Growing Strong In God’s Grace

Introduction

Good morning. If you will please open your Bibles with me to Romans chapter 6. Romans chapter 6. There are many words that are hard to understand, whether because they’re hard to pronounce or because explaining them is difficult. On the other hand, there’s some words that are very easy to both spell, say, and understand. And then there are those tricky words right in the middle. One of those words is love. And sometimes our misunderstanding of love translates to defining it in some odd ways. Three boys aged seven through nine were asked about love and dating. One’s advice was tell your wife she’s pretty, even if she looks like a truck. Probably good advice. The second one was, I think you’re supposed to get shot with an arrow or something, but the rest of falling in love doesn’t sound too painful.

And the last one was, be careful. Love is like an avalanche. You better run for your life. See, love is something that kind of worries us, scares us, sometimes entices us. But you think about what love is, really, it’s putting someone else before you. And in its purity, it is a service of elevating someone’s needs and desires above your own. Now sometimes you can ruin love, like a husband might ruin his love for a wife by saying, I’m going to go do this with you, but only because you’re making me, and I’m not going to enjoy it while I go. Do you see how that might just cheapen the love? I hope all the men in the room knew, yes, that cheapens the love. That is not love.

This morning, though, we’re going to talk about grace. And one of the interesting things about grace is we all kind of know the answer to how you would define it. Unmerited favor. But when it comes to applying grace, the answers are across the board. For some people, grace is a mystical thing that takes away all of the bad parts and removes nothing but good, and there’s nothing you can do about it. On the other hand, some of us describe grace as something that’s there and we want it. It seems good, but I don’t really understand it. Why it’s offered, how it’s offered. Why do I have it? Do I have it? Paul didn’t have that hold up. If you’re in Romans chapter 6, look for a moment at chapter 5.

If you notice in verse 1 and 2, Paul describes him himself as actively standing where? Do you see the phrase in verse 1 and 2? Standing in the grace of the Lord. You see, grace is simple to define, but difficult to understand and apply. And so this morning, if we are going to grow in God’s grace, we have to not only understand it, but recognize how it is to be applied. In verse 1, notice what Paul says. Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. That is so key. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, so verse 2, through him. We have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

1. Recognize We Have a Desperate Need

We think about grace, we know God offers grace. We know that we need grace. But the question is, what do we do with grace? It’s a million dollar question that’s been given over a million different answers. If we are going to take advantage of what God is offering through unmerited favor, then we need to read his word on it. To understand, are we taking advantage of what God desires we do? First of all, is to recognize we have a desperate need for this. Romans paints this picture beautifully in chapter 6. You know verse 23, for the wages of sin is death. But the end of that verse is important too. The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Sin, merits, deserves death.

Romans chapter 3 and verse 23, after in chapter 1 he says the Gentiles are sinful. Chapter 2, Paul says the Jews are sinful. Romans chapter 3 and verse 23 says, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And so we have a major problem. We deserve death. Because we have refused to do what God commanded we do. Our sin merits, deserves death. So we need forgiveness. The good news is, it’s not a mystery to anyone here this morning, but that God offers forgiveness. Read with me in Romans chapter 3 and verse 21, the verses before and after all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. In chapter 3 and verse 21, but now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law.

Although the law and the prophets bear witness to it. The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe, for there is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood to be received by faith. Now, this was to show God’s righteousness because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. You see, verse 23 is the terrible news, but the great news is in verse 24, we can be justified by his grace as a gift.

2. We Will Never Deserve Grace

More words to define. What does it mean to be justified? To be found right. To be redeemed. What does it mean to be redeemed? To be bought back with a price. What is that price? Of course, it centers on Jesus, who was put forward as what? There’s that million dollar word, propitiation. Jesus was a sacrifice for our sins. We know Jesus died. This morning, as we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we recognize his body and blood was given because of our sin. But what about this grace? This gift. What do we do with it? What do we make of it? One truth we have to examine and acknowledge is we will never deserve grace. It’s very important. There’s a reason I put that word in quotations.

