"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”
This verse teaches us an important lesson about God’s grace, i.e., that without it we cannot be saved. Ephesians 2:8-10 is the standard definition of what it means to be saved: “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” The main catalyst for salvation is not based on who we are or what we do; rather, it is based on God’s grace. Grace has been defined as “unmerited favor.” This means that we can never merit, or earn, salvation: “not of works, lest any man should boast.” We cannot earn salvation, but through our faith in Christ, by God’s grace, we can be saved. Paul gave God’s grace credit, not only for his salvation, but also for everything that was accomplished through his ministry. For example, here is what he wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:9-10: “For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10. But by grace I am what I am: and His grace which was given to me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” Paul could not have been saved and could not have served were it not for the grace, the unmerited favor, of God. It makes sense then that we are saved, not by our own righteousness, nor by our own works, but because of the grace of God. Paul admitted that because of his past actions in persecuting the church he should not have been able to be saved, nor should he have been able to serve the Lord. It was the grace of God that made all of it possible. I can say the same thing about my own salvation and my own ministry. There was nothing that I did that enabled me to be a servant of the Lord. By grace He has let me serve Him. It is the same for all of God’s servants, from Peter, to Paul, to Martin Luther, to Billy Graham, to you. The essential element in all of our dealings with God, whether it be our salvation or our service, is God’s grace – His unmerited favor. God’s grace has made it all possible. Praise God! Bro. Joe
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"O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise Him, all ye people. 2. For His merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise ye the Lord.”
What you just read is the shortest psalm. It is also in the very center of the Bible. In my archives there is an article on this psalm, but I felt led to share it again. Let’s look at the wonderful message that it gives us. First, it is a psalm of praise. It begins: “O praise the Lord,” and it ends “praise ye the Lord.” Why don’t we pause and give praise to the Lord. (I just did!) Second, it calls all nations to praise the Lord. Whether all nations, and all people, realize it or not, Yahweh, the Lord, is their Lord. We have been given the charge to take the message of the Lord to all nations. (Read Matthew 28:18-20.) Ultimately, this is a call to honor Jesus, as we will discover in Philippians 2:10-11: “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and thing in earth, and things under the earth. 11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Third, the psalm reminds us that “His merciful kindness is great toward us.” This has also been translated as “His steadfast love is great toward us.” The Lord, whom we praise, loves us and is merciful toward us. This is the gist of the message throughout the Old and New Testaments. Though we do not deserve it, the Lord loves us and is merciful to us. Romans 5:8 reminds us: “But God commends His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” This is a message that the whole world is in dire need of hearing and understanding. Fourth, the psalm reminds us that “the truth of the Lord endures forever.” “Truth” can also be translated as “faithfulness.” It is indeed true that the mercy and love of God are available to all people, and that God is faithful to give us His mercy. You might be thinking: “Then what about the wrath of God?” This is as biblically true as God’s love and mercy, but we should be reminded that through faith in Jesus Christ we can be delivered from the wrath of God. To illustrate what I mean let’s look at Romans 5:9: “Much more then, being now justified by His (Christ’s) blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” Think of what a difference it would make in your life if you decided to really learn the truth of Psalm 117, and live in