Grace: Are You Paralyzed By Grace?
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Friend from 30+ years ago who was in a downward spiral of drug addiction, homelessness.
Heard and responded to the gospel.
But just couldn’t overcome those voices in his head that told him he could never get it right. No hope, no redemption.
Took a lot of years after hitting rock bottom to accept the basic message of God’s grace.
This can also be a great challenge facing followers of Jesus today.
We have a limited view of God’s grace.
The grace of God has been captured and domesticated for weekly use.
Grace has been reduced to mean simply, “forgiveness for everyone.”
We have turned it to our uses, instead of his.
Many people say, “God loves me just the way I am.”
We are comfortable with that statement;
we are less comfortable with, “God loves me so much he won’t let me stay just the way I am.”
Last week, we learned from Titus 2:11–14 that first his grace saves, then it teaches.
Richard Foster, a man who has spent his adult life encouraging Christians to grow in the grace of God, points out that the message of grace is something more than merely a means for gaining forgiveness.
Foster says that, in most pulpits,
“There is a disconnect between the good news of Jesus’ sacrifice and our calling to become the light of the world.”
“There is a disconnect between the good news of Jesus’ sacrifice and our calling to become the light of the world.”
Hearing the same message, week after week, along with the same remedy, they remain in the same place.
“Having been saved by grace, these people have been paralyzed by it.”
“Having been saved by grace, these people have been paralyzed by it.”
If we remain camped at the notion that God’s grace is merely another way to describe forgiveness, we will never discover that there is grace for everyday living, relationships, and ministry to others.
In the New Testament alone, there are connections between
grace and truth, power, spiritual gifts, thanksgiving, generosity
9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.
6 This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.
15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.
6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.
It’s obvious: If our view of grace is limited to receiving forgiveness, Jesus cannot be our model for how to receive grace, live in grace, and depend upon grace.
How does grace apply to everyday life in a manner that we are conscious of the supply and know how to use it?
In church circles, grace has variously been defined as “not getting what we deserve,” or “God’s unmerited favor,” or the acronym “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.”
All of these ideas about grace are true,
All true, but they tell only part of the truth.
All true, but they tell only part of the truth.
These partial truths can actually harm our spiritual formation.
“I’m just a sinner saved by grace,” we say.
“There’s nothing good inside of me. I’ll always be a sinner, because that’s what I always do.”
Some people have sung the same song for 40 years. When they agreed with the sin diagnosis, they apparently thought it described a permanent condition.
The concept becomes that our destiny is constant failure and that Christ’s ministry is nothing but unending forgiveness.
Many believers have experienced the new birth and are convinced their cosmic state is forever a babe.
This is because we have overtalked about what sin takes away and undertalked about what the Spirit has put in us.
Dr. Dallas Willard refers to this as
“Miserable Sinner Theology”
“Miserable Sinner Theology”
Simply put, if we are told often enough that we are miserable sinners who are unable to overcome our shortcomings in God’s eyes, sooner or later we will begin to see ourselves in that light, even though we have turned to Christ! For such people, “following” Jesus does not include the possibility of being formed into his likeness.
It’s not just a problem with our understanding of grace, it’s also our understanding of Jesus:
his message, his sacrifice, his kingdom, and his mission for us.
It’s serious business, so the Father has provided a serious remedy.
The remedy is new birth, new life.
The remedy is new birth, new life.
4 But—When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.
The image of spiritual birth also contains the hope of spiritual growth.
Are we forever trapped within the cancer of sin? No! Grace not only wipes away sin, grace teaches us how to avoid sin.
V. 4-5 reinforce the fundamental truth:
4 But—When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.
New birth and new life indicate that there WILL be growth.
We aren’t supposed to stay immobile in a spiritual bassinet, but to take the power of God’s grace and grow up in it.
7 Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.
V. 7 also reinforces this. Righteousness leads to confidence (hope).
This is so important that Paul INSISTS that Titus be sure to teach about the life-changing power of grace.
The result is doing good. (that’s not paralysis!)
8 This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.
What message have you bought in to? Worthless sinner, never able to overcome?
Valued, blessed redeemed child of God - given countless opportunities in this life and the next?