We will never deserve grace, because grace, by definition, is what? Unmerited, undeserved favor. This becomes tricky because we need grace, and the Bible teaches clearly that not everybody’s going to receive grace. And so we’re going to have to examine this morning how do we get grace if we can’t deserve it. But if we’re going to be people who speak where the Bible speaks and are silent where the Bible is silent, we have to be willing to speak about grace. To unravel the mystery of what is it and how can I take joy in it? How can I be like Paul in Romans chapter 5 and verse 1 and recognize through faith in Jesus that verse 2, I can leave the building this morning knowing I stand in the grace of God.

Is it possible? Yes. But how? The first step is to recognize we will never deserve grace. Pick up the reading with me in verse 27. After talking about the great gift that is Jesus, his sacrifice, that he was the propitiation, that he would die in our place, verse 27, then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also. Since God is one who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith?

By no means. On the contrary, we uphold the law. What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about. Not before God. For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift, but as his due.

Even the powerful grace of God does not mean you can be unfaithful to him. But we still have to say Bible things in Bible ways. Without God’s grace, we have no hope of salvation whatsoever. We need God’s grace every single day. Do we need to be faithful? Yes. But do we need God’s grace? Absolutely. So we have this problem because of our sin. We need forgiveness. We need grace. But by definition, it’s undeserved. So what do we make of that? I think the problem isn’t really understanding the grace by definition. It’s learning to trust in it. If we’re being really honest, I wonder how many of us could raise our hand and say, I like Paul in Romans chapter 5, know for certain, as God’s child I am standing squarely in, enveloped by the grace of God this morning.

3. We Don’t Properly Understand It

Because Paul could say that. And he did. And he was inspired by God, so he was right. And so if I don’t feel that way, or if I’m on the border of feeling that way, I have a question as to why that might be. Three main ideas, and perhaps there’s some more. One of them is we don’t properly understand it. You notice Paul says it, but we can’t say what we don’t understand. Go back to chapter 5. Let’s read how he explains that idea. He talks about in verse 1 being justified by faith. He talks about the fact that this is through Jesus Christ our Lord that he stands in the grace of God. But notice verse 3 as well. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

First question would be why don’t we properly understand grace? It’s all over the pages, you would say, of the Bible and even by word in the New Testament. So why don’t we understand it? There’s really two reasons we misunderstand things. One is we never take the time to understand them. You never learn a word until you, newsflash here, learn the word. So you take the time to look it up. Ask somebody for help. But there’s a second reason we sometimes don’t understand things, and that’s because there are so many ideas about it, we don’t know which one is right. Who has the right definition of grace? What is the proper understanding of its role in our salvation and in my Christianity? Because if you go to different church buildings this morning, you might hear a litany of different answers.

And so is it this all powerful gift from God that overwhelms my sin, even if I sit on the sidelines and fold my arms? Is it something that can forgive me even if I don’t want it to? Is grace so cheap on the other end of the scale that maybe I have to be faithful, and if I’m faithful enough, I’ll deserve God’s grace. If I work hard, if I do my best, then I will deserve God’s grace. Is it that? It can’t be that either. You see, the key in verse one, we have been justified by what? Justification is by Jesus, but Paul says in verse one, we have been justified by faith. Faith connects us with that sacrifice of Jesus. Faith is critical. Do you notice how faith keeps popping up everywhere?

4. We Don’t Feel We Deserve God’s Grace

Jesus is sacrificed and grace keeps popping up. Justification, the forgiveness, the made right of our sins, is necessary. Faith is necessary. Maybe I’m here this morning and I don’t trust in God’s grace. I don’t know that I am firm in my salvation. Because I just don’t understand. I know it can’t be this extreme. And the other extreme doesn’t seem right either. And so what do I do about it? I think there’s another reason, perhaps more troubling. We don’t feel we deserve God’s grace. I may understand conceptually, theoretically, we might say scholastically, that grace is unmerited favor. And boy, if it’s not merited, I gotta tell you, it can’t be for me. Do you know what I’ve done? Do you know where I’ve been? Paul can say he stands in God’s grace.

I know he was a vile sinner, but he was Paul. He was the apostle. If anybody deserves it, Paul does. But I can’t. I know me. And more importantly, I know God knows me. I can’t possibly deserve God’s grace, can I? Then we read passages like Romans chapter 5. Notice in verse 6. Jesus died for us. Remember, connecting us with justification, connecting us with faith in verse 6. For while we were still what? Do you see this word? While we were still weak. At the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person, though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die. Verse 8. But God shows his love towards us, and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since therefore we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more now that we are reconciled shall we be saved by his life. Here is the million dollar question this morning. Do I feel I deserve grace? If the answer is yes, you are wrong. We don’t deserve God’s grace. By definition, you cannot deserve what God freely gives under no compulsion. There is no scripture you can find where God says, if you do enough good things, you will merit, deserve because of the efforts of your will, my grace.

