Standing Fast in Grace
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
8 Aspects of our Standing in Christ that, when meditated on, will help us to Stand Fast.
Peace
Peace
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
This peace was promised by the angel
Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, Good will toward men.
This peace was accomplished on the cross
But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed.
This peace with God is offered to all men
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
This grace wherein we stand gives us peace with God — that child born on Christmas day came to offer that peace
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Do you have peace with God through Christ?
When you have peace with God, you can stand in any conflict
(Peace)
Presence
Presence
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Far beyond peace we have been given the grace of God’s presence
Access to His presence for all eternity
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
When Christ came, He was God with us
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Through His death, burial, and resurrection He opened the doors of God’s heaven to any and all who will believe in Him
I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
The thief on the cross had no church, was never baptized, could do no good works, could give no money, but had faith in Jesus Christ, and Jesus opened Heaven to receive even him
And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Jesus loves me He who died,
Heaven’s gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin,
Let His trusting child come in.
(Peace)
(Presence)
Promise
Promise
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
We have the promise of eternal life.
We have the hope beyond what this world can offer
Hope in God is a powerful weapon against the difficulties of life. You can stand fast in hope
Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
Hope in Christ is a powerful motivator to keep you standing fast in your Christian growth
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
No matter what life may bring, our peace with God is secure, we have access to His presence, and we are resting in His promise
(Peace)
(Presence)
(Promise)
Patience
Patience
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
We can have patience in the most difficult seasons of life, knowing that God is in control
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Troubles bring growth for the Christian. Troubles should draw you closer to your Saviour
It is good for me that I have been afflicted; That I might learn thy statutes.
Faith in the midst of troubles, trials, and persecution does not go unnoticed or unrewarded
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
We can have patience through difficulty because we know our Father allows these things with a purpose and a plan in mind
(Peace)
(Presence)
(Promise)
(Patience)
Purpose
Purpose
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
God does not let the hard times go to waste, He uses them to pefect us, grown us, transform us
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 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:
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.
There is not one single situation of life that has happened by accident, or has slipped under God’s radar — He knows, is in control, and has a purpose in mind
Even when our troubles are consequences of our own mistakes, He still corrects us as a loving Father
My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; Neither be weary of his correction: For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
God has a purpose in mind for you, and you can stand fast in the midst of your troubles knowing there is a purpose behind them
(Peace)
(Presence)
(Promise)
(Patience)
(Purpose)
Proof
Proof
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Christ bought us peace with God, gave us access into His presence, promised eternal life, enables us to be patience knowing that every circumstance has a purpose, all the while proving just how much God loves us.
How deep the Father’s love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To Make a wretch His treasure
The Christmas Story is a story of God’s loving gift to all mankind.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
God loves you so much that He gave His Son for you.
And nothing will ever change that love
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
When you’re shaken by your circumstances, remember God’s enduring, unchanging love, and stand fast in His grace.
Jesus proved God’s love on that cross, and in doing so provided us propitiation.
(Peace)
(Presence)
(Promise)
(Patience)
(Purpose)
(Proof)
Propitiation
Propitiation
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
This, the power of the cross:
Christ became sin for us,
Took the blame, bore the wrath:
We stand forgiven at the cross!
For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 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.
We have full forgiveness through the blood of Jesus Christ.
God’s wrath has been satisfied, His justice appeased, and you and I have been plucked off the road to hell and have been granted entrance into God’s heaven!
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
And as if that was not enough, to have peace with God, access to the presence of God, full confidence in the promise of God, patience through the purpose of God, proof of the Love of God and Propitiation won before God, we have the pleasure of knowing God!
(Peace)
(Presence)
(Promise)
(Patience)
(Purpose)
(Proof)
(Propitiation)
Pleasure
Pleasure
And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
Do you enjoy your God?
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
Does the joy you have in God carry through any season of life?
Although the fig tree shall not blossom, Neither shall fruit be in the vines; The labour of the olive shall fail, And the fields shall yield no meat; The flock shall be cut off from the fold, And there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, And he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, And he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: Come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; And his truth endureth to all generations.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Christ came that very first Christmas in order to give us standing in God’s grace through His death, burial and resurrection. Our standing before God cannot be affected by troubles, trials, culture, what Christ has accomplished cannot be undone.
Do you know for a fact that you stand in God’s grace?
Are you resting in His grace, able to withstand what comes your way, not by your own strength, but knowing the strength of the Lord?
In Christ, we stand.
He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
This year, stand fast in Him!
COMMUNION
For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.