Grace Part 9: When does God provide His power?

God offers to give His power to us in a variety of situations. We are going to focus on three.

First, God provides His power when we are weary.
We can count on God’s power when we are weary. When are you weary? You get weary when you do work that you don’t like for longer than you like. You get weary when you are working hard to make ends meet and it is not working. You get weary when you are striving to find a perfect mate. You get weary when you are always striving with the mate you have. You get weary when struggling to train our children in the way they should go. You get weary when struggle to get your parents “get with it.” You get weary when you are trying to cope with the loss of health, the loss of a job, or the loss of a loved one. Loss can make us weary. Many things in life make us weary.

Nothing makes God weary.
Isaiah 40:28 (NIV) Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
El Shaddai has unlimited energy. He wants to share his energy with us.
Isaiah 40:29, 31 NIV “He gives strength to the weary,” the prophet goes on to say…those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.”
Whenever you feel weary, God has made a promise. He offers a power that we can count on: “The Lord gives strength to the weary…those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” [Isaiah 40:29,31 NIV

Second, God uses His power to help us when we are weak.
I can count on God’s power when I am weary. I can also count on His power when I’m weak. Every one of us has times when we are weak. We have times when we have nothing left to give. It happens in our relationships. You say, “I just don’t know what they want from me!” It happens between when parents raise children. Both parents and children say: “I don’t know what I can do!” It happens at work, you feel like you are in over your head. It happens when we are sick for a long time; you just cannot take it any longer. We feel weak whenever we feel inadequate. We feel weal whenever we think we have nothing left to offer.
Whenever we are weak, El Shaddai reminds us: “My power shows up best in weak people.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT
The Apostle Paul was the first to hear those words. He was in a situation he felt powerless to change. He had tried everything. Three times he had begged the Lord in prayer. Nothing worked. That was when he heard God say: “My power shows up best in weak people” [2 Corinthians 12:9]. That is what God says to us. We are at the end of our rope. That is when we see His power.

Third, God gives us His power when we wrestle with temptation.
I can count on God’s power when I am weary. I can count on God’s power when I am weak. I can count on God’s power when I wrestle with temptation.
We can count on God’s power when we are wrestling with temptation. Most of us face more than enough temptation. It always comes when we feel weak. That weakness makes us feel weary.
It is a struggle, isn’t it? It can be a struggle to be honest in school and at work. It can be a struggle to remain faithful in everything. It can be a struggle to raise our children right. It can be a struggle to keep God first in a society that keeps putting “things” in our way. It can be a struggle to follow God’s leading in a culture that urges each of us to “do our own thing”. El Shaddai knows this. That is why He wants to share His power with us.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NASB95 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

Grace Part 8 How God meets your deepest needs: Where to find the power you need

How God meets your deepest needs: Where to find the power you need
(El Shaddai – Genesis 17:1)

I want to tell you about Mother Theresa, adapted from Max Lucado’s: “In the eye of the storm”, chapter 3]
Mother Theresa can help us understand power…God’s power. I’m not thinking of Teresa, the saintly sister in India. I am thinking of Theresa, the muscular mom in America. Theresa Briones is a loving mother; but she has a good left hook, and used it to deck a woman in a coin laundry.
Some kids were making fun of Theresa’s daughter, Alicia. Alicia is only 10 years old, but looks as if she is 70. She is bald; her skin is wrinkled; she has arthritis in all her joints. She suffers from progeria, a genetic aging disease that affects 1 child in 8 million.
“Mom,” the kids called, “come and look at the little monster.” “She’s not a monster,” said Mother Theresa, “she’s just like you and me.” Theresa has grown accustomed to the stares. She answers the questions of the curious. But she will not tolerate insensitive slander.
“Mom,” the kids called again, “come and see the monster.” The kids’ mom looked up: “I see it,” she said. “My child is not an ’it’,” replied Mother Theresa. That’s when she decked the woman….pow!
Why did she do it? Because she loved her child…wanted to protect her child.
How often has the Almighty God used His power to keep you and me out of harm’s way? None of us knows all that Almighty God has done for us. Who knows how many times He has used His might.
Martin Luther said – He uses His might to “defend (us) against all danger…guard (us) from all evil”.
God does not only use His power for us to prevent us from being listed as victims. He also shares His power with us. He wants to put us in a position where we can live as “victors”.
David says: El Shaddai…this God Almighty – “is awesome… He gives power and strength to His people” [Psalm 68:35 NIV]. Does El Shaddai want us to simply talk, or sing about His power? No. He wants us to experience and use the power that He gives. He does not want any of us here this morning to be “powerless”.
The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 4:20 (NLT) For the Kingdom of God is not just fancy talk; it is living by God’s power.
Ephesians 1:18-19 (NIV) "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength"

We need to discover how very great this power is that is working in us who believe. We are going to examine the “when” and “how” of God’s power. When does God provide power to you and me? How we can plug into that power?

