Sermon Transcript - May 20, 2006
I wish you grace brethren.
When somebody wishes you grace how do you react to that? Most of the time in my training and my experience in the Church, if somebody talks about grace we almost think these are anti-law people. These are people that must be off the wall. They must be Protestant to use the term grace. And yet if you understand the word grace and what it means, you will see how tremendously significant it is in the lives of every Christian. In fact, it was so significant that the apostle Paul wished every Church he wrote to grace. He concluded everyone of his fourteen epistles with: grace. And yet, too many times we associate grace with no law, because that is the spin that has been put on that term by the world. When you are under grace you don't have to worry about the law, but that is not what the Scriptures say.
Grace is a wonderful blessing in the lives of every Christian. It is a wonderful blessing to be able to have grace in your life, to be wished grace, to have grace, to have grace bestowed upon you, to be graceful, to be gracious. It is something we all need to strive to have and be. So today I would like to share with you a sermon titled, "What grace is", or titled "I wish you grace," but we want to discover what grace is and what grace isn't.
So we are going to talk about what grace is first, and we are going to see many faceted aspects of grace. This topic is not small so I am trying to condense it for you. I am trying to be thorough enough but I don't want to overwhelm you. So I am going to go through some scriptures that I will just talk about and refer to, and you can check them out for yourself.
So what grace is, and what grace is not. Both Hebrew and Greek words give the same sense of the word grace. It has to do with favor, beauty, graciousness and thankfulness. I remember as a child growing up, my mom would sometimes say at the dinner table on special occasions - not regularly; on special occasions - she would say, "Who wants to say grace?" And I would say "Ah, come on mom, grace? Was there a woman around here named Grace? Are you calling for grace, what are you grace about?" I teased about and I thought, "What is this grace?" But when you actually look up the word, grace does carry with it a sense of thankfulness - thanksgiving. So she was right and I was wrong. I should have said thankfulness. You know, this means thankfulness. I shouldn't have mocked it, but at that time I was foolish and tended to do those things.
Over 30 times in the Old Testament the word for grace in the Hebrew is chên pronounced khane. Over 30 times it is used in the Old Testament. So there was grace in the Old Testament, too. As you know, Noah found grace in God's eyes. In the New Testament the word is charis pronounced khar'-ece. It is used over 160 times. So I would say nearly 200 times. 190 plus times the word grace is used in the Bible. That must have some significance. It must have some importance for us today. There are only two places in the Bible where the words grace are translated from other words - other than those two words - and I will give them to you. Ezra 9:8 - it is not translated from the word chên. And in James 1:11, the word is not charis. So if you note those two places, you'll know everywhere else you read the word grace in King James Version, everywhere else in Old Testament, New Testament, it is translated from those words that carries with it a sense of favor, graciousness, thankfulness, beauty - but more favor, graciousness, thankfulness. We will come across that.
Our usual explanation of what grace means: We usually say it is unmerited pardon, and that certainly is part of it, you'll see. Grace does encompass thanks, forgiveness. It encompasses justification. It encompasses God's willingness to extend to us that which we do not deserve - unmerited pardon. That is one meaning. That is not the only meaning. If you force that meaning into everywhere, then you say the way we... " What, shall we sin then that grace may abound?" And how do you grow in grace? If grace only means to receive forgiveness, the only way you grow in grace is to sin more. The more you sin then, God can give you grace, and then you can grow in grace. But it means far more - far more than just forgiveness. We will see that.
Some of the meanings from scripture that we see, in Luke 2:52, we will see that Jesus Christ grew in favor with God and man. And the word favor is charis. It has to do with grace. When a person is in God's good graces, that person is in favor with God. God looks down and says, "I favor that person." Why would He favor that person? Because that person is walking with Him. That person is looking to Him. That person is abiding in Him. Luke 2:52 carries the sense here of charis, of favor.
In Romans 3:24, we find that you are justified - justified, or forgiven, by the grace of God. So grace here carries with it the forgiveness. In Hebrews 4:16 we find that grace is given to us. Come to the throne of God that you may receive grace to help in time of need. What is grace there? Is it just forgiveness? Or is it strength and support? So the grace of God - it comes in many ways. It can come as a support and strength. It can come as justification or forgiveness. It can come as God favoring you. God is going to make good things happen to you. It also can carry the connotation of being gracious or having good taste.
