The Grace of God

Amazing

• Favor, Kindness, Unmerited Favor, a Gift of God

• It is the favor of God shown to those who not only are unworthy of forgiveness, but who are thoroughly deserving of death and hell.

Defining Grace

• God’s kindness towards sinners is mentioned MORE in the Old Testament!

Grace Revealed

• "The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness"

-Ex 34:6

Grace Revealed

• "Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him."

-Isa 30:18

Grace Revealed

• "...rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster."

-Joel 2:13

Grace Revealed

• God didn’t have to create man!• God gives us life, breath, and all things. (Acts

17:25)• In Him we live, move, and have our being

(Acts 17:28)

Grace in Creation

• Commands: A Burden or a Gracious Gift From God?

• “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.”

-1 John 5:3

Grace in “Law-

Giving”

• Commands: A Burden or a Gracious Gift From God?

• “So the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God for our good always and for our survival, as it is today.”

-Deut 6:24

Grace in “Law-

Giving”

• Commands: A Burden or a Gracious Gift From God?

• God’s Laws Show Us Our Sin. The Law Is Our “Tutor” or “Schoolmaster” That Leads Us To Christ. (Gal 3:24)

Grace in “Law-

Giving”

• God Throughout History Has Been Gracious Towards Sinners.

• God Would Be Just If He Killed Everyone When They Sin (Ex. Nadab and Abihu, Uzzah, Ananias and Sapphira)

• Amos 4

Grace Towards Sin

• Offering A Way of Forgiveness–Adam and Eve–Patriarchs– Israel’s Sacrificial System

Grace Towards Sin

THE CROSS

God’s Most Amazing Display of Grace…

• “In Him [Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace”

-Eph 1:7

Grace in Bringing Salvation

• Ephesians 2:1-10• We were dead, deserving of wrath• He raised us out of this condition• He made us alive together with Christ• BY GRACE

Grace in Bringing Salvation

• “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity”

- 2 Tim 1:9

Grace and Works?

• “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.”

- Romans 11:6

Grace and Works?

• “You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace”

- Gal 5:4

Grace and Works?

A Middle Ground:1. Are we saved by the grace of God? 2. Do we have to do anything to be saved?3. Why do we do these things?

Grace and Works?

• God By His Grace Gave Us The Opportunity to Hear His Word Preached– His Word Draws us to Him (John 6:44-45)

– His word graciously gives us faith (Phil 1:29, Rom 10:17)

Grace in Bringing Salvation

• God By His Grace Gave Us The Opportunity to Hear His Word Preached– His Word Pierces Our Hearts, And Either Brings

Us To/Grants Us Repentance (2 Tim 2:25-26), or leads us to reject what is taught (Acts 7:54)

Grace in Bringing Salvation

• God By His Grace Gave Us The Opportunity to Hear His Word Preached– His Word Convicts Us To Fulfill The Conditions

God Gives To Receive His Grace

Grace in Bringing Salvation

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God

made us alive together with Christ

12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions” Col 2:12-13

He made you alive together with Him

When you were dead in your transgressions

when we were dead in our transgressions

also raised up with Him

 and raised us up with Him

• Do our works keep us saved?• We Are Just As Desperate For God’s Grace

NOW As Christians As We Were Before We Were Converted!

Grace in Bringing Salvation

• “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

-1 Peter 1:13

Grace in Bringing Salvation