How Grace Works

Introduction

What we have done today together so far has been so good. I’m about to burst. It has been absolutely invigorating. And I’m just hoping I don’t mess it up. As I continue our theme of grace that we really began in our Bible class and in these songs, I told Ernie picked some songs about grace. I don’t think you could have done any better. Ernie, I don’t care that they were all three, four. And it’s been invigorating to have so many visitors with us. You know, now I’m almost glad that the camps and the bowens are gone today, and we have the Hens children in Pennsylvania. We wouldn’t have room in the Olympics Oh my.

We’d be sitting on the front row this morning. But that’s a good problem to have. And welcome to all of you. Due to a discussion in our Bible class a couple of weeks ago, it occurred to me this week that a whole sermon on the subject of grace might be of some benefit because I think it is a term, a concept that is so misunderstood. And I don’t know that I have a lot of sermons completely dedicated to the subject of grace. And so as I thought about what I wanted to do with this subject, I just want to talk about how it works. We need to know how grace works. It’s obviously something important all over the New Testament and a lot of the songsalms that we sing.

I mean, if you talk about a word associated with Christianity, with religion in America, you’ll hear the word grace a lot. What is it? Well, I’ll start to meet. What is grace? Everything that God’s word reveals about salvation is applicable to a discussion about grace. Everything. And that made me think of Psalm 119, 116. Where the psalmist, in that long psalm about adoring the word of God, that’s that Hebrew acrostic in 22 sections in verse 160. How many chapters can boast that? In Psalm 119 and verse 160. The sum of thy word. And I love that term sum. An adding term. The total. The sum of thy word is truth. And every one of thy righteous ordinances is everlasting. The word of God is awesome and beautiful.

It is wisdom and without contradiction. It is reliable and right. And so as we speak of grace, really we’re talking about the sum, the total of all that God has said about salvation. And here’s what I want to say to you this morning is that grace is our word. And while it is the subject of much abuse in the religious world, let us not let them take that word from us. As we have just sung, and I wrote it down because I’ve missed it in that song so many times. It is ours today. Did you see that? Grace, it is ours today. And listen, what word in the New Testament that is great has not been abused by the religious world, and that’s the way the devil wants it.

1. What Is Grace Exactly?

We could talk about the word baptism, church, love, Holy Spirit, faith, you name it. Any great concept of the New Testament, including grace, is abused in our religious world, and the devil is behind that kind of machinery. That’s the way he wants it. We need to understand grace, what it is, how it works, and appreciate it if we possess its benefits. And we should never be ashamed to speak of grace or apologize for it in any way. The grace that is greater than all our sin. Ernie didn’t have time to sing that. A lot of great songs about grace. How grace works, three things with you today. Number one, what is it exactly? The old acrostic works well. God’s riches at Christ’s expense. You’ve heard me say that before.

I’ve used that before. I like that because that’s a good summary of what it is. 2 Corinthians 8 and verse 9 says as much, and we’ll be getting to that in our study very shortly. Well, within a few weeks. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich. Now this is a description of the grace of our Lord, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor. That you through his poverty might become rich. Now, whatever this grace is, you need to partake in it. You need to be involved in it. It meant poverty for our Lord. He gave up riches for poverty that you might become rich. Another verse hit me as we were singing these songs this morning.

Ephesians 1 and verse 7, which says, In Him we have redemption. Through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us. And I just couldn’t wait to throw that verse in. I love that word lavish. When you speak of grace, that’s the word lavished upon us. What is grace? It is tied to the very character of God. And I read a lot of things this morning. I did a quick search to see what others said about grace and what it is. I want to see if anything sparked anything else. And I read a lot of great things, but everybody was saying grace is just rooted in the character of God. It’s who God is. Grace. He’s gracious.

And it has to do with his goodness, his generosity. And this may help you, it’s the Greek word charis, C H A R I S, as it’s put into English letters. Charis, and we use the word charitable. Begins with five of those letters. Caris, charitable. It is God’s charitableness toward men.