Grace Part 7 ; Unmerited favor

God is generous with His grace for us because we need it. It is all of grace. None of us merit it. God is generous because that is the kind of God He is!

In Genesis 2:9 God caused “all kinds of trees to grow out of the ground – trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.” This is harvest time.

All kinds of things that are good for food are growing out of the ground! That is God’s generosity on display!

Jeremiah 32:40-41 NIV ⁴⁰I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. ⁴¹I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.

This is a wonderful expression of God’s grace. Do you wonder what the people could have done to deserve this blessing? Maybe the people were repentant and especially good. Maybe they finally got it, and started obeying all of God’s commands. Just ten verses earlier God described the spiritual condition of His people with these words:

Jeremiah 32:30 “The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth; indeed, the people of Israel have done nothing but provoke me with what their hands have made, declares the LORD.”

God’s grace is extravagant. His generosity and grace is abundant and free.

His grace is free! Grace is God’s “unmerited favor” toward us. We cannot merit it by our actions.

The Apostle Peter is a perfect illustration of God’s grace. Peter had a history of blowing things spiritually. Peter had the opportunity to do something in the spiritual realm no other human being had done. Jesus invited him to walk on water! Jesus came to the Disciple walking on the Sea of Galilee. Peter asked Jesus, "Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water." Jesus said: “come.” Peter stepped out of the boat, walked a few feet on the water. When he began to think about where he was and what was happening around him, he grew fearful and began to sink.

Matthew 14:31 NKJV And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

In Matthew 16 Jesus predicted his coming death on the cross. Then in Matthew16:22 “Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. `Never, Lord!’ he said. `This shall never happen to you!’” Jesus stopped Peter with these words Matthew 16:23 NIV ²³Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

Then, on the night that Jesus was betrayed, Peter rushed to defend Jesus with his sword, only to be rebuked again: "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?" John 18:11

Peter boldly told Jesus he would never desert him. He would always remain loyal. But Jesus knew Peter better than he knew himself. He told him: "I tell you the truth … this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." Matthew 26:34

Peter appears to be a total failure and disappointment. He could not say anything right. He could not do anything right. His faith is weak. He is a “stumbling block” to Jesus. He is unfaithful to Jesus at the Lord’s moment of greatest need. Peter did not appear to be the person you would want on you team.

Then you come to the Acts. Peter is the one God choose to be His spokesman on the Day of Pentecost. Peter the man who had not done anything right was standing before a hostile crowd. Peter preaches one sermons and thousands were saved! (Acts 2:14ff) God choose Peter to be the individual to open the door of the Gospel to the Gentile world. He was the one who never could say the right thing. Peter brought the Gospel to Cornelius’ home and the world was changed. (Acts 10:34ff)

At the Council of Jerusalem, Peter, who was a “stumbling block” to Jesus, resolved a problem that was about to rip the church apart. (Acts 15:7ff)

It seems as if Peter is finally cured. It appears he over his impulsiveness. His faith appears to be strong. He seems to have conquered his spiritual insensitivity, just in time to blow it again. In the middle of his strength and leadership, he compromises his faith in the grace of God by siding with the legalists in Antioch. He separates himself from the Gentile Christians.

Galatians 2:11 NIV ¹¹When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong.

He fell flat on his face again! Through all of his experiences of failure and restoration, Peter learned an important truth about God. He records it in the first of his two books:

1 Peter 5:10-11 “The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

Peter learned that God is the God of “all grace.” He is in the feel like giving up. Can you relate to Peter? Have you blown it again and again? We need a God of “all grace!” He is generous in His kindness to us. He is extravagant in His grace to us. He has given us everything we need. It is unmerited favor!

Grace Part 6, The generosity of God’s Grace

2 Corinthians 6:1-2 NIV As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

In Matthew 20:1-16 Jesus gave the story of the landowner who demonstrated unmerited generosity to people who labored in his vineyard. At the conclusion of the day, when it was time to be paid, the landowner paid the workers from his generous heart. When this occurred the workers became envious. Some had worked all day and some worked only an hour. The landowner commented about their evil heart in Matthew 20:15.
Matthew 20:15 “Are you envious because I am generous?”

