

A while back I was convicted that I was drinking too many sodas. I prayed about it. I started drinking a lot more water, and then one day decided to “splurge” and have a Pepsi. That was a waste of $1.06, because after two sips it tasted so sickening sweet, I dumped the rest out and refilled the cup with water. God changed and converted my taste buds when I was totally powerless.

There can be no effort make excuses, and no desire escape judgment

The repentant thief on the cross never actually said he was sorry (at least there is no record of it). He repented by allowing a work being done on him through Christ’s testimony which was piercing through the hardness of his heart more any nail ever could.

He called Him Lord and professed his faith in Jesus and the resurrection, while everyone else was still mocking Him. It was because of a work Christ was doing in Him which convicted Him to repent.

In fact the Bible is telling us, repentance is not a pre-requisite to come to Jesus. That is man-made up. Jesus is willing to meet us where we are at. Just don’t expect to be sitting in the same place forever where he meets you at. The Bible says in

“Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”

Peter made the matter clear in his statement to the Israelites when he said,

English Standard Version Chapter 5

31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins

White, E. G. (1892). Steps to Christ (p. 26). Pacific Press Publishing Association.

31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. Mrs. White comments on this passage:

We can no more repent without the Spirit of Christ to awaken the conscience than we can be pardoned without Christ.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Christ is the source of every right impulse. He is the only one that can implant in the heart enmity against sin. Every desire for truth and purity, every conviction of our own sinfulness, is an evidence that His Spirit is moving upon our hearts.

I think you can better see why to answer the questions,

How shall a man be just with God? How shall the sinner be made righteous? It is only through Christ that we can be brought into harmony with God, with holiness…It is through Christ’s work in us, his light shining within us exposes the sin that exists in even in the most outwardly righteous saints.

The same divine mind that is working upon the things of nature is speaking to the hearts of men and creating an inexpressible craving for something they have not. The things of the world cannot satisfy their longing.

We may have flattered ourselves, as did Nicodemus, that our life has been upright, that our moral character is correct, and think that we need not humble the heart before God, like the common sinner: but when the light from Christ shines into our souls, we shall see how impure we are; we shall discern the selfishness of motive, the enmity against God, that has defiled every act of life. Then we shall know that our own righteousness is indeed as filthy rags, and that the blood of Christ alone can cleanse us from the defilement of sin, and renew our hearts in His own likeness.

The same divine mind that is working upon the things of nature is speaking to the hearts of men and creating an inexpressible craving for something they have not. The things of the world cannot satisfy their longing.

We may have flattered ourselves, as did Nicodemus, that our life has been upright, that our moral character is correct, and think that we need not humble the heart before God, like the common sinner: but when the light from Christ shines into our souls, we shall see how impure we are; we shall discern the selfishness of motive, the enmity against God, that has defiled every act of life. Then we shall know that our own righteousness is indeed as filthy rags, and that the blood of Christ alone can cleanse us from the defilement of sin, and renew our hearts in His own likeness.

Does admitting we are sinners, now discredit us from proclaiming the good news Jesus longs to share with every citizen of Earth? Even the great apostle Paul had his imperfection of character come to light.

Paul says that as “touching the righteousness which is in the law”—as far as outward acts were concerned—he was “blameless” (); but when the spiritual character of the law was discerned, he saw himself a sinner.

So yes we must repent! But the great sinfulness within us would not allow us to do so if it were not for Christ piercing through our hard hearts with his light displaying for us the sin which exists and realizing our need for repentance.

Is there anyone here who needs peace in their life? I imagine there are many of us who do! In fact I don’t just imagine. I know there are those of you here who desire that personally more than anything else. I am here to testify, that there is nothing in this world that can bring about individual peace than forgiveness. And as I say forgiveness, I mean both kinds of forgiveness. I mean, the act of forgiving someone else, and also receiving forgiveness. I don’t even just mean emotional peace. I am talking about physical peace.

Jesus while walking throughout Judea during his 3 year ministry would often say to those with physical ailments. Go in peace, your sins are forgiven. Maybe they had been going to him to be healed physically, but Jesus wanted to restore what was on the inside!

While in seminary, I made the worst purchase of my life. I bought a 2002 Izuzu Rodeo. I liked this car. Meggan never really liked it. I bought because of the way it looked on the outside. it was blue, and sporty looking. It wouldn’t be but a few weeks into driving it, I found out it had all sorts of problems. The biggest issue, was it was an oil leaking machine. I had it repaired several times, but it would never last. It got so bad, I had to put a quart of oil in it almost daily and when I parked I took a tin throwaway lasagna pan and would stick it under the leak when in the driveway. One of those winter days up in michigan, I agreed to take a friend of mine to the airport in south bend, about 30 mins away. The roads were slick and he and I ended up spinning out on the high way, the front and back bumper ended up colliding with the guard rail causing some pretty decent aesthetic damage. However the car still ran. I took to the shop to see how much it would be get restored. The amount was the same as how much I paid for the car. Knowing how bad the car was on the inside, I elected to drive the car even with the damage. It was a good call, because the car ended dying completely 6 months later. I would have loved to have kept that car if could have been fully restored inside out, but the temporary fixes were getting to expensive for me.