Col. 4:6 - He talks about "Let your speech always be seasoned with grace". It has to do with graciousness. It has to do with how you come across to others.
Prov. 11:16 - talks about a gracious woman. A gracious woman. And you talk about people who are graceful. You talk about people that are gracious. Gracious people know how to treat others in a kind and gentle and serving way.
So, what does grace means then? It means favor. It means favor. It means to be in God's favor. It also means pardon - unmerited pardon. You don't deserve it, because it has to do with justification. It means that you are acceptable in the sight of God and it also carries with it strength and thankfulness. So that's what grace means.
Let's ask ourselves, "How important is it to have grace? Do you really need grace? What do you need grace for any way?" Now we have gone all this time without grace, and we've emphasized obeying the law. And when Herbert Armstrong began speaking, grace was a naughty word because people used grace to do away with the Law. "We are under grace now. We are not under law. Throw that law out the window because we are under grace." He combated that with teaching, "Brethren, you need to obey the law. The law is not done away. The law needs to be kept and followed," which led a lot of people to think that the United Church of God - or the Worldwide Church of God back then - or the Church of God - believes in earning salvation - believes in earning it by keeping the law. And there is no such thing. You cannot be saved if you are under the law- cannot. From the moment you break it, you are headed for death. The wages of sin is death. What is sin? Transgression of the Law. Can you keep the Law perfectly every day of your life? The moment you slip, you have no grace! You are dead.
But grace.... If you are under grace, it does not mean you don't walk in the Law of God. It means that which system that you follow. If you have two systems here.... Picture two systems. On this side you have law, and on this side you have grace. If you're walking in the law, I'm going to be saved by law. If you walk the path of the law, the moment you fall and stumble, you're dead. If you walk the path of grace you have the mercy, the forgiveness, the justification, the graciousness, the favor of God, the strength of God to help you walk in God's law. Other's say, "When you are under grace, you throw the law away. That way you can't break it!" No law. How can you break the law if you have no law? Therefore you can't sin. Throw away the law. Christ nailed it to His cross. Christ did it all for you. He kept if all for you. He did it all. He was righteous, nailed them to the cross. Therefore the law is nailed to the cross because He kept it. He became the embodiment of it, and now you can live righteously, because that put Christ in you and since Christ kept it, then you're righteous. You don't have to do anything. Just be in grace. Just have good thoughts. Think good thoughts. Be a nice person. Try to be a nice person the best way you can - whatever nice meant - whatever it means to you. And so, that is the concept.
How important is it to have grace?
Eph. 2:5,8 - . Without grace you cannot be saved. That is very important - very important to understand it. And it is very important to grow in it. And it is very important to utilize it, because the grace of God is the only means by which we may be saved. It is the only means by which we may walk in the law of God. Without His grace, we cannot walk in the law of God faithfully. We cannot. Physically? Yes, we had a few people like Zachariah - Zachariah is the father of John the Baptist. Paul said he was blameless touching the law - as far as walking in the law in a physical way, but not in a spiritual sense of it.
Eph. 2:5 - Even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together - God has quickened us in His mercy - with Christ. Now notice what it says in parenthesis (by grace you are saved;) And then:
Eph. 2:8 - For by grace are you saved through faith - by believing in the grace of God.
What is it saying? God will grant me pardon. God will give me strength to live and walk in His ways. I cannot be saved, you cannot be saved, no one can be saved without the grace of God. There's nothing you can do to earn it. All the studying, all the repenting, all the believing you can do, does not make up for breaking the law of God yesterday. All the repenting, the faith and believing you do today does not make up for breaking the law yesterday, but it does show God you're sorry. And then God, in His grace, is willing to forgive you. And He is willing to strengthen you so that you don't walk in that same way again. So that help we need, the strength we need to walk and live in God‘s ways, comes from Him anyway.
Acts 20:24-25 - The apostle Paul, in his final message to the elders in Ephesus, emphasizes that what he had been teaching them was good news about the grace of God. Good news. In fact, he called it the gospel of grace. He was bringing them good news about how they could be saved. He was bringing them good news about how they could have strength, help and support and favor in their lives.