In this story, as in life, everyone gets the same grace. Jesus is demonstrating a different principle of equal pay for unequal value of work! The concept is not acceptable to world economic values. It is just not fair. Why should people who worked an hour be paid as much as those who worked all day? This is contrary to our way of thinking. This should be illegal for an employer to do! It seems so wrong!

The mathematics of grace does not make sense. God’s methods do not work in the world. Grace just seems wrong to us, unless we know God!

Paul said: “His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all.” On the surface, it sounds like Paul is saying I earned my way. I did my job. I was worthy of my hire!

1 Timothy 1:14-16 NIV The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.

Paul knew that he could not depend on his own goodness. He knew that grace that saves. He knew the mercy of Christ that was abundantly given.

Ernest Hemingway was an American writer, who was known for his outrageous lifestyle and gritty, realistic writing. One of his stories, however, is a beautiful story of grace. An estranged father and son in Spain had a vicious argument and the son had run away to Madrid. The father, wanted to reconcile with his boy. So, he took out an ad in the city paper: “Paco meet me at Hotel Montana noon Tuesday. All is forgiven. Papa.” Paco is a common Spanish name. When the father went the square he found 800 young men named Paco waiting for their fathers.
This is exactly where God’s grace finds us. We have been undeserving. We could not get the help we needed on our own. So, God stepped in and gave grace at the expense of His Son.
God’s grace is generous grace.

God’s grace does not make sense to our logical, worldly minds. Luke 15:3-7 records the parable of the one lost sheep. Jesus tells of a shepherd who leaves 99 sheep to search for one lost sheep. It does not make sense! The 99 sheep were left exposed to rustlers or wolves while the shepherd searched for the one. What if he returned with the one to find 23 now lost? Grace searches for the lost ONE!

In Matthew 20:1-16 Jesus gives us this parable of the landowner who gives grace without relationship to performance. Why did this man pay the part-day workers the same as the full day workers? This parable was a common story circulating in Jesus’ day. Jesus altered it to teach a radical truth about God. In the popular version of the story, the reason the last workers were paid the same was that they worked so hard that they impressed their employer. So, he paid them the full-day wage. But that is not how Jesus told the story! Jesus’ purpose is contained in the question the owner asks: “Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?” Matthew 20:15

This is not a story about the rewards of hard work. It is a story about the generosity of God. Each employee received what they needed to feed their families for the day.

Why did the owner hire the eleventh-hour workers? The only reason we are given for hiring them was he hired them because of their need! He did what he did out of grace. Each worker was not paid according to their work, but according to their need. Everybody got enough to feed their families for the day.

God is generous with His grace for us because we need it. It is all of grace. None of us merit it. God is generous because that is the kind of God He is!

Grace 5: The generosity of God’s Grace

2 Corinthians 6:1-2 NIV As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
In Matthew 20:1-16 Jesus told of a landowner who hired several workers thorough out a day. His started hiring workers early in the morning and continued until the eleventh hour of the day. When evening came he paid all the same amount.
Those who worked all day began to grumble against the generosity of the landowner.

Matthew 20:15 “Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?”

In this story and in God’s mercy, everyone gets the same grace. Most of us are familiar with the principle of equal pay for equal work. Jesus is demonstrating a different principle of equal pay for unequal value of work! This concept is totally contrary to the economy of the world. It just not fair!

Why should people who worked an hour be paid as much as those who worked all day? This is contrary to our way of thinking. This should be illegal for an employer to do! It seems so wrong! The mathematics of grace does not make sense. God’s methods do not work in the world. Grace just seems wrong to us, unless we know God! Paul’s statement and the Lord’s parable appear to be in contradiction. Jesus is saying it is all of grace.

Paul said: “His grace toward me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all.” On the surface, it sounds like Paul is saying I earned my way. I did my job. I was worthy of my hire! Before we go read what Paul said about his past.

1 Timothy 1:14-16 NIV 14The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.

Paul knew that he could not depend on his own goodness. He knew that grace that saves. He knew the mercy of Christ that was abundantly given.

Ernest Hemingway was an American writer, who was known for his outrageous lifestyle and gritty, realistic writing. One of his stories, however, is a beautiful story of grace. An estranged father and son in Spain had a vicious argument and the son had run away to Madrid. The father, wanted to reconcile with his boy. So, he took out an ad in the city paper: “Paco meet me at Hotel Montana noon Tuesday. All is forgiven. Papa.” Paco is a common Spanish name. When the father went the square he found 800 young men named Paco waiting for their father.

