Amazing Grace

We all know the song Amazing Grace. It says how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I am found was blind but now I see. But what is grace and what does it entail? One definition of grace is unmerited favour of God towards us. Well what does unmerited mean? According to Collins Dictionary unmerited means not deserved. but what is favour? We might think is means doing something for someone, they did me a favour. But we can also be in favour of something, or show support, or be in approval. So, when God shows unmerited favour it means that He is approval, support, doing something for us that we do not deserve. This would then mean that God is acting in our lives in a way that we do not deserve. Grace is the favour shown by God to sinners. This is the divine goodwill offered to those who neither inherently deserve nor can ever hope to earn it. it is the divine disposition to work in our hearts, wills, and actions, so as actively to communicate God’s self-giving love for humanity.

The first time that the word Grace appears in the Bible is in where Moses describes the condition of the world and says that every intent and though of man was evil. Then in verse 6 it says that God was sorry that He had made man on the earth and He was grieved in His heart. Verse 7 says, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Before we get the grace that Noah found we need to note that Moses is linking the creations story before the flood takes place. There is reference in verse 6 that God made man, and in verse 7 He will destroy all that He created. This section of scripture gives us a glimpse of God. We get to see that He is troubled, hurt, saddened by how sin is destroying the creation He loves so much and desires to save.

The first time that the word Grace appears in the Bible is in where Moses describes the condition of the world and says that every intent and though of man was evil. Then in verse 6 it says that God was sorry that He had made man on the earth and He was grieved in His heart. Verse 7 says, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Before we get the the grace that Noah found we need to note that Moses is linking the creations story before the flood takes place. There is reference in verse 6 that God made man, and in verse 7 He will destroy all that He created. This section of scripture gives us a glimpse of God. We get to see that He is troubled, hurt, saddened by how sin is destroying the creation He loves so much and desires to save.

Even though the word grace is used here for the first time it is not the first time that the concept of grace is found in Scripture. Remember that according to it is grace that has saved us, through our faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God. The promise of God’s grace, His unmerited favour is found in and I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” We did not deserve the promise but because God so love the world, He gave His only begotten Son that all who believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. This is what Noah embodies. He represents a group of people that love God and believe in Him and the result of that is Noah being saved. God seeing that only Noah has responded to Him, only Noah has accepted the Grace that God freely offered to all. Moses was saying to Israel and us that we are living in a world full of sin, where people are constantly being pulled away from a saving relationship, but despite all this there is God’s Grace that we can respond to. Within the story of Noah, we find three aspects of Grace namely prevenient Grace, sanctifying Grace, and saving Grace. These three aspects are essential to our salvation we can experience the one without the other, and all of these do not come from what we have done but rather they are all an expression of God’s love for us. Salvation Contours of Adventist Soteriology p287.

I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Even though the word grace is used here for the first time it is not the first time that the concept of grace is found in Scripture. Remember that according to it is grace that has saved us, through our faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God. The promise of God’s grace, His unmerited favour is found in and I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” We did not deserve the promise but because God so love the world He gave His only begotten Son that all who believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. This is what Noah embodies. He represents a group of people that love God and believe in Him and the result of that is Noah being saved. God seeing that only Noah has responded to Him, only Noah has accepted the Grace that God freely offered to all. Moses was saying to Israel and us that we are living in a world full of sin, where people are constantly being pulled aways from a saving relationship, but despite all this there is God’s Grace that we can respond to. Within the story of Noah we find three aspects of Grace namely prevenient Grace, sanctifying Grace, and saving Grace. These three aspects are essential to our salvation we can experience the one with out the other, and all of these do not come from what we have done but rather they are all an expression of God’s love for us. Salvation Contours of Adventist Soteriology p287.

15 And I will put enmity

Between you and the woman,

And between your seed and her Seed;

Prevenient Grace what dose that mean? In a nut shell prevenient means to come before. In the concept of salvation it come before everything else in the precess of redemption. Jesus teaches this in no one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. This drawing is the process that prepares the heart of someone who does not know about God to be receptive and to respond to the good news of salvation in Christ. H. Orton Wiley give the following clarification, as it respects the guilty, it may be considered mercy; as it respects the impotent, it is enabling power. It can seen as the manifestation of the divine influence which precedes the full regenerate life. Prevenient Grace therefore prepares our souls for the hearing of God redemptive words. If it were not for God reaching out to us first we would never have a desire to know more about Him. God takes the first step in reaching out to us. He is the one that moves towards us and makes Himself know to us.

He shall bruise your head,

And you shall bruise His heel.”

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), .where God gives Adam and Eve

Prevenient Grace what does that mean? In a nutshell prevenient means to come before. In the concept of salvation, it come before everything else in the process of redemption. Jesus teaches this in no one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. This drawing is the process that prepares the heart of someone who does not know about God to be receptive and to respond to the good news of salvation in Christ. H. Orton Wiley give the following clarification, as it respects the guilty, it may be considered mercy; as it respects the impotent, it is enabling power. It can be seen as the manifestation of the divine influence which precedes the full regenerate life. Prevenient Grace therefore prepares our souls for the hearing of God redemptive words. If it were not for God reaching out to us first, we would never have a desire to know more about Him. God takes the first step in reaching out to us. He is the one that moves towards us and makes Himself know to us.