And so the grace of God is simply all that God has done to bring people to salvation and to enjoy the riches of that. It involves the plan that we see unfolding all the way back in the book of Genesis when he makes the threefold promise to Abraham in Genesis chapter 12, and the working out of that promise throughout the Old Testament story and the fullness of times coming in Christ. It involves all of that. God’s grace is all over the Old Testament in terms of what he is working out for man’s salvation. And then it begins to culminate in God becoming human flesh. How awesome is that.

And all that was involved in the incarnation, including his death and resurrection. Then it’s the living and active word that tells us what all of that meant. All that God did, all that God planned through Christ, and then this message that results that is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, Hebrews 4 and verse 12. This message is in our hands as the result of God’s charitableness, his generosity, his grace toward us. And we know it. And that’s what he tells the Corinthians. You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. How amazing is that it’s his faithful assistance to those of us who have partaken of the benefits of his grace. Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us, and he is able to save forever those who draw near to him.

Hebrews chapter 7 and verse 25, and so many other passages that we can look at. And this is just four things because really it’s all that God has done. Everything. That is his grace toward us. And that grace is extended to absolutely everyone. I don’t have to know much about you in this audience this morning. I don’t have to know whether you’re even in Christ or not, and a new creature like we talked about in the Bible class. Grace has been extended to you. The grace of God has appeared unto all men. Titus 2 and verse 11. But not all men receive the benefits of his grace. That doesn’t mean that all men are automatically saved. Most people acknowledge in their heart of hearts that not all men are saved.

And the Bible, of course, clearly says that. We quoted some passages in Bible class this morning. In every nation, he who fears God and does what is right is accepted of him. The extension of God’s grace does not mean that everybody is automatically accepted into the fellowship of God. That’s not what it means. It just simply means the opportunity has been provided. Not all men are recipients of the provisions and benefits of grace. Because that grace instructs us.

2. Grace Can Be Abused

Instructing us to deny ungodliness. Everything that is opposed to God, that excludes God, that is not consistent with who God is and what he wants, but denies ungodliness. That’s what he wants us to do. Instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live smart. The grace of God instructs us to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in this present age. I want you to hold those thoughts because that’s where I’m going in point number two. See how quickly we’re moving along here. Grace, the thought of his grace, can be abused. As I said by way of introduction, and people were abusing it very early on after the preaching of the gospel of grace began. And Paul speaks about this, and other New Testament writers speak about this.

In Romans chapter 3 and verse 8, some are maliciously reporting about Paul’s preaching that he was saying, let us do evil that good may come. Let us do evil that good may come. And by that, Paul is saying, that’s not what I’m preaching. And the implication of that is, well, grace, God is, God has done all this for sin, and he’s showered us with his grace, so let’s just do more evil so grace can do evil more. Well, he addresses that specifically a couple chapters later, when he says, shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? May it never be. How shall we who have died to sin still live in it? No, that’s not a right concept of what grace was intended to do.

Remember, grace was given, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly lust and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in this present age. It was not, let us do evil so that grace can do more and more.

No, grace has already abounded. Is that a word? I don’t know. Grace has already abounded. It’s all that God has done. It can’t abound anymore. It’s there. It’s been extended to everybody. So that’s not the meaning, obviously, of the concept of grace. And Paul would say further in Galatians chapter 5 and verse 13. Yes, it is for freedom that Christ called us. Christ has called us to freedom. But don’t misunderstand this liberty in Christ. He says, do not turn it into an opportunity for the flesh. That goes back to Titus 2.12 as well. Do not turn it into an opportunity for the flesh or a covering for evil, but through love serve one another. Again, Peter consistently, apparently dealing with the same problem as I quoted act as free men and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil.

But use it as bond slaves of God. Now, if you don’t get anything else about my sermon this morning, you get this. What is this freedom, the result of God’s grace? What is it pointing you to? Not as a covering for evil, but bond slaves of God. Servants of God. Jude 3 and 4. That tiny little epistle where Jude was going to write about the common salvation but changed his mind. That we ought to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. And he says, For certain persons have crept in unnoticed. And notice what these certain persons do who are marked out for condemnation. That’s not a good thing. They were marked out for condemnation. They are ungodly persons. Now, remember, stop right there.