Jesus constantly demonstrated God’s grace.
Many of His parables, sermons, and miracles were demonstrations of God’s grace. Luke 15:3-7 records the parable of the one lost sheep. Jesus tells of a shepherd who leaves 99 sheep to search for one lost sheep. It does not make sense! The 99 sheep were left exposed to rustlers or wolves while the shepherd searched for the one. What if he returned with the one to find 23 now lost? Grace searches for the lost ONE!

In Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus gave us this parable of the farmer who dispensed grace without relationship to performance. Why did this man pay the part-day workers the same as the full day workers? This parable was a common story circulating in Jesus’ day. Jesus altered it to teach a radical truth about God. In the popular version of the story, the reason the last workers were paid the same was that they worked so hard that they impressed their employer. So, he paid them the full-day wage. But that is not how Jesus told the story! Jesus’ purpose is contained in the question the owner asks: “Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?” Matthew 20:15

This is not a story about the rewards of hard work. It is a story about the generosity of God. Each employee received what they needed to feed their families for the day. Why did the owner hire the eleventh-hour workers? The text does not tell us that it he needed them for a final push to get the job done. The only reason we are given for hiring them was they needed the money to feed their families. He hired them because of their need! He did what he did out of grace. Each worker was not paid according to their work, but according to their need. Everybody got enough to feed their families for the day.

God is generous with His grace for us because we need it. It is all of grace. None of us merit it. God is generous because that is the kind of God He is!

Jeremiah 32:40-41 NIV “I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.”

This is a wonderful expression of God’s grace.

Grace, Part 4

God does not want you to misunderstand the abundance of His grace, so He gives us several word pictures to paint His decisive deliverance for us.
If you are truly born again and you still struggle with fear or hopelessness, you need to get this image in your mind. If you struggle with a feeling that God is against you, you need to see the way God thinks. If you feel that you are worthless and bankrupt you need to get these images in your mind and heart. They will change the way you think and feel about yourself.

First, “But God” has taken our sin: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12
Think about this. If journey to the North Pole, you will eventually cross the crown of the earth and begin heading south. If you head south, you will eventually begin to head north again. North and south eventually meet at some point. If you head west and keep going, you will never reach “the east.” You will always be traveling west. If you head east, you will never reach “the west.”
What is this word picture mean?
It tells us that God’s forgiveness is infinite! God’s forgiveness is total and complete! He has taken our sin so far away from us that it is no longer attached to us or associated with us. It is completely removed!
Some people live as if the text said, “as far as the north is from the south.”
We live as if God has removed our sin from us quite a distance. We live as if God has not completely removed our sins. We believe that if He wanted to, He could find them again. He could hold them against us. In Christ Jesus our deliverance from sin is complete.

Second, “But God” has hidden our sin behind His back.
Isaiah 38:17 NIV “In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.”
How big is God? He has taken our sins and placed them behind his back. They are completely hidden from view. By the grace and mercy of God through Christ, God has chosen to not let our sin stand between Him and us. Through Christ Jesus we have received His forgiveness. He has chosen not to hold them against us or to see us through them. Instead He sees us through the righteousness of Jesus. God no longer sees us in the clothing of our sin. We have been clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Our sinful, dirty clothes are behind His back. He sees us clean and holy in Christ.

Third, “But God” has blotted out our record
Isaiah 43:25 NIV “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.

© 2004 PreachingToday.com gives the story of Bob Sheffield before he became a Christian.
He played professional hockey in Canada. He was tough, loved to fight, and found himself in jail one night after a barroom brawl. Later, Bob and his wife became Christians. They…accepted a temporary assignment with The Navigators…in the States.
Bob had to apply for landed immigrant status, which would allow him and his wife to continue in ministry in the United States. But because he had a criminal record, his request was denied…. They decided to apply in Canada for what is called the "Queen's Pardon." Following thorough investigation, the pardon was granted. Bob Sheffield received the following notice in the mail:
Whereas we have since been implored on behalf of the said Robert Jones Sheffield to extend a pardon to him in respect to the convictions against him, and whereas the solicitor general here submitted a report to us, now know ye therefore, having taken these things into consideration, that we are willing to extend the royal clemency on him, the said Robert J. Sheffield. We have pardoned, remitted, and released him of every penalty to which he was liable in pursuance thereof.
Now on any document Bob can honestly say that he has no criminal record. The pardon released him from any possible punishment for the crimes. The record of the crimes was completely erased.

