Knowing God - God's Grace
Knowing God • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction:
Introduction:
Of the communicable perfections of God, the first one that we come to is the Perfect of God’s Grace.
Simply put the Grace of God is God’s dealing with His people not on the basis of what they deserve but simply in terms of His goodness and generosity to their needs.
I would suppose in order for us to get proper idea of what the grace of God is all about we have to get an idea of who is it that God is gracing.
We are, by nature, a people that are narcissistic, people that are only concerned about themselves.
We are people that have absolutely nothing to offer the perfect creator of the universe.
Jonathan Edwards said that, “you bring nothing to salvation except the sin that made it necessary.”
We are not people that just need a little direction, or people that need a life coach or a moral example, we are people that need absolute grace that brings absolutely forgiveness.
We believe in, as it is said in Latin, “sola gratia.”
We believe in Grace Alone; it is grace alone that causes our salvation and it is grace alone that gives us the ability to live godly lives in Christ.
One of the key things that we must all understand about grace is that it is not based on our worthiness to receive it, but it is based on the worthiness of Christ.
I. The Meaning of God’s Grace
I. The Meaning of God’s Grace
The phrase “grace of God” appears in the NT 21 times and it is there that we find the beauty of the meaning.
But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
The very first thing that we lean in this passage about Grace is that it is a gift, and like all gifts it is free.
The Apostle Paul contrasts this free gift later in the Epistle to the Romans with sin.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Greek word that appears in Romans 5:15 is the Greek word “χάρισμα” and in Romans 6:23 it is the same word “χάρισμα” so we could translate both as “free gift.”
The Apostle in making that contrast in Romans 6 says that my “wages” or “ὀψώνιον” which speaks about my recompence or what I have earned (in classical Greek the word meant “salary”) because of my sinful nature is death, but what the gift of Grace gives me is eternal life in Jesus Christ.
The Apostle also makes a contrast in Romans 5:15 between the transgression and the free gift of Grace.
The Second truth about grace is that the Grace of God has a much greater accomplishment than did the transgression of Adam.
Notice what the text says:
But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
It says, “much more” and that it is the Greek phrase “πολύς μᾶλλον” and this phrase speaks about the degree of God’s Grace over against the Transgression of Adam.
That as the offence of one man brought the transgression, the actions of one, Jesus Christ, brought the grace of God and the gift of grace to a much greater extent then the transgression of Adam.
This truth brings us back to the wonderful reality that the grace of God is always greater than our sins.
Just as the grace of God was greater than the transgression of Adam, the grace of God is greater than our transgressions.
Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
But notice a third things that the text says about the Grace of God.
But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
The divine provision of grace is not only from God the Father but it is also from God the Son.
However, would you please note the fact that the Grace of God is not only at work in overcoming our sinfulness and bringing us redemption, but it is also at work in our lives as believers.
The only way that we can be redeemed is by the Grace of God and the only way that we can live and obey Christ is by Grace.
Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;
Paul uses the churches at Macedonia as an example of the fact that it is the Grace of God working in the lives of His people that causes them to be obedient.
Do not ever think that Grace stops at salvation, just another kind of Grace kicks into play.
But no matter which side of Grace you are on, God’s special dealing with people is only given for the sake of Christ.
Also, keep in mind that the Grace of God is absolutely sovereign.
And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
So, the Grace of God can be defined as God’s dealing with His people not on the basis of what they deserve but because of Christ He deals with them in terms of His goodness and generosity.
We see that the Grace of God is a Gift.
We see that the Grace of God has a greater accomplishment than does the transgression of Adam.
We see that the divine provision of grace is a work of God the Father and God the Son.
We see that God’s Grace is absolutely sovereign.
We see that the Grace of God is extended past the moment of salvation and is carried into the life of the believer.
II. The Manifestation of God’s Grace
II. The Manifestation of God’s Grace
The Grace of God is manifest in two realms, the realm salvation and in the realm of sanctification.
And I want to spend a moment looking at these two realms as we consider the Grace of God.
A. The Realm of Salvation
A. The Realm of Salvation
Of course, we all know that we are saved by grace, there is no question about that because the Word of God is clear.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
God’s first act of grace towards the saint is in the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Now, this is certainly not the first act of grace that God has displayed towards the sinner; because the first time that a sinner is allowed to live past the first moment of their very first sin is in itself an act of grace.