Jesus was offering more than physical outward restoration his forgiveness of sins was a true satisfying peace none could attain but through him.

7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

Jesus introduces this woman to himself, the living water. The bringer and sustainer of life had the ability to expose sin and also forgive sin. I was reading from , but now flip to , when a woman who was trapped in adultry and thrown before Jesus. If Jesus commanded her release, they attack from the Law of Moses, if he says stone her, they attack on his lack of compassion. Verse 7

7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” ]]

Jesus forgave and refused to condemn the sinful woman. Jesus was not ignorant to her sin, but simply offered a way for redemption and restoration. He says go and sin no more. This was not an empty command. In this instance with Jesus, peace had flooded over her. She had been changed.

It is peace that you need—Heaven’s forgiveness and peace and love in the soul. Money cannot buy it, intellect cannot procure it, wisdom cannot attain to it; you can never hope, by your own efforts, to secure it. But God offers it to you as a gift, “without money and without price.” . It is yours if you will but reach out your hand and grasp it. The Lord says, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” . “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you.” .

You have confessed your sins, and in heart put them away. You have resolved to give yourself to God. Now go to Him, and ask that He will wash away your sins and give you a new heart. Then believe that He does this because He has promised. This is the lesson which Jesus taught while He was on earth, that the gift which God promises us, we must believe we do receive, and it is ours.

Amen and Amen.

To understand grace, two things must be understood repentance (and all that entails) and forgiveness, not forgetting that it is through Jesus effort that both are accomplished. These things are in themselves quite amazing but today we are here to learn why grace is called amazing. This is paradigm shifting. If your head works like mine, in a left to right progression. You would say, repentence, forgiveness, = experiencing grace. Not so fast. Thats just math. 2+2=4 Its true, but I wouldn’t call it amazing.

God’s grace is so much more. If your trying to understand righteousness, and justification, and we say through Christ understand we are pursuing understanding of our creator. There is a concept of grace introduced by Jacob Arminious and later John Wesley. It was introduced and followed by these reformers with subtle differences, but the concept better discovered and flushed out in the writing of Ellen White, although she never used the name. I am referring to the expression known as prevenient grace. White’s understanding more closely followed the definition from John Wesley.

It is divine grace that precedes human decision. It exists prior to and without reference to anything humans may have done. As humans are corrupted by the effects of sin, prevenient grace allows persons to engage their God-given free will to accept God’s salvation offer.

Wesley stated that prevenient grace elicits, "...the first wish to please God, the first dawn of light concerning His will, and the first slight transient conviction of having sinned against Him."

It is divine grace that precedes human decision. It exists prior to and without reference to anything humans may have done. As humans are corrupted by the effects of sin, prevenient grace allows persons to engage their God-given free will Wesley stated that prevenient grace elicits, "...the first wish to please God, the first dawn of light concerning His will, and the first slight transient conviction of having sinned against Him."

Wesley stated that prevenient grace elicits, "...the first wish to please God, the first dawn of light concerning His will, and the first slight transient conviction of having sinned against Him."

Wesley insisted on prevenient grace as a solution to two great problems in Christianity: the belief of original sin and the Protestant doctrine of salvation by grace alone. Wesley thought that prevenient grace enabled the doctrines of original sin and salvation by grace to co-exist while still maintaining God's sovereignty and holy character as well as human freedom.

Mrs. White expounds on this saying “It is God who taking the first step in humankind’s salvation, yearns over lost humanity and desires to bring them back to him. God’s grace alone can quicken the faculties of the soul, and attract it to God, to holiness. God’s work of grace upon all beings, as a result of Christ’s death on the cross prepares them to receive His offer of salvation. Denis Fortin, former dean at the adventist seminary and expert Mrs. White’s writings, says this understanding of grace is what gave Mrs. White optimism although mankind is sinful.

Its not a math problem. Grace is Christ’s testimony! The amazing thing about grace is, it truly isn’t about what we do. Its about the provision Christ has already set up which encourages us to accept his gift. It also doesn’t tamper with free will. We have the power to make choices and reject him. But our goodness in no way saves us. Goodness only originates with God. It is His goodness working in us. Our desire to repent, is because of work God is doing in us! Experiencing his grace is not even hanging on repentance. Its always been there. Christ is there ready to forgive us. His light exposes the sin in us developing in us a desire to repent. You see! Its about what He did, not what we did, its about what He did. It is through Him alone that we are saved.

When we recognize this truth, and see His grace. We serve him with our lives. There is no other conclusion. God’s grace is sufficient. God is good. His grace is truly amazing.