That is the kind of pardon we have in Jesus Christ. We are free from any penalty or punishment. The answer is, there is: "no record, I have been pardoned by the blood of Christ."

Fourth, “But God” has hurled all our sin into the sea
Micah 7:19 NIV You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

When you throw something in the sea, it’s gone. When God throws our sin into the sea, there are no maps or directions given. God’s forgiveness is irreversible.They are ALL gone! God’s forgiveness is complete. The sea of God’s mercy is big enough to hold everything He throws into it. It is deep enough to hide it forever.

The blood of Jesus Christ can wash away every stain!
Have you accepted Christ as your Savior? Have you accepted God’s offer of forgiveness in Jesus? Then your sin and failure is out somewhere beyond where the west ends – He no longer attaches it to you -- it’s gone! It’s hidden from view behind the back of God – He no longer sees it when He looks at you. It’s been wiped from His books – there is no record anywhere to be held against you. It’s been buried in the depths of the ocean of His forgiveness – it will never surface again!

Do you believe it? Do you feel it? Is it part of your experience as well as your belief? You are no longer God’s enemy, you are His friend. You no longer need to fear Him, you have His peace. You are no longer hopeless; you have His hope of eternal life. You are no longer bankrupt; you have the riches of Christ. You are no longer despised; you are a beloved child of God.
Have you received the “Wonderful Grace of Jesus?"
Wonderful, the matchless grace of Jesus.
Deeper than the mighty rolling sea.
Higher than the mountains
Sparkling like a fountain,
All sufficient grace for even me.
Broader than the scope
Of my transgressions.
Greater far than all my sin and shame.
O, magnify the precious name of Jesus!
Praise His name!

Grace, Part 3

We found that God delights to pour out his kindness and mercy – His grace – on those who are undeserving.
What do you think is the most frequent command in the Bible?
“Be holy”
“Be loving”
“Be obedient”
N.T. Wright says: “the most frequent command in the Bible is “don’t be afraid,” “fear not.”” The reason is clear. God’s desire is to show His grace rather than His wrath.
Our greatest problem is that our sin has twisted our relationship with God. God wants to show us His grace. He wants to give us His Love. So, God has to keep reassuring us that He really wants to pour His blessing into our lives.
We all need His grace, but Satan and sin has made us afraid to come and receive what God wants to give us. We need it but we fear it.
We all need God’s kindness. Without it we are fearful, bankrupt, and helpless. Every one of us is equally destitute! We are all in need of His transforming power. We are all defiled. Only God can transform us into His child.
In1Timothy 1:15 The Apostle Paul confessed: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst.”
This grace of God has purchased peace and heaven for us for all eternity.
Praise God, the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches you and me.

I don’t know if we have realized the depth of our need for God’s grace. Without His grace we are totally hopeless. Without His grace we are bankrupt. We are completely empty without God’s grace.
The true wonder of grace can only be seen against the dark backdrop of our sinfulness. Our Ruin viewed in contrast to His Remedy.
In Ephesians 2:1-3 we read the record of our darkness. Our ruin was complete. Our sin was black. Our situation was hopeless.

Ephesians 2:1-3 NASB95 1And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

We were dead
Before we came to know God, we were dead in our sins.
We were dominated
We were under the dominion of Satan, “the prince of the power of the air.”
We were disobedient
Our lives were marked by disobedience to God’s will.
We were depraved
Our behaviour was depraved as we were driven by our sinful passions and desires.
We were doomed
We were doomed for destruction by the righteous wrath of God against our sin.

“But God…” swept in!
The stars begin to shine in our darkness!

Ephesians 2:4-7 NASB95 4But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

“But God….”
Those two words tell the story of Grace. God broke into the darkness of our destiny and delivered us from certain destruction!

We were dead – but God raised us with Christ Jesus.
We were dominated – but God seated us with Christ and gave us authority to resist Satan.
We were disobedient – but God brought forgiveness through Jesus’ death for us.
We were depraved – but God gave us new hearts and minds to accomplish good things in Jesus’ name.
We were doomed – but God, through Christ Jesus, will show us His kindness in the coming ages.

We were doomed – but God, through Christ Jesus, will show us His kindness in the coming ages. The hordes of hell were about to celebrate our total defeat. “But God” sent Christ into the world to redeem us. We have been snatched from the jaws of defeat! This is the message of God’s grace.

When all seems lost, God comes sweeping to our rescue.