Acts 20:24 - But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy - Paul talks to the Ephesian elders - and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
verse 25 - And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.
But I have brought you "the gospel of grace." Good news of God. I brought you that God will forgive you, that God will bless you, that God will strengthen you, that God will support you, because without grace how can you possibly be in the Kingdom of God, as we have just heard, sung to us? How can you have that strength and help that is necessary? So, how important is it? Very important.
The apostle Paul, in all of his greetings, except the book of Hebrews, starts off by wishing them grace and peace. They must have had some pretty bad congregations. Now we know that the Corinthians were not really a great congregation, but the Philippians? Some of these others? Every one he wrote to he said, "I wish you forgiveness. You're bad people. You need forgiveness." Every one he wrote. "You need forgiveness" and he closed it, and again, "You need forgiveness." Is that what he was emphasizing? Or was he emphasizing you need strength, you need favor? "May God be with you. May God favor you. May God look favorably upon you. May God shine down upon you and give you blessings, and strength, and help." That is what he was referring to. Sure, forgiveness is in there. We saw that justification is absolutely there. But in all of his greetings, except for Hebrews, and he concludes all of his writings with, "May grace be with you." You can check him out. It is amazing how many times grace is used. But, because the world had used grace so much to undermine God's law and obedience to God.... And remember, God's people who were under grace have always been called obedient people.
It does not have to go one against the other. In fact, some of my margin - I have a Scofield reference - that says, "grace, not law." And I will tell you, if you have no law, you don't need grace - at least the unmerited pardon portion of it. If you have no law, you don't need grace. Why not? You can't break the law if there is no law to break. The stop sign. You can't be charged with driving through the stop sign if there is no stop sign at that intersection. Can you? Take away the law - why do you need forgiveness? You don't. Why do you need mercy? You don't. Why do you need unmerited pardon? You don't. So it is grace and law. And if it weren't for the grace of God, we would falter in the law, and we would be dead. You will see that quite clearly expounded as we go through.
Peter, in 1 Peter 5:12 - in a very inspiring scripture - 1 Peter 5:12, in a very plain scripture, he tells us that we need to stand as he wraps up this first epistle. He says:
1 Peter 5:12 - By Silvanus - through whom he wrote this letter - a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Why did he say "the true grace of God?" Because there were those who were perverting the grace of God. We will see that toward the end of this sermon. There were those who were perverting the grace of God - who were turning it into license to do as you please. You are under grace now. There is no restraint on you. There is no compulsion to keep the law. You don't have to worry about that. There is no conviction to keep the law - and you want to do the things that you feel is right. Serve God, because you love Him out of a loving heart. I know God hopes we do that, whether we do it or not, there is still the law. Whether we do it or not, the law is still there. I mean, God hopes you will love His law. God hopes you will, like David, say, "O how love I thy law." But even if you don't love it, it is still there. It doesn't come or go depending on what you think of it - or what I think of it. So,
verse 12 - ...exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.
Brethren, we as Christians need to stand in the grace of God. Without grace you cannot be saved. And frankly without grace, you cannot walk in the law of God, because we will see that it is the graciousness of God that grants us gifts. It is the graciousness of God that He provides through His Holy Spirit in our lives. It is the graciousness of God that enables us to have the strength and power and might to walk with Him. We cannot do it alone. And that is the strength of God. He will battle your problems; make mountains into molehills, instead of molehills into mountains. If you want to make mountains into mole hills, do you know what you need? You need the strength of God - the grace of God.
Paul says it is multifaceted. He called it many colored - the many colored aspects of grace. Because you know what he also says? In the first part of 1 Peter, because the last part he talks about it and I will come back in a moment, he talks about it being multifaceted. Problems are multifaceted. Temptations are multifaceted. So for every multifaceted temptation, he's got multifaceted grace. He's got the strength that we need to be able to live it. But he talks about "this is the grace in which we stand."
Where does grace come from? It comes from God - God, who is called gracious. God, who is called gracious. Notice Psalm 145:8. This is the Hebrew word, remember we said chên, this is the Hebrew word.