And so, if I don’t feel I deserve it, there has to be a middle ground that doesn’t say, all right, well, I’m not going to have God’s grace then. Where is that middle ground? That’s what we’re seeking. If I know I can’t deserve it, what do I make of it? I look at what God did with Jesus. And verse 6, when did Jesus die for me? When I was what two descriptions? When I was weak. Do not deserve it. When I was ungodly, that is the opposite of being like God. Unnot godly. And verse 8. God demonstrated his love towards me when I deserved it. No, verse 8. While I was still actively what? Sinning. What did Romans chapter 6, verse 23 say? For the wages of sin is death.

Do I deserve it? No. Verse 10. For if while we were what, we could be reconciled to God? Enemies. Can it be more clear while we were weak, ungodly, sinners, enemies of God? He died for us anyway. That is love. And that’s grace. Is there anything I could ever do? To look at God in my sinful state and say, you owe me sending Jesus to die on the cross. Not a chance. And yet, what did Jesus do? He was spat upon. He was beaten. Mocked. Flogged. Crucified on the cross for us. For me. Because I was too weak. Because I was his enemy. He died for me. The devil wants us to feel we don’t deserve grace. The answer is we don’t deserve grace. But that shouldn’t keep us from accepting God’s great gift.

5. We Prefer to Trust in Ourselves

One other reason. Perhaps the most troubling of all. It’s one thing to not understand thing or to be understand something or to be confused by it. That takes study. It takes time to sort out the wrong and find the right. But there’s an easy solution for that. To not feel we deserve it is one thing, that’s a problem, but we we can work on that over time. But this is an issue. And I think sometimes this undergirds the previous two. We prefer to trust in ourselves. Wouldn’t it be better if, like Facebook every morning, when I could see what birthday it was today, I could look and say, hey, how is my salvation doing this morning? Have you ever seen that in a relationship thing? In a relationship, it’s complicated.

What would most of us do with our salvation issue? At times we might say, well, it’s complicated. Paul didn’t view it that way. In Romans chapter 5, verse 1 and 2, he stands in the grace of God. First John makes it very clear in chapters 1, 2, 4, and 5 that we should be trusting in God’s salvation. But sometimes it’s easier to look at my life and say, I’m doing good. God is good. I must be pleasing him. Conversely, it’s easy to look at ourselves and say, I know what I’m doing. I know what I’m thinking. I know how I’m spending my time. I am not good. God sees that, and I am not saved because I am not good enough. Both of those extremes are wrong.

Who allows us to have salvation? Hint, it’s not us. God offers salvation. One object lesson of this is the Passover. You remember in Exodus, the people of Israel had congregated in Egypt. They had grown so many that the Egyptians were cracking down on them. And finally, after the ten plagues had come, excuse me, nine of the plagues had come, Pharaoh still saying no, and Moses on behalf of God was saying, Let my people go. The tenth plague would come, and it was going to wipe out everybody in Egypt. You know what the problem for God’s people was? If God wipes out every firstborn in Egypt? People of Israel are in that land. So what did they need? They needed to be passed over, delivered, saved. And so God made a way possible for them.

For those who would sacrifice the unblemished lamb, the way he commanded, who would smear the blood on the doorpost and the lentils of the house, and God would pass over them. The angel, the destroyer, would not take the life of the firstborn. Now let’s stop for a moment and ask a question. Did the Israelites who killed the lamb, prepare it, and put the blood on the doorpost of the house deserve to be passed over? No. And the only way that works is if blood is like skryptonite to Superman, where it says weakness. Do you think God revealed his weakness of blood to the Israelites and say, if you put blood on the door, my spirit’s not going to be able to get in there. I’m going to get repelled like a magical force.