But when I am brought from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom God through the atonement of Jesus Christ, I have my continual standing before God because of the Grace of Justification.
The greatest wonder of the Grace of God working in the lives of His people is in the facts of Justification.
Let me define the term Justification to you:
Our Sovereign Saviour Chapter 8: Justification: Standing by God’s Grace
Justification is that redemptive act of the triune God whereby, on the basis of the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ, the head and mediator of the new covenant, he declares the penitent and believing sinner to be free of all guilt and to be entitled to all the blessings secured by the perfect obedience of Christ.
Now, I want you to get an understanding of this great doctrine and in doing so we want to turn to the Scriptures and as we do we will find that the Scriptures draws parallels from three major areas of life.
1. Forensically
1. Forensically
Justification is a forensic term and it deals with the plight of someone who is exposed to the verdict of the tribunal.
Justification specifically indicates that at the bar of the law court, where condemnation may well have been expected, there is acquittal, there is a declaration that the prisoner has been found not guilty and has been cleared of the charges against them.
Now, justification is not the work of the Spirit IN us; that is the word of Regeneration where the Holy Spirit renews our spirit and calls us to life.
Justification is the work of Jesus Christ FOR us.
The opposite of justification is condemnation.
And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
Therefore, justification means acquittal, it is the act whereby one authorized to make pronouncement declares that the person brought to the bar is free of the charges against them.
Justification does not MAKE a person righteous, it DECLARES a person to be righteous.
And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.
These tax collectors, nor anyone else for that matter, can possible make God righteous.
They were merely acknowledging the rightness of God’s claims expressed in the ministry of John the Baptist.
So, to justify (which is an exceptional measure of Grace) is to declare righteous, and justification is the blessing by which God declares righteous those who are not righteous.
But how does God safeguard His justice because He it is not as if He suddenly decided to wink at sin and say, “I’m going to act as if this never happened.”
On the contrary, in the doctrine of justification the justice of God is safeguarded.
But how?
Because He placed all of our guilt and unrighteousness upon the righteous Son of God and declared us free of guilt by virtue of the work he has accomplished.
It is very important that we understand justification in the light of Calvary.
Because if you look at the cross of Calvary and all you see is the love of God, then you have missed the point of the cross (although Christ’s death is the supreme expression of divine love).
What God also manifest was, supremely, His justice, His righteousness.
Roger Nicole stated:
Our Sovereign Saviour Acquittal in Court
If we allow this factor to be moved out of the picture, the cross becomes a completely opaque enigma: there remains no point to the sufferings of Christ. Unless we have a substitution in which our Lord has taken the place of his own people before the bar of God, then the cross ceases to be effective in any other way.
What a tremendous expression of the Grace of God is that our sins have been expunged from our record because Christ died on our behalf.
He has borne to the full the burden of our sins; so that they are thrown behind God’s back.
Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.
2. Judicially
2. Judicially
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Another tremendous illustration of the Grace of God.
Because God laid on the sinless Son of God all the guilt and sins of everyone who would ever believe, there is forgiveness of our sins.
Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
The debt that this man owed his master is staggering.
The text says that he owed his master ten thousand talents.
A talent was a measure used for the weighing of precious metals.
The weight in question was approximately one hundred pounds.
So the debt of this man would be ten thousand times one hundred pounds; that makes one million pounds.
Which would be equivalent to 500 tons of gold at am average of $300 an ounce.
There are 16 ounces in a pound, so a pound of gold is worth $5000.00.
One million pounds of gold are worth $5 billion!
This man owed $5 billion, he would never be able to repay.
And by analogy, we owed God a debt we could never repay, it is staggering.
And within the realms of God’s Grace of Justification is the truth that Christ paid our debt, it is wiped out.
Have been forensically declared righteous, and we have been judicially forgiven and the debt wiped out.
3. Commercially
3. Commercially
I have been declared righteous, I have been forgiven all my debt and now I am clothed in righteous garments; this is the Grace of God in justification.
Jesus had a parable about the proper clothing as well.
And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
For many are called, but few are chosen.
No one gets to the wedding without the proper clothing.
No one gets to the wedding in their on clothes.
Our Sovereign Saviour Clothed in Rich Garments
If we appear before God on the basis of our own performance, it will be an enormous discomfiture for us, a humiliation of all humiliations. In the most significant place, in the most signal and public manner, our shame and dishonour will be clearly exposed. Think for a moment what could happen to any one of us if suddenly, before everyone, there were inscribed on the wall in large letters all the sins that we have committed. We would want to melt out of sight rather than be thus exposed.