Psalm 145:8 - The Lord is gracious .... God is gracious. That's the way He is, and no wonder He wants us to grow in grace. He wants us to become like Him. He is gracious. He is giving; He is sharing; He is blessing; He is strengthening; He is supportive of us and He favors us.
verse 8 - The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
Exodus 33:19 - Here we find Moses trying to lead the rebellious, cantankerous Israelites, who saw molehills and thought they were mountains. And he said to God "If you don't go with me, I don't want to go." God said, "My presence will be with you. I will go with you." Then Moses said, "How do I know? Show me yourself. Show me yourself." "I can't show you myself in full glory, because nobody can look on God in His full glory in His face and live." So God said, "Okay, Moses. You are my friend. I speak to you face to face - like buddy to buddy, shoulder to shoulder. I look at you. I look to you face to face. You go stand behind that rock, and when I come I am going to put My hand up, and when I turn ,then I will take My hand away and then you can see my backside. You can still see My glory, but not in the fullness as if you saw it." Because God talks in the New Testament about His face shining as the brilliance of the sun. Can you look at the sun? Can you lie down when you sunbathe and keep your eyes open to the sun? What happens to you? It hurts your eyes. You can't look at God and live. But notice what He says in verse 19.
verse 19 - and he said, I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious.
"I will show favor to those whom I choose to show favor." And if God shows favor, and those people respond, God will continue to be gracious to them. "I will show graciousness to those who will accept it and walk with Me". That is what He is saying.
verse 19 - "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy". God has graciousness to give.
It is interesting in 2 Corinthians 9:8. Take a look at this scripture. This section is saying, "Where does grace come from? How do we have grace in our lives and how may we even have more of it?"
2 Cor. 9:8 - God is able to make "- what?- all grace abound toward you".
"God is able to make all grace abound toward you." What is he saying? He is saying: "I am able to make everything turn out favorable. I am going to make everything favorable for you. I am going to make everything work out well for you if you bless Me. " And He is talking here about giving - and not giving sparingly but giving generously and cheerfully. And He said, "I am able to make grace abound toward you." 2 Corinthians 9:8.
Notice Galatians 1:6 and 15. We see that grace comes from God.
Gal. 1:6 - I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into - what? - the grace of Christ. I marvel that you are moving away from the grace of Christ into another gospel.
God's message involves how you may be saved. And how may you be saved? Through grace! And how may you abound in grace? By being in Christ. By having connection with God. By being in God's good favor.
verse 15 - but when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace.
God's graciousness. God is the one that decides. He will be gracious to whom He will be gracious. He will be merciful to whom He will be merciful. And as we know now, He is only calling out a few - the firstfruits that's coming up pictures firstfruits are always few. Even though the firstfruit harvest - if you look it up, was a large harvest. The harvest that took place around Pentecost was a large harvest, but firstfruits are always few. He talks about us being the firstfruits - in fact, says about us being the first of the fristfruits. The firstfruit harvest was always small. The harvest that took place in Pentecost, you can read, was a large harvest - not as large as the Feast of Tabernacles, but a very large harvest. The point is not how large is that harvest agriculturally. The point is firstfruits. And God says, "I will choose and call those whom I want - those whom I choose now." Does that mean everybody else is trash? Absolutely not! Because God has a plan He is working out here below - each person in his or her own order. That's how He is calling us. Each person in his or her own order He is calling to that particular salvation. So He says that he is called us by His grace. Let's take a look also in John 1 . John 1 is very powerful. John 1:14 and 17. Often times we overlook this particular scripture. We look at the first part and we forget about the second part of it. It says:
John 1:14 - And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. See, He was God in the flesh, but notice in parenthesis. ...(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.) And sometimes we even stop there. Look at the last part of verse 14. ... full of grace and truth.
Jesus Christ came into the world full of grace and truth, which tells us another thing - that we can either have grace - be under grace - or be full of grace. And if we are full of grace, it would translate in how we live and act and respond - not only toward God, but toward others as well.
John 1:17 - "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ"
So if you want to have grace in your life, it comes from connection with God the Father and Jesus Christ, who can dispense it and give it to us - give it for us and give it to us. It also comes through the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 10:29. We can have grace in our lives through God's Holy Spirit, which is also given to us. Remember the love of God is shed abroad in our heart by the Holy Spirit, but also the grace of God.