Not a chance. God chose willingly to offer salvation. And those Israelites who trusted in God’s words and were faithful to his promises, God was faithful to his and passed over, and they were saved. Not because they deserved it, but because God offered it and they were faithful to him. And so when I think about these reasons that I might not trust God’s grace, I recognize sometimes I like to trust in myself because it’s easier and I trust myself more. I want to be responsible for me. It’s the American ideal, isn’t it? I can pull myself up by my bootstraps. If I’m good enough, if I work hard enough, if I work long enough, if I spend years as a Christian, I’ll be good, I’ll be holy.

The answer from the Bible pages is no, you will not. Because we need God in every aspect of our life. Not a one time thing of sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Not a one time offer of grace, not even a one time offer of forgiveness or of strength. We need God every single day because alone we cannot do it. So does that mean if grace is that powerful, and I shouldn’t trust in myself that I just sit back and let Jesus’ grace and sacrifice wash over me while I cross my arms and say, Well, I’m glad God’s doing this. I’m gonna do what I want now with my life. Look at Romans chapter 5, verse 15. The grace of God is powerful.

The free gift is not like the trespass, for if many died through one man’s trespass, much more has the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man, Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin, for the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation. But the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if because of one man’s trespass death reign through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Does that mean that all people everywhere will be saved? Therefore, verse 18. As one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.

For as by the one man’s disobedience, by the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. So that as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness, leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Do you see it again? Where is eternal life found? Through Jesus Christ our Lord. How do we have a hope of salvation? Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Where was Paul’s faith at the beginning of chapter 5? In Jesus Christ our Lord. Our faith, our hope, our trust must be in Jesus. Nothing else. Nobody else can do it. I can’t save myself. And God’s not so detached and cruel as to make a one time offer of help and then leave us on our own.

6. Start Trusting in God’s Grace

That’s not the God of the Old Testament or the New Testament. We need to have a relationship with Him that changes us every single day. These are reasons why we might not trust in God the way we should. So how do we? Start trusting in God’s grace. How can we say with certainty that I am enveloped, I am standing in the grace of God? One of them is read about it. Study it. Meditate on it. Look at Ephesians chapter 2. One of the things about grace is not necessarily that we’ve never looked up a definition, but that spew of information that’s out there. I don’t know how to sort it out. I’m uncomfortable with this extreme, and I’m uncomfortable with that extreme, but that leaves a lot of ground for confusion.

And so what do we do? We need to pray to God about it. We need to read what God says about it, and we need to study it, and yes, meditate on it. Ephesians chapter 2, here’s some of the good news. For by grace you have been saved, like in Romans, here Paul goes again, through faith. And this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. What do we do with a passage like this? What do we do with verse 5? By grace you have been saved. Read it. Think about how amazing it is that God, while we were weak, ungodly, sinning enemies of his, sent Jesus to die for us.

And what do we do with verse 8? Meditate on every aspect. It’s great. It’s awesome. It’s wonderful that God offered grace. But there is another phrase there in verse 8. By grace you have been saved. How? Is grace for all people? No, we see that. Jesus makes it very clear in the day of judgment, there will be those on his left and those on his right. Those go into eternal life, those into eternal punishment. So grace apparently is not universal for all. It’s offered for all, but not accepted. Paul gives us the key as we break down this verse, you have been saved through faith. Faith is the key. Or as we might sing or read in our scriptures, faith is the victory. We need to focus on how wonderful it is that God offers grace.

And here’s the question why would God offer grace? And we go back to our opening point. Because it’s the only way that we as his creation could be justified. And if God is so wise and so loving and charitable as to sacrifice his Son on our behalf. Doesn’t that mean that our God knows that we struggle? That even after becoming Christians, that I sin and that I need forgiveness in an ongoing manner. Of course. Trust God’s wisdom. Trust God’s plan.

Look at chapter 3 and verse 20 of the book of Ephesians, chapter 3 and verse 20. Why should we trust God? How can we trust God? Because he is this God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. It means God can do far. That’s significant. That’s above. More, obviously, more. Abundantly, a great surplus over all that I ask or think. God knows I struggle. He knows it. He sent Jesus to die for it. You are not alone, and you are not being outcasted by God. He sent Jesus so that you could be justified, so that you would be redeemed.