Justification steps in and involves tow steps; 1) the removal of the of inadequate and filthy clothes; 2) then the giving of a new garment which equips us for appearance with jou and confidence in the presence of God.
And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
In the Grace of God, in His dealings with me as a child in the realm of salvation I have been justified.
Declared righteous and then clothed and imputed with righteousness; so that I am not only declared righteous but I am righteous because I am clothed with the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the Grace of God in justification, He declares the penitent and believing sinner to be free of all guilt and to be entitled to all the blessings secured by the perfect obedience of Christ.
B. The Realm of Sanctification
B. The Realm of Sanctification
Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;
Since justification is the mark of God’s grace in salvation, then sanctification is the mark of God’s grace in living the Christian life.
Now, Macedonia was the northern Roman providence of Greece.
This was an impoverished province that had been ravaged by many wars and even then was being plundered by Roman authority and commerce.
You read the history of the region of Macedonia, it is a wonder that they ever survived as a providence.
We read about Alexander III (The Great), who:
The Lexham Bible Dictionary Hellenistic Period
“is widely held to be the greatest military commander of all time” (Ashley, Macedonian Empire, 8)
He fought and conquered a large expanse of territory.
After his death in 332 BC, there were several regents that were competing for ruling power of the region.
One such “dynasty” called the Antipatrid dynasty was overthrown in 294 BC.
There was the First Macedonian war that lasted seven years; 214-207 BC.
You had the Second Macedonian War, which lasted only three years (200-197 BC), but there ruler Philip V was soundly defeated by the Romans.
The Third Macedonian War ended with the defeat or Perseus, king of Macedon, at the Battle of Pydna in 168 BC.
The historian Errington write:
The Lexham Bible Dictionary Roman Period
that at this point, “The Macedonians had become subjects of Rome, and their further history was determined by the occupying power of Rome” (Errington, History of Macedonia, 217).
Julius Caesar defeated Pompey in Thessalonica in 48 BC.
The forces of Antony and Octavian defeated those of Brutus and Cassius at the battle of Philippi in 42 BC.
The emperor Galerius (AD 305-311) resided in Thessalonica, which was one of the four capitals spread across the Roman empire and became part of the Byzantine Empire.
Barbarian invasions, including the Goths in the 4th century and the Huns in 517, devastated Macedonia.
Just a note of perhaps interest is that the Book of Daniel includes visionary material that correspond to the Macedonian kingdom and to Alexander the Great in particular.
For example, in Daniel 8:5-8, the he-goat from the West that rapidly goes forth and conquers is a symbol of Alexander the Great of Macedonia.
So, this providence, if for no other reason, were very impoverished people.
The region of Macedonia was a very important region in the ministry of the Apostle Paul.
This Apostle Paul conducted mission work in Macedonia, planting churches in Philippi, and Thessalonica.
According to Acts 16:-12, Paul received a vision of a “man of Macedonia” encouraging him to bring the gospel message to the providence.
Yet, through all of this chaotic history, the Churches of Macedonia stand as a symbol of the Grace of God working in the lives of His people.
But here is the key to the unlocking of the Grace of God in the lives of His people.
And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.
The first priority for the people of the Churches of Macedonia was to first present themselves as a sacrifice to God.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Living sanctimoniously to the Lord follows personal dedication.
The word “first” is the word “πρῶτος” and does not refer to time but refers to priority.
The Grace of God is at work in the lives of His people in order that they may live, work, and do beyond the scope of their natural ability.
III. The Material of God’s Grace
III. The Material of God’s Grace
The Grace of God is marvelously involved in the lives of His people from the moment of their conception until we are escorted into His very presence.
God’s Grace of dealing with us was active before our salvation because in His dealings with us HE aloud us to live past the moments of our sins.
God’s Grace of dealing with us in our salvation is the fact that it was his special dealings with His people brought about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, forgiveness, justification, adoption, and imputed righteousness.
God’s Grace of dealing with us after our salvation is in the fact that it is His power that gives us the ability, like the Churches of Macedonia, to do things that are well past the scope of our natural ability.
So our whole life form start to finish is of total grace.....sola gratia......it is absolutely Grace Alone.