Now Mr. Register was telling me just the other day that he looked up the word grace. Sometimes people translate grace and think that grace has to do with individuals being - how did he put it - having unconditional love. Unconditional love. And it is not only unconditional love. In fact, love for people - you may love people no matter what they do, but you do not bless them no matter what they do. So here we find in Hebrews 10:29, talking about the unpardonable sin.
Hebrews 10:29 - Of how much sorer punishment, suppose you, shall he be thought worthy, who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, and unholy thing, and has done despite to the Spirit of grace?
God's Spirit is a spirit of grace. And when you walk contrary to it by sinning willfully after you have knowledge of the truth, you are walking contrary to what grace is all about. Grace is not about disobedience. Grace is not willingly throwing away the Law of God, but rather walking with God. And God's Holy Spirit in us helps us to do just that.
Romans 11:5,6. Here we will see that grace is the gift of God, but it is not of works, and salvation is a gift of God, not of works.
Romans 11:5 - Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
How does God have a people now here on this earth? How does God have a people now who are His chosen? Even though at this present time it is according to the election of grace, according as God has decided mercifully to choose them and call them.
verse 6 - And if by grace, then it is no more of works:
Now what did you do to get called? What did I do to get called? What did you do? Because you are better than everybody else? Not what I find in 1 Corinthians. Not many wise men. You might have a few, but not many wise men, not many noble, not many mighty. God has chosen the weak of the world. So what did you do to make yourself weak? What did you do to become poor? What did you do to get called? What did I do? Nothing. Totally God's call. Totally God's grace. That's how we were called. That's how we were drawn. That's how we were brought to this place where we are now in His Church.
verse 6 - And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if you could make it happen yourself, then it is not grace. If you can make it work yourself it is not grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
If you could make it happen because you work. Now, when you work on a job you work so many hours a day. You get so much money - that is what you earn. What you work, you earn. Can you work? Can you earn salvation? Can you earn God's Holy Spirit? Can you earn forgiveness? Can you earn eternal life? Can you earn a part in the Kingdom of God ? Absolutely not. It comes from the graciousness of God.
I think too many times as parents, we don't teach our children the aspect of grace. We teach them the aspect of punishment and it is good to regularly, consistently, discipline your children. That is true. But at times to give them mercy also teaches them when you see they are really sorry - without exacting the extreme punishment - when you show them mercy, you also teach them about God, because God not only punishes, God also forgives. Teach them about forgiveness. Teach them about grace. "You know, dad sees that you are really sorry for what you did and I am not going to discipline you. I know you are sorry. I forgive you. You see, I am showing you forgiveness - grace, mercy." When you teach them that, they are learning about God.
What did we do to earn anything? What is it that we do earn? Do you remember? The wages of sin is death. What you can earn is death. You can't earn eternal life. I was good in God's law today. Did I earn anything? No. How were you able to be good in God's law? Who opened your mind to understand God's law? God's graciousness, God's Spirit. Who gave you the strength to walk in God's law to see it is important enough to observe and do? God. So what do we take for credit? We can't. It is of His graciousness. He called us. If it is our own works then we can never make it.
Notice 2 Corinthians 9:14 and 15. Do we see how important it is? He said:
2 Cor. 9:14 - And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. It is the grace of God in us.
verse 15 - Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
The grace of God coming to us is something we can never earn. But we have to show God our intent. I have a class ring. I may say "Who wants to have this ring? I am going to give this ring away." Let's say the ring is like grace and I am trying to illustrate it. I am going to give you this ring. Here is grace I am going to bestow upon you. If you want this, what to you have to do? You have to come up. You have to put your hand up. Can you possibly say coming up here and putting your hand up earned you a ring if I give it to you? You walk away. You have a ring. "Ah, I have a ring!" Can you say I earned a ring? Not at all. Did you have to do something in order to receive it? Yes, you did. What is doing something tell me? It tells me you want it. It tells me you are really interested in it. But if you say, "Who needs a ring? Who wants it anyway? I don't even care," and you walk away from it.... But I am offering it to you - it's free. Yet you have to do something to show you really do want it. That's what faith, repentance and baptism is all about, and walking with God. It's not about earning anything. It's about receiving the grace of God because you are showing God you really are serious about it and you want it. And that's what the grace of God does in your life. God gives it to you because you come to want it and desire it.