Ungodly persons. What does the grace of God instruct us to do? To be godly persons and to deny ungodliness. But these ungodly persons, look what they do. They turn the grace of God into lawlessness or licentiousness. Oh, that’s not. But grace can abound all the more. No. Jude says, they deny our Lord and master. Any view of grace that promotes sin in any way is not consistent with what grace really is all about. We must not use the message of grace to turn that into license to do wrong. That denies our master and everything that he intended for us, as we read in our Bible class, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Now, listen, now we’re getting to the heart of this.

We must not justify transgression on the basis that grace is going to cover it. Let me give you some proof.

Well, grace is just going to have to cover it. You’re your friend of the world. Don’t think it’s going to cover that. Friendship with the world is hostility toward God. It’s enmity toward God. Grace ain’t going to cover that. You’ll find yourself an enemy of God. Hebrews. You can’t come to these conclusions about grace and reconcile these passages in Hebrews where there were believers who were drifting away from the message of grace. Beware lest you drift away from it, he tells these believers. How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? Neglecting that salvation is not going to be covered by grace. Beware lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. Grace isn’t going to cover that.

Show the same diligence. And the reason why I’m referencing this verse is what I’m about to say in the next point. But he says, Show the same diligence. Do not be sluggish. Be like those who were imitators of God and imitate them who through faith and patience inherited the promises. Don’t be sluggish, be diligent. We’re persuaded of better things concerning you. Here’s what I’m concerned about.

It’s an attitude that says, because of grace, well, I don’t have to sweat the details. But worry about it. That’s not consistent with Romans 12, 1 and 2. Where believers are called to be living sacrifices holy and acceptable unto God and to not be conformed with this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds. And I’ll tell you what else that isn’t saying. We can’t adopt the, well, Lord, this is what I’ve determined to give you. This is what you get. I think some people develop that sort of a mindset. You know, Lord, this is what I parceled out for you, and this is what you get. Here’s what you get, Lord. Wait a minute. That’s not consistent with the living sacrifice passage either.

In Romans chapter 12 and verse 1. And I’ll tell you, who’s really the Lord with that attitude? And aren’t we called to submission to him? Edwin Crozier, who used to preach in Beaumont, but a good friend of mine for a long time, now preaches in Brownsburg, Indiana. All these quotes on Facebook about grace this week. It was crazy. Grace is not God’s prerogative to ignore our sins, but God’s power to eradicate our sins. That we might die to sin and live to righteousness as we’ve already seen. And so, I’ll tell you what these thoughts tell me to do. Let’s go ahead and introduce you to where we’re going in our 2 Corinthians study. Oh, I didn’t know that was in 2 Corinthians. Where he says in verse 5, hey, you Corinthians, you better look at yourselves very carefully.

Examine yourselves carefully to see whether or not you be in the faith. Or do you not recognize this about yourselves? That Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed you fail the test. Failing the test doesn’t sound good to me. Passing the test is Jesus Christ in you. Christ in you, the hope of glory, Colossians chapter 1 and verse 27. That’s not saying, well, Lord, this is what I parceled out for you, this is what you get. Don’t sweat the details. Look, nothing less than being like him is the goal. You need to examine yourselves. And the Corinthians were falling short at this point, as we are seeing. We must not use grace to justify sin. Well, but here’s where this comes in. But what about the problem of my guilt?

3. Not Grace, but Assurance and Mercy

You know, actually, Tony, some of the things you’ve said this morning made me feel guilty. And that could only be the result of what another preaching friend of mine, Chris Emerson, posted on Wednesday night, when he said, special thanksgiving for brothers and sisters in Christ, who continued to put Christ and His people first tonight by going to midweek worship. As was said in a prayer tonight, we need this midweek study and the time together. There is nothing more encouraging than a Christian who has options and he chooses church. But some don’t. And I’m preaching a message like this, and somebody says, Well, that makes me feel guilty. Or maybe it’s just my the realization that I don’t always live up to the standard of Christ in me.