It is an act of God’s aggressive grace. Sin is defeated and we have been given victory. Not temporary victory. The powers of sin are broken. Jesus Christ has not just won the battle, He has won the war.

Grace, Part 2

We have defined God’s grace as unmerited favor at Christ’s expense. Each of us has received grace, God’s grace.

John 1:14 (NIV) The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:16-17 (NIV) From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Look at these three points:
1) Grace became evident when Christ came from the Father, (John 1:14)
2) From the fullness of His grace we have all received blessing after blessing, (John 1:16)
3) Then, the difference in law and grace is evidenced by comparing what we received from Moses and Jesus Christ, (John 1:17)

God’s aggressive grace is realized in the mercy God gives rather than the judgment and condemnation deserved. Considering the fact that we have all sinned, and fall short of the glory of God, we live by grace. Every blessing that comes down to us is a result of God’s grace. In consideration of that grace, Paul told the Galatians: “I refuse to reject the grace of God. But if a person is put right with God through the Law, it means that Christ died for nothing! Galatians 2:21 (GNT)”

Have you ever felt that you have not been good enough to be blessed?
Maybe, you have been sick or suffering. Your life is full of problems. You have not been as successful as you desire. Have you thought: “God is holding back His blessing until I do better?”

Grace and personal performance often collide. Paul addressed this to the Roman Christians. He found himself in a difficult situation.

Romans 7:15-19 (NIV) I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.”

Any thoughtful individual has come to this conclusion. “I don’t know how to do what is good all the time.” This is our dilemma. How can I please God, when I don’t please myself? “When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” (Romans 7:21)

God’s grace throws us over onto Jesus Christ.

Romans 7:24-25 (NIV) “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.”
Romans 8:1 (NIV) “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”

Grace, part 1

Grace is one of the most amazing aspects of God’s character. To overlook grace is to overlook the true character of God.
What exactly is grace? The words "grace" and "gracious" can be found almost 202 times in Scripture. The word comes from the Greek word "charis''. Grace refers to that heartfelt attraction to someone. The Greeks used the word to express generosity, without thought of a reward or favor from the other person.
Christians exalted the word to mean "a gift." It came to mean the "gift of salvation", "the kindness and love of God in forgiving us and saving us."
A person has "charisma," meaning "one with an attractive, appealing personality, magnetism about them."
Probably the best known meaning of this important Biblical term is "unmerited favor" or "divine favor" a favor freely bestowed upon those totally unable to return the favor.
God’s grace takes an aggressive posture in the mercy He shows on those who are without merit. Grace demonstrates the goodness of God toward those who deserve His wrath, judgment, and death. Yet, on the basis of the substitutionary death of Christ, God's grace provides a way for God to offer the free gift of eternal life to a guilty sinner. That is aggressive grace.
God’s grace is totally unmerited favor dispensed at great cost.
Titus 3:4-5 NKJV "But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,"
Grace expresses God’s love toward others who are totally unlovely, and unworthy. Grace is receiving God’s great mercy and love when we are filthy and dead in sin.
Ephesians 2:4-5 NKJV "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)”

Timing is everything or God’s knows when!

Many times we think everything is out of control and that the timing is wrong. One of our missionaries is going through a difficult time. She wrote that everything seems out of control. From all apparent observations, things are not working the way they planned. In their turmoil and difficulties she referred to this statement:
"When the time was right, the worlds were made, the flood subsided, the sea parted, the walls fell down, the lion's mouths were shut, the storm was silenced, the blind could see, the lame could walk, the captives went free, the tomb was forever emptied. God's timing is always right. His power is great, His plan for you is good, His hold on you is secure-- and He'll see you through."

That is the way God works. He is never late. He is never inadequate or insufficient. He always comes through. He knows exactly what needs to occur.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

When the timing is off it is difficult to retain faith and trust in God. However, that is when our faith is proven. It is also when we come to recognize the control that God retains over every situation.

You can trust God in every situation you are facing. He still is the miracle worker. He has good plans for you. He has your future in mind right now. He will not fail.

I recently read this prayer: Dear God; I want to thank You for what you have already done. I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they stop talking about me; I am thanking you right now.. I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves; I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and the house is quiet; I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or until I get the job; I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed; I am thanking you right now. I am thanking you because I am alive. I am thanking you because I made it through the day's difficulties. I am thanking you because I have walked around the obstacles. I am thanking you because I have the ability and the opportunity to do more and do better. I'm thanking you because FATHER, You haven't given up on me.