We see this in t

We see this in the life of Noah as God approaches him and tells him what is going to happen. God in this story of the flood is the central character He is the one reaching out to the world that He loves. Ellen White says, in Noah’s day Christ spoke to men through a human agency and preached to those who were in bondage to sin. Manuscript Releases [Nos. 19–96, 1941–1957], vol. 1 (Ellen G. White Estate, 1993), 260. This is prevenient grace a message being shared and a preparing of the heart to receive the message of salvation. The message of Noah is rooted in He is not willing that any should perish. This grace is irresistible. despite this, as it works on the hearts of man is can be resisted. God will never over ride our freedom of choice. expresses our freedom of chose very well, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Prevenient grace frees our will. says, But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. If we do turn to God this results in saving grace. says, but now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

Salvation for Noah was found within the ark. The directions for the building of the ark were not of his own design but given to him by God. The flood was so violent so terrifying that satan himself feared for his existence. the entire time of the flood the little ark was held and protected by God. He guided and sustained and strengthened the ark. This is sanctifying grace. A grace that we can only partake in once we have responded to God’s prevenient grace. Sanctifying grace is relational as well as moral. Sanctifying in the relational sense means that we belong to God, we have been set aside for Him. In the story of Noah all he did in the story of the flood was trust in the relationship that he had with God and that in the end God would see them through. Noah was also set aside consecrated for what would happen after the flood. He was set aside to continue the line that would usher in the Saviour.

But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.

4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

In Noah’s day Christ spoke to men through a human agency and preached to those who were in bondage to sin.

In the moral sense sanctifying grace is deeply rooted in the crucified and risen Lord. When we accept God into our lives we die to a life of slavery because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. puts it so well, 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. Verse 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Sanctifying grace is therefore all that Christ is doing in us. It is not our work but rather the relinquishing control of our lives and giving control to Christ.

Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In the moral sense sanctifying grace is deeply rooted in the crucified and risen Lord. When we accept God into our lives we die to a life of slavery because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. puts it so well, 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. Verse 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Sanctifying grace is therefore all that Christ is doing in us. It is not our work but rather the relinquishing control of our lives and giving control to Christ.

This gets us to the last point of saving grace. As we look at the story of Noah the saving grace finds in culmination with the restored earth. The earth was filled with violence and wickedness and sin was very where. But one man brought new hope Noah. He was able to bring in a new line that would secure salvation for all. The end of the flood represents a new heaven and a new earth . Saving grace is fully realized when all the saved are home, in a place where there will be no more crying, pain, and suffering. Saving grace is to know that as we continually trust in God, He will get us through the storms, the flood, this sin infected world, and that we will enter into His eternal kingdom.

The story of the flood is a micro story of our world and God taking the inactive to save His children, and to provide all that they needed for their dark journey on the storm-tossed flood waters. Everything that saved Noah was proved for by God. God reach out to Noah, God provided a vessel, God dried up the waters. All Noah had to do was follow what God had called him to do.

The story of the flood is a micro story of our world and God taking the inactive to save His children, and to provide all that they needed for their dark journey on the storm tossed flood waters. Everything that saved Noah was proved for by God. God reach out to Noah, God provided a vessel, God dried up the waters. All Noah had to do was follow what God had called him to do.

Maybe there are some here who are experiencing God reach out to them for the first time. Being moved for the first time by the Spirit to step into the ark proved, which is Jesus. Maybe, there are some here who just do not know if the rain is really going to fall. Maybe the world is not going to end, maybe there is something better. But the Holy Spirit is convicting your heart to step into the promise of eternal life in Christ. Then maybe there are some here that are on the ark, you have given your life to Christ, but you are getting itchy feet because it has taken so long, and you are doubting. Christ says to all of us believe do not give up get on the ark stay within the ark. I Christ have done all and is doing all to continue the work of salvation in you. Grace is to know that God is doing all He can to save us. He is reaching out every moment of every day. Reach out and take hold of his hand today and find safety and security in a storm tossed world.

Maybe there are some here who are experiencing God reach out to them for the first time. Being moved for the first time by the Spirit to step into the ark proved, which is Jesus. Maybe, there are some here who just do not know if the rain is really going to fall. Maybe the world is not going to end, maybe there is something better. But, the Holy Spirit is convicting your heart to step into the promise of eternal life in Christ. Then maybe there are some here that are on the ark, you have given your life to Christ but you are getting itchy feet because it has taken so long and you are doubting. Christ says to all of us believe do not give up get on the ark stay with in the ark. I Christ have done all and is doing all to continue the work of salvation in you.

Amen

Manuscript Releases [Nos. 19–96, 1941–1957], vol. 1 (Ellen G. White Estate, 1993), 260.