Ephesians 1:7. Grace of God leads to forgiveness.
Eph. 1:7 - In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
So God's grace leads us to forgiveness - leads to forgiveness of sin. We already read that you are justified by grace - Titus 3:7. I won't go there. It is also a scripture that talks about being justified by the grace of God. God's Holy Spirit in us activates the gifts of God, but we also see that it is grace that is the means by which the gifts of the Spirit come to us.
Rom. 12:6 - Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us....
So the grace of God that is given to us helps us to have the gifts of God, and our gifts are different. Consequently, how you bestow those, and what you bestow on others, depends on the grace of God in you. You know, some people are more gracious. They are great listeners. Some people are more gracious. They are very tolerant. They listen to people, and they accept people, and give people a chance. Other people have more wisdom. Other people have an ability to accumulate knowledge. So, whatever that gift is, use it. Some people are great at consoling others - comforting others. Some people are great at confronting others - whatever your gift is. Some people are great at serving. Some people are great at listening. And some people are great at encouraging. Whatever that gifts is, according to the grace that is in you, use it. Use it to help people. Use it to serve people. That's what he is talking about. And the grace that we all have - that's how our gifts are - depending on your grace - how you have been favored. Not only spiritually, but also even physically. How you have favored and how you have been graced by God.
1 Peter 4:10 is the scripture I referred to before where God has manifold grace - many faceted, many colored. And why does He have many colored grace? To help us deal with our many colored problems, because molehills don't always come the same height. So we have to deal with them in a different way. God gives us the strength to whittle them down. By the way, it was a very good sermonette. We appreciated it, today.
1 Peter 4:10 - As every man has received the gift.
Whatever you are good at, whatever you have a talent for, God's graciousness in you will help you use it in a proper way. Some people have a talent to sing and perform. I am glad that they can use it - like Mr. Strauss and others play the piano. That's very helpful, isn't it? Isn't it nice to have a piano player? In the services where they lead with a CD and you basically become a song-follower, you're not a song-leader - just a song-follower. Then you have to go according to what the CD plays. They are not doing what you want them to do. It is a blessing to have a piano player. That is a talent. That is someone using their talents according to the grace that they have. They have a talent to play. They have taken the time to practice and they develop that talent and we are grateful for that.
verse 10 - As every man has received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards.
I have a sermon that I am working on - I haven't quite given it yet - Are You a Good Steward? Are you a good steward? How do you take care of what God has given you and how do you dispense it? How do you use it? How do you take care of it? Are you a good steward? The Bible talks about it - must be found in stewards that they are faithful. We talk about what it means to be a good steward sometime down the way. It is on the burner, but not yet cooked. So it says:
verse 10 - ...as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
The word manifold can mean multicolored because whatever color - you need green over here? Okay, the grace of God will cover that green. You want red? Okay, you need red over here. You need yellow? What ever the type of trial or difficulty it is and if you look at 1 Peter 1:6, he says:
1 Peter 1:6 - Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold trials. So God has much grace - multicolored grace - to handle our manifold trials. He's got grace to cover every trial that we may face. So we read in 1 Peter 4:10 that grace comes in many facets and many ways to help us.
2 Thessalonians - one other way it comes to help us - that grace can help us to have consolation and hope.
2 Thess. 2:16 - Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which has love us, and has given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace...
The grace of God gives us hope and consolation. So it is a gift of God. That is what He bestows upon us. It's the facets of grace that comes into our lives and he also talks about as we've received comfort we also need to go comfort. As we've received comfort we need to be able to go comfort others.
Now, let's talk about what grace is not.