The price to buy you back was the blood of Jesus. And he spilt it. Because God loves us that much. And we can never point to him and demand he send Jesus to die for me. We will never deserve that. And so that’s going to change me because I’m going to realize not only can I not do it alone, but I need what he offered freely. Which means it’s not up to me anyway. It’s up to my loving God, the judge. I have to learn to embrace unmerited favor. I added the caveat before. It might make us uncomfortable because that through faith part is so important. I know, I can hear your mental screams at me. Be faithful. Keep the works. I promise we might touch on that in our last minute.

But grace is still grace. God had to choose to bestow it upon us. To offer it to us. You see, of the people of Israel, they would ask the question if Jews and Gentiles alike were guilty, and the Jews had the law, what is the point in even being an Israelite then? Did God turn his back on them? Verse 11, chapter 11, verse 1. I asked, then has God rejected his people? By no means. For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah? How he appeals to God against Israel? Lord, they have killed your prophets. They have demolished your altars, and I alone have left, and they seek my life.

But what does God’s reply to him? I have kept for myself 7,000 men who have not bowed the knee to Baal. So too at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace. A very difficult problem for the Jews in the first century to learn was you are no longer just special because of Abraham. Paul would talk about the advantages of being a Jew. You had the law. You have a unique way of understanding God, of learning about what holiness is. But now God’s kingdom is open to Jew and Gentile alike. Does that mean God turned his back on you? Not at all.

But salvation is no longer in lawkeeping. You can’t earn your salvation. You have to trust in God’s grace. Does that mean ignoring what he says? Does that mean doing whatever you feel like? Of course not. When talking about how great grace is, look at me in Romans chapter 6. Notice verse 1. Talking about how wonderful grace is, that Jesus brought grace, that we can be justified by the death of that one man that is Jesus. He can overcome the sin of the world. Grace covers sin. Nothing can stop it. And in verse 1, the New Testament Christians had a funny question for Paul. What shall we say then? Should we continue in sin? That grace may abound? Hey, God’s grace covers my sin, so if I sin this much, I get this much grace.

What if I sin more? Maybe I’ll get more grace. Is that what we should do? Verse 2, Paul says, By no means, certainly not. Many of your translations render. How can we who died to sin still live in it? The answer to that, Paul says, is no way. A pig does not get clean and then sent out back into the mud if you’re intending to prepare it for something. That’s what Christians should be like. Recognize we were dirty and Jesus cleansed us. So do you say because I can get cleansed I should go out and wallow in filth? Of course not. In fact, verse 12 doubles down on that idea. Something else that makes us uncomfortable in our country, not just accepting grace, accepting bonds of slavery, and Paul says that’s there in verse 12.

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. What then are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin which leads to death, or of obedience which leads to righteousness. But thanks be to God that you who are once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard and teaching to which you were committed, and having been set free from sin have become slaves of righteousness.

Conclusion

And yet, anyway, while we were weak, while we were ungodly, while we were sinners, while we were enemies, God sent Jesus to a humiliating, torturous death on the cross. Because he loves us so. God’s grace is amazing. If you haven’t accepted it, understand that is necessary. Romans chapter 6 and verse 23 says, the wages of sin is death. But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. That is the grace of God. The question has been: how do we accept it? How do we step into God’s grace? How can I feel it? To trust God is to feel it. To know that when God has promised something is there is to accept Him on His terms, then you will sense it.

It’s not about emotion, it’s about faith. It’s not about a matter of meritorious works, it’s about trusting in God’s greatness. God is gracious, He is loving. Accept Him on His terms because He’s God and He is amazing. If you’ve never become a Christian, recognize you stand outside of the grace of God. And outside of the grace of God is an eternity of punishment, everlasting waiting for you. But you can be forgiven. You can be washed, you can be made wholly, clean, and righteous today and moving forward. If you believe in Jesus, the Son of the living God. Confess Him as Lord and Savior and risen Messiah, and all that that means. Repent of your sins. Recognize I need God’s grace. I need his forgiveness. And be baptized, as Romans chapter 6 would outline, into the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, rising to walk in newness of life, presenting yourself as a slave of righteousness.

Or maybe you’re a Christian and you’ve recognized you’re relying on self. You’re not trusting in God. We’re not accessing the grace that He so willingly offers. We can pray with you. We can pray for you. God is amazing. He wants you to return to Him. Don’t leave this morning, not knowing that you stand in the grace of God. If we can help you in any way, be right before Him. Come now as we stand and sing the invitation song.