"Grace" by Bill Bishop
Real salvation produces life changing results.
Webster’s definition of grace- grace
GRACE, n. L. gratia, which is formed on the Celtic; Eng. agree, congruous, and ready. The primary sense of gratus, is free, ready, quick, willing, prompt, from advancing.
1. Favor; good will; kindness; disposition to oblige another; as a grant made as an act of grace.
Or each, or all, may win a lady's grace.
2. Appropriately, the free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from him.
And if by grace,then it is no more of works. Rom.11.
3. Favorable influence of God; divine influence or the influence of the spirit, in renewing the heart and restraining from sin.
My grace is sufficient for thee. 2 Cor.12.
4. The application of Christ's righteousness to the sinner.
Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Rom.5.
5. A state of reconciliation to God. Rom.5.2.
6. Virtuous or religious affection or disposition, as a liberal disposition, faith, meekness, humility, patience, &c. proceeding from divine influence.
7. Spiritual instruction, improvement and edification. Eph.4.29.
8. Apostleship, or the qualifications of an apostle. Eph. 3.8.
9. Eternal life; final salvation. 1 Pet.1.13.
John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Do we claim to be Christians and still live like the world? Is our mind constantly on the pleasures of the world (movies, music, video games, sports, sex, money, fame, and power)?
Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Deuteronomy 5:11 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Foreign culture has taken our minds off the reality of Christ
Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Are we still walking in that way? If we are saved, we are new creatures in Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Ephesians 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Are we best described as a child of wrath or a child of God?
Grace is something God gives us that we don’t deserve.
Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Today it seems man has confused lust with love. Love is not satisfying our every desire.
Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Future of the Christian
Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Ephesians 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Only God Can save us. It is a gift - not anything we can earn!
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
If there were any work man could do, we would be puffed up with pride and try to boast about our works like the Pharisees did.
Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
If there was any other way, Christ would have died and suffered for our sins in vain. But his death is not in vain. The Bible says our works are in vain. We can’t keep the law - the law is just to show us how pitiful and needy we are.
Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Romans 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Romans 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
Ephesians 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, let's honor our Savior by our lives. Like it says in verse 10, our works should glorify God and not ourselves.
Friend, if you thought that you were just as good as the next fellow, please realize Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; no one merits God’s favor. Won’t you receive Jesus as your savior and live and work to glorify Him.
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