The Grace of God taken for Granted

The Grasping of God’s Grace — (Vs. 9)

“Meet” — (hikanos) — fit, worthy, qualified

“Persecuted” — systematically oppress

Romans 3:10-11 — 10 There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 — For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

Romans 3:23 — For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God

Isaiah 53:6 — All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned every one to his own way; And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Not a single person sitting here this morning has done anything good enough to get yourself to Heaven!

And the reality is, you can’t do enough good to get yourself to heaven because Heaven is a perfect place, where a perfect, holy and righteous God dwells and therefore, since you and I are flawed, sinful creatures we cannot exist in the presence of a holy God in and of ourselves!

That’s why this morning friend, we need the precious blood of Jesus Christ applied to our lives!

Only the perfect blood of Jesus can make the vilest sinner clean!

Only the blood of God’s perfect lamb can cleanse our scarlet fleeces and make them white as snow!

That’s why Paul said in...

Romans 5:8 — But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:6 — For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Listen this morning friend, you and I are sinners by nature and therefore we deserve hell!

But God in His infinite wisdom and abounding love sent His one and only Son, to be the sacrifice, the propitiation, the substitute, for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life!

That’s why the Bible says in...

Colossians 2:13 — And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

God could have left us to fend for ourselves and we’d all be headed straight for hell but He didn’t!

He didn’t leave us abandoned and dead in our trespasses and sins because He wanted a relationship with His creation!

God wanted the love that He had for His creation to be reciprocated to Him therefore, He made a way for sinful man to stand in the presence of a holy God and that way, the only way, is through His Son!

The Bible says in...

Titus 3:3-5 — 3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Paul understood that the salvation he had received, he didn’t deserve.

Paul grasped the fact that he was blessed beyond compare.

Paul grasped the fact that he deserved death and hell but because of the grace of God, shed abroad upon us through the Lord Jesus Christ, he had received eternal life instead!

Have you grasped that fact this morning?

Have you grasped the fact that the only reason you even have a shot at eternal life is because God loved you?

Listen to me this morning friend, it’s not because you loved Him, it’s because He loved you, that you have the ability to inherit eternal life.

You need to grasp the fact that we love Him, because He first loved us! (1st John 4:19)

Paul grasped the grace of God this morning and my prayer is that before we finish this message you too will grasp fully and completely the grace of God that has been bestowed upon you!

Now that we’ve looked at how Paul grasped the grace of God, let’s look at the Gift of Grace.

The Gift of God’s Grace — (Vs. 10a)

Paul said, “I am what I am by the grace of God.”

Paul understood that the only reason he was able to share the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ was the fact that God had bestowed the gift of grace upon him.

What is grace you ask?

Someone has well defined an acronym for the word as meaning...

“God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense”

And I don’t think you will find a better understanding of word than that anywhere else in the world.

If you want access to the riches of God it only comes through belief in the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you want eternal life, it comes only through trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-9 — 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Listen to me this morning friend, by the undeserving grace of God are you saved this morning!

By the undeserving grace of God, are you even alive this morning!

By the undeserving grace of God, are you healthy enough to even be here this morning!

By the undeserving grace of God, is your heart beating in your chest, your lungs are filling with air, your mind is functioning enough to even understand what you are hearing right now!

By the undeserving grace of God, are you even capable of hearing the Word of God this morning!

By the undeserving grace of God, are you even able to respond to the call of God upon your life this morning!

Paul understood this undeserved gift of grace that had been bestowed upon him and that’s what pushed him to pen these all so famous words… “by the grace of God I am what I am!”

I believe if the Apostle Paul were here today he’d say...

“By the grace of God and that alone I was able to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ!

By the grace of God, I have been blessed with the ability to understand God’s word.

By the grace of God, I am able to share the gift of the gospel with you Corinthians here today!

By the undeserving gift of grace that has been bestowed upon me by the Father of lights above, through the death, burial, and resurrection of His dear Son for my transgressions I am what I am!

I am thankful for that gift of grace that has been bestowed upon me and therefore I have committed every ounce of my being to sharing the good news of the one through whom the gift of grace has been given me!”