And sometimes I fall short. What am I going to do with guilt? Grace is just going to have to cover it. That’s usually what we might tend to think. But really, we’re making a mistake, tying this to grace. Really, what we need to look at is the subject of assurance. Because that’s where the problem of guilt comes in, and what we do with our guilt. So we said, I don’t want to feel so guilty about falling short of his glory, my occasional stumbles, my neglect of what I know I should be doing, or my seeming failure to get any better. And so, well, I’m just going to have to rely on grace. Really, that’s not right. What we’re talking about now is the subject of how do I have assurance?

It’s not an issue of grace. Grace has already been provided to its full. The issue now is our assurance before him. And so often when we’re talking about grace, really what we’re talking about is assurance. And my possession of assurance, well, if you want assurance, I’m going to take you to 2 Peter chapter 1. The magnificent and precious promises of God. He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. You remember that in 2 Peter 1 and verse 3? He has granted us all things that pertain to life and godliness. That is grace. We have become partakers of his precious and magnificent promises, by which we escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust and become partakers of the divine nature.

That’s the grace of God. And because you have received that, he says, now what? Applying all diligence. Tell you what grace better mean in our lives, that we’re giving some effort. Applying all diligence, add to your faith. Start with that faith, the foundation of everything. And you add moral excellence, virtue. And all of the qualities that flow self-control. Brotherly kindness, love. A few of those things that are mentioned there. And if these qualities are yours and are on the increase, you’ll not be unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And then he says in verse 10, be all the more diligent about his calling and choosing you. Have you been called and chosen of God?

You know what’s an indication of that? So whether you’re doing those things he mentioned in verses 5 through 8. That’s what he said. Make certain about his calling and choosing you. That’s what he’s saying. Do you believe you’re one of the chosen of God? Well, okay, I was baptized into Christ. I rose to walk in newness of life. So what does that mean now? That means I’m pursuing those things in verses five through eight. And if I am, if I’m diligent about the pursuit of those things, I’m one of his. I’ve made certain about his calling and choosing me. And in that way an entrance into his eternal kingdom shall be supplied to me. 2 Peter chapter 1 and verse 11. Now, really, I said, we’re not talking about grace when we’re talking about dealing with my guilt over my sin.

We’re talking about assurance and we’re talking about mercy. That’s really it’s not grace we’re talking about. It’s assurance and mercy when we’re talking about that. And I love to use the example of my good friend Oni in 2 Timothy chapter 1. That’s what D said. His friends called him Oni for short. Onociferus. Because, see, that’s hard to say. It looks like, I don’t know how you say it, but it’s Onociphorous. And in this text, I start in verse 15 because some turned away from Paul. Grace isn’t going to fix that. Okay? Among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. You wouldn’t want to trade places with them. But, he says, the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onociferis, not just Onociferis, but his family who were faithful as well.

For he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. But when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me. And the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day. And you know very well the services that he rendered at Ephesus. Now here’s what I preach about Onociferous. You’ve heard my Onociferous sermon. Salvation is a striving issue. It is a mercy issue. It is a trust issue. And that’s the only way I know how to explain it. We must not cease striving. And say, well, I’m going to rely on grace. Jesus answered that. When the man came to him and said, Lord, are there just a few who are being saved? What did he say? Strive. First word out of his mouth.

Strive to enter by the narrow door. Many will desire to enter and will not be able. So whatever you’re going to say about grace, or whatever we’re going to say even about mercy, you better get striving in the equation somehow. Because Jesus answered the question about those who are being saved. His first word was strive. I can’t get strive out of salvation. And that’s what people want to do today. They want to take strive out of it. We want nonchalant. That’s a better word for us. Casual. Every now and then, convenience. We don’t like strive. That’s too demanding. That’s too exacting. That’s too hard. That’s too sacrificing. Oh, wait a minute. That word sacrifice is in Christianity. We can’t take strive out of the Bible, folks.

Grace will be of no effect to us if we do that. I can’t get around that. Well done, good and faithful servant. Oh, that sounds like a parable of talents story. Well, it is. It was not uttered. Those words were not uttered to the wicked and lazy slave. The one talent man. Was it. But to the five-talent man who went out and got five talents more. Maybe he could have gotten ten. But he did something with the Lord, with what the Lord had entrusted him. And the two talent man, he went and got two talents more, and he heard, well done, good and faithful servant. Now he didn’t get what the five-talent man got, but he took what the and he might have been able to get more than two.

