Grace- God’s unmerited favor towards man, unmerited Divine assistance
I. Receive Grace For Salvation
- Many in Antioch of Pisidia believed the gospel message. Acts 13:48
- They received God’s grace, His unmerited favor.
A. Example Of Saving Grace- Turn to Ephesians 2:1-9
1. EXAMPLE- Man is undeserving of Heaven, lost in sin, without hope.
2. There is one door into Heaven: Jesus Christ.
John 10:9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved,…
3. Mercy keeps us from immediate judgment.
4. Grace is the reason that the door is there.
Grace is with you on the outside of the door.
Faith is what gets you through the door.
5. More grace is what you find when you go through the door.
6. Love is behind mercy & grace, & provides opportunity for faith.
B. A Distinction Regarding Grace
1. Greek culture loved grace, but it was only for friends, not for enemies.
2. Romans 5:7, 8 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
C. Possible Objections
1. I am not that bad, God won’t judge me. See Eph. 2:3
2. I can save myself through good works. See Eph. 2:9
3. I have committed too many sins, too serious of sins.
God can’t possibly save or forgive me. See Eph. 2:7
Romans 5:20 But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more…
4. ILLUSTRATION- God created the sun to give light and heat to the earth. But only a very small fraction of that light and heat ever reaches us. The rest is lost in space. We need never be concerned that the light and heat will fail us. God has made an oversized reservoir to serve us.
5. What if you reject God’s grace that can lead you to salvation?
You will stay spiritually dead in sin. Eternal separation from God
II. Continue In Grace Acts 13:43
By grace they were saved, in grace they were now living. They needed to continue.
A. God’s Grace For Salvation
Galatians 1:6,7 6I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
Hebrews 13:9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.
What if you don’t continue in God’s grace for salvation?
1. You will be troubled by a perverted, legalistic message.
2. You will not profit in your spiritual life.
What if you do continue? Opposite of the above. Positive results.
B. God’s Grace For Living- “You Can Make It”
Turn to 1 Peter 5:8-12
2 Cor. 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
What if you don’t continue in God’s grace for living?
1. Satan will attack and bring destruction
2. You will think your problems are unique. “No one understands”.
3. You will miss out on the work of “the God of grace”.
4. You will not be established, strengthened, settled.
5. You will not stand.
6. You will think that you can’t make it.
What if you do continue? Opposite of the above. Positive results.
III. Grow Strong In Grace
A. Through Knowing God
1. Acts 13:42 God’s grace made them beg to hear God’s word
2. 2 Tim. 2:1 “…be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”
3 Turn to 2 Peter 1:2
4. Read your Bible. Get to know God 1st hand, personally.
B. Don’t Fall From Grace Turn to 2 Peter 3:17, 18
What if you don’t grow in grace? What if you do?
1. Indifferent about God’s word, or the opposite.
2. Grace and peace won’t be multiplied to you, or they will.
3. You could fall spiritually and be led away in error, or you won’t.
IV. Encourage Others In Grace
Acts 15:40, 41 “…but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. 41And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Acts 20:32 So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
Kenneth Wuest- There is enough grace in God’s heart of love to save and keep saved for time and eternity, every sinner that ever has or ever will live, and then enough left over to save a million more universes full of sinners, were there such, and then some. There is enough grace available to give every saint constant victory over sin, and then some. There is enough grace to meet and cope with all the sorrows, heartaches, difficulties, temptations, testings, and trials of human existence, and more added to that. God’s salvation is an oversize salvation. It is shock proof, strain proof, unbreakable, all sufficient. It is equal to every emergency, for it flows from the heart of an infinite God and is freely bestowed and righteously given through the all sufficient sacrifice of our Lord on the cross. Salvation is all of grace. Christian living is all of grace. Trust God’s grace. It is superabounding grace.
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