Which leads us to the final point I want to speak to you about today… “The Gravity of Grace.”

The Gravity of God’s Grace — (Vs. 10b)

“Gravity” — force of attraction, seriousness, importance

The grace of God was of great importance to Paul as it should be to every person sitting here today or listening online as well.

The undisputed, undeserving grace of God attracted Paul and made a profound impact on his work for the Lord.

Look what he says next there in Verse 10… “and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

Do you know what Paul is saying right here?

He’s saying, “I didn’t take the grace of God for granted!

It was not bestowed upon me in vain but I got busy for the Lord and ended up doing more for God than any of the other apostles!”

Now he wasn’t bragging upon himself but rather he was bragging on God for look what he says last… “yet not I but the grace of God which was with me!”

Paul was always sure not to take credit for anything but everything he did, he did so that God might get the glory for he knew that by the grace of God and that alone he was able to accomplish all that he had!

But here’s the thought that came to me as I was reading through this and studying that I want to leave with you today...

Paul took the grace of God that was bestowed upon him and did everything he possibly could with it, but how many Christians are wasting the gift of grace that has been given them through the Lord Jesus Christ?

How many Christians, day in and day out are taking for granted the grace of God?

Has God’s grace been bestowed upon you in vain this morning?

Paul understood the magnitude and gratitude of God’s grace that had been bestowed upon him and he allowed that grace to fuel him to do more for God than any other Christian that has probably ever walked this earth!

It caused him to labor more abundantly than any of the other apostles and I pray God this morning that right here in this little church on the corner of short mountain hwy and new home road that some people would allow the grace of God to fuel them to labor more abundantly than anyone else!

Listen, in our reading plan this week, Paul told the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 4:1-6

2 Corinthians 4:1–6 KJV 1900

1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Explain

And if God has shined in your heart this morning, then that means you have been extended the undeserving gift of grace and now the only question that remains is what are you going to do with it?!

Are you going to keep it bottled up inside, are you going to keep it hush hush for fear that someone may shame you over it, or are you going to let the world know that the God of all creation has blessed you with the gift of grace and you want them to know about it?!

Paul goes on to say in the final few verses of that same chapter...

2 Corinthians 4:15–18 KJV 1900

15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

This morning church, we are but passing through this world of sorrow but the grace of God that has been placed upon us, leads to our eternal rewards in heaven. Therefore, faint not but press forward toward the prize of the high calling of God!

One of the greatest blessings I received this week in God’s word was reading at the end of 1 Corinthians 16 about the house of Stephanas.

Paul said in…1 Corinthians 16:15

1 Corinthians 16:15 KJV 1900

15 I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)

Here were some folks who also understood the grace of God that had been bestowed upon them and I love how it says that they “addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints!”

Praise God, if only some people who call themselves Christians would addict themselves to ministry of the saints today, the church of the living God would be in a lot better shape, Amen!

Nowadays though, the majority of people who call themselves Christians look at Church as obligation or an obstacle throughout their week instead of an opportunity to serve the one who died for them and bestowed upon them the grace wherein they stand!

It saddens me about the state the church is in today!

Blessed beyond compare but unwilling to take advantage of the blessings bestowed upon them!

Listen folks, the harvest is truly plenteous but the laborers are few! I Pray the Lord of the harvest this morning that He would send some more laborers into the field!

Would you be one of them?

Would you be willing to set your own agenda aside this morning to serve the living God?

Would you be willing to commit to the Lord Jesus Christ what He has committed unto you…which was His life?

Paul said in Romans 12:1

Romans 12:1 KJV 1900

1 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.

So, now comes decision time....what are you going to do moving forward with the grace of God that has been bestowed upon you?

Are you going to allow it to be bestowed upon you in vain....or....are you going to grasp the gravity of grace that has been bestowed upon you and allow it to cause you to get more serious about God?

Won’t you determine in your heart this morning that the things of the world to come are of much more importance than the things this world has to offer and submit to God’s call upon your life this morning.

Won’t you determine in your heart this morning that God’s grace that has been bestowed upon you will not have been in vain!

Stop taking the grace of God for granted this morning?

Let us pray.