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.