Grace is not license to sin. Being under grace does not mean "I'm free! I can do anything I want. I'm free. God has freed me from my sins." "He that is dead is freed from sin", it says. See, I'm free! I can do anything I want. I can't sin anymore. I can do anything I want. I can choose. And if I want to worship God out of a right heart and a right spirit - and that is good - but is the law done away because you have a right heart and a right spirit, or is the law still there? The law is still there! The spiritual law is not done away. Notice Jude 4 . After telling his audience, as Jude, the brother of Jesus Christ writes this:
Jude 3 - ... you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
He says in:
verse 4 - For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men - these people don't know God. These people are not coming from God. They come, pretending to be from God, and what do they do? They turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness, or licentiousness, or do as you pleasism. They turn the grace of our God into do as you pleasism, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now what I would like to do is read to you what Barkley says on his commentary on Jude. He says this: "They perverted the grace of God into an excuse for blatant immorality. The Greek which we have translated blatant immorality is what he translated lasciviousness is a grim and terrible word. The corresponding adjective gives that." He said, "Most men try to hide their sin. They have enough respect for common decency and do not wish to be find out, but this Greek word, this person who believes in blatant immorality is the man who is so lost to decency that he does not care who sees his sin. It is not that he arrogantly and probably flaunts it. It is simply that he can publicly do the most shameless things because he has ceased to care for decency at all. These men were undoubtedly tinged with Gnosticism. And it's believed that since the grace of God was wide enough to cover any sin. A man could sin as he liked, and the more he sinned, the greater the grace. Therefore, why worry about sin. Grace was perverted into a justification for sin". He says, "No wonder Jude was alarmed. He was faced with a situation in which they had wormed their way into the Church - men who were twisting the grace of God into a justification, even a reason for sinning, in the most blatant way and had denied both the manhood and the uniqueness of Jesus Christ."
They perverted the grace of God. And it is that perversion that we hear of there, and that perversion that makes us want to avoid the term, grace, or even understand it. Grace is something that we absolutely must have and need, but we kind of shy away from it because of its association with doing away with the law.
Notice Romans 6. Just a couple more scriptures on what it is not, and then I will bring this to a summary and conclusion.
Rom. 6:1,15 - Grace is so awesome. Without grace you cannot be saved. Without grace you don't have the strength to walk in God's law. Without grace you don't even realize your salvation is at stake.
Rom. 6:1 - What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
You know the one who promotes grace the most is the apostle Paul, whose scriptures are used to do away with the law. But Paul comes out real clearly and says:
verse 1 - What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? Well, if God forgives us our sins, if that is what grace is only, and it is not only that, but in that aspect of it, shall we continue in it that grace may abound? Continue sinning? His answer is, "Certainly not!" or in the Old King James:
verse 2 - God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? How can we keep on living in sin and expect the grace of God to cover us?
verse 15 - What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace?
Remember, I talked about under the law carries two meanings: One, if you are under the law means you are under the weight of the law - the penalty of the law, the transgression of the law. That's death. The other one is, if you are going to go the way of law, I'm going to be a law-keeper. I'm going to earn salvation through law-keeping through my sacrifices, through my keeping of the law perfectly. The moment you slip and stumble in that system, you are dead. Without grace you are dead.
Grace covers a Christian when he accepts Jesus Christ at baptism. Like a cloud over you all the rest of your life, it follows you. You have the grace available from God. It comes from God, but it's there to cover you. So if you slip and stumble, "God I'm sorry." Grace covers you, forgives you. But it doesn't mean because you are under grace, you can do anything you want. I can go over here, there, any which way, it doesn't matter if I'm trying to walk the paths of God. I can go out from under it. I can go here and there, because God's grace is always going to be available. Sorry folks, it won't be. It won't be. You want the ring? You have to come up and ask for it. You have to come up and do something to show you want it. You want the grace of God? You've got to walk with God to show you want it. You want to be full of grace. You have to be close to God, practice His way, dispense it, and show it, and use it, and be full of grace. So he says:
verse 15 - What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Now you can't go on sinning - can't go on practicing sin - and expect God's grace to be there. You can't do it.
Rom. 6:14 - For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace.
Sin having dominion over you is the same as being under the law. If you are walking this way, you are going to die. It won't have dominion over you if you're under grace. If sin has dominion over you, you're in the law, walking in the law only. If you have grace over you, you can have your sins forgiven as you walk with God. It does not do away with the law. You stand in grace. You do not stand under law. If you stand under law you are going to die. You stand under grace. This way Peter said, "Stand in the grace with which you had been called." The world does not stand in grace. They are not standing anywhere - not in the law either. Instead of going the way of the law, they just kind of go back. They cross the law by accident in many cases. Walking with God, you have the grace that cover you and help us all through. Stand in the grace of God.