But he did something with what the Lord had given him. Where is the effort? 2 Timothy 3 14. And like I was going to say this at the beginning. I just forgot about it. It’s in my outline. When we started talking about grace a couple of weeks ago in the Bible class, and then I got the idea I really need to preach on this so we get it. Make sure we get it. So many passages were popping into my mind when we were talking about it. It’s like remember, everything that God has said has a relevance to the message of grace. So I’m giving you a lot of them this morning. But there’s so many more. But this one came to mind for some reason. Timothy, you know, we’re going to hear about all scripture is given by inspiration of God.

And Paul is talking to Timothy about the things he’s been taught since he was a kid by Lois and Eunice, mother and grandmother. And look at what he tells him. You, however, look at this. Continue. Continue in the things that you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them.

Folks, I can’t get salvation without continue. We must continue. We must strive. Fight the good fight of faith. Fight. Lay hold on eternal life. You can’t talk about assurance without talking about fighting the good fight of faith. And so it’s a striving issue. It’s a mercy issue for sure. But it’s a trust issue as well. By faith. We are protected. Peter says in 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 5, for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. We have an adversary that’s working against us in verse 8, but we need to resist him, verse 9. And the God of let’s read that. 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 10. Flip over there. And after you have sinned for a little while, no, it’s not what it says.

After you have suffered for a little while. It’s not going to be easy. The God of all grace who calls you to his eternal glory in Christ. That’s the grace. He has called you to his eternal glory. That’s ours for the taking. Will himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. Yes, God is involved in this equation. This is not about our own effort all by ourselves. It’s a striving issue. It’s a mercy issue. It’s a trust issue. But here is my concern. We must not relegate everything to a mercy proposition. I just can’t do this. You know, God’s just going to have to overlook this. I can’t do it. God, you’re just going to have to overlook. I cannot. Is it that we can? Or we won’t.

4. Stretch Yourself Until It Hurts

Are we really fighting the good fight of faith? Or are we wanted to tiptoe through the tombs? And are we asking God for strength? To do his will and to land safely on that eternal shore. I want to give you some recommendations that go along with what I think the message of grace is instructing us to do and to become. Take these with you. Number one. Stretch yourself until it hurts. The way of the cross leads home. It’s not just Jesus’ cross. We’ve got to take up our crosses too. Strife. Where you fail. It is a mercy issue. The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onociferis, despite all of his servants. Where you fail, don’t wobble in the failure. Well, God, you’re just going to have to accept it.

What have you done to try to defeat it? By the Spirit, we can defeat. Romans chapter 8 tells us. Put to death the deeds of the fight. Have you constructed a plan to defeat those areas of failure in your life? And then it’s a trust issue. Have you asked God to help you and to give you strength to defeat those things? Something we just want to throw. I’m just going to have to be saved by the grace of God. God’s trying to help us here. To defeat our enemy. Sin is never a good thing in our lives. Failure is not a good thing ever. And again, we need to consult the Spirit’s message frequently. And I’ll tell you, that’s why I love Sunday mornings, Sunday nights, Wednesday nights.

I need scheduled times to consult the Spirit’s message. And when we come here, we’re not going to be all about entertainment and recreation. We’re going to feed the Spirit. And we need that.

And no matter what, I’m not quitting. Sometimes I disappoint myself. I know better. I’m not going to quit. The Lord doesn’t want me to quit. And I need to stay focused on heaven. The prize.

Conclusion

Also quoted this week. Phil preaches in Gainesville, Florida. If we truly understood the grace of God. How would it affect the choices we make and the paths we take? Oh to grace, how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be. Let your goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee. That’s what we’ve sung this morning. And I conclude with the words of Paul that we ended our class with this morning. And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says, At the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you. Behold, now is the acceptable time. And behold, now is the day of salvation. The grace of God has been extended.

We live in the day of salvation. Now is the accepted time. Won’t you embrace the provisions of his grace and work together with him? And I plead with you, beloved. Do not receive the grace of God in vain. And so if you’re subject to the invitation of his grace and need to respond to the saving of your soul, come now as we stand and say.