Romans 5:20 talks about it not being of works. He said:
Rom. 5:20 - Moreover the law enters, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounds, grace did much more abound....
So, when you are walking in the law - keeping the law - you slip and stumble, sin abounds, because you transgress, but grace is there to cover you as long as you are under the grace of God.
verse 21 - That as sin has reigned to death, even so might grace reign through righteousness to eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
How can you grow? How can you have eternal life? Through the grace of God which enables the mind of Jesus Christ, the Spirit of Christ, the attitude of Christ the approach of Christ, the strength of Christ to help us live God's way.
Rom. 3:23 - We read this famous scripture. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
Everybody who sins comes short of the glory of God, so everybody is in need of the grace of God.
verse 31 - Do we then make void the law through faith? because we believe in faith? Absolutely not. God forbid: yes, we establish the law.
Grace of God does not do away with the law of God. The law of God is established. It is there for us. The new Covenant doesn't do away with the law either. It is written in your hearts and minds. It doesn't mean you don't have to worry about it.
Hebrews 8:8-10 talks about that. We need to serve our God with grace. In serving our God means walking with Him.
Heb. 12:28 - Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
God gives us grace, but God also want us to have grace in our lives. And He also wants us to give grace. As we have received grace in whatever facet, He wants us to give it. How have you experienced it? If you've been through a death-like situation, you're likely to be very encouraging to people who are in a death-like situation. If you've been sick in a particular way, you're probably able to comfort people who are sick in that same way. But some people stock up the grace of God and don't use it to help others. If you have a particular talent and can use it and don't, then you are stopping the grace of God - the graciousness that God gives to you. If you are an encouraging person, and you put tape over your mouth every Sabbath, you are not going to encourage very many people. Or if you choose to go hide in a corner and never be around others, you are not going to be very encouraging, are you? It is important to use the grace of God in our lives. And having the grace of God does not mean we still don't fight ourselves, because the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:27, that he had to fight himself and keep himself in check lest after he had preached to others he himself be found a cast-away. Grace of God does not mean give me a hammock on a train - the salvation train - and let me go to eternal life that way - rocking back-and-forth, never having to exert myself. The grace of God leads you to exert yourself in a godly way. It leads you to fight sin. It leads you to ask for forgiveness. It leads you to receive forgiveness. It leads you to comfort, console, and give hope, to others. The grace of God is so important and so necessary.
So in summary, let me summarize what grace does not mean. Grace does not mean licentiousness. Grace does not mean do as you please. Grace does not do away with the law of God. Grace does not mean you can relax and take it easy and let God do it all.
Grace means in favor with God. It means you are justified and forgiven. It means strength to help. It means you are grateful. It means you are tactful. How good in saying things and do things in good taste! It means salvation to us. It means the gifts of the Spirit that God gives. It means service to God. It means consolation and hope. It comes from God and it comes from Christ. We have to ask God for His grace that we may grow in it.
Two final scriptures:
2 Peter 3:18 - But grow in grace.
How do you grow in grace? You grow in grace by being like God. And that is what we are supposed to be like? Be like your Father in Heaven. Be perfect like He is. Aren't we supposed to be like Jesus Christ who is full of grace? That is who we are supposed to walk like. If we grow in grace we will be more gracious. We will be more kind, we will be more gentle and we will use the strength when we need to, in whatever way God's Spirit works in you to manifest the multifaceted grace of God.
verse 18 - Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So God urges us to grow in grace.
When you grow in it, ask God to give you a full supply. Help me to be full of grace. Help me to have so much grace in my life that it just overflows to others in consolation, encouragement, hope, strength, support.
Rev. 22:21 - It is interesting. Some said the Old Testament - Malachi, close to the end - he talks about the law of Moses, and in the New Testament he closes the New Testament with grace, because in the Old Testament they had law. They also had grace in the Old Testament. And we also have law in the new. But in the New Testament the emphasis is on God. God's strengthening you that you may have the power and might and help in time of need.
Rev. 22:21 - The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
The very last book of the Bible, very last verse of the Bible, tells us "may grace be with you right to the very end". So the next time someone wishes you grace, or speaks of grace, I hope that we will all know exactly what they mean and don't mean.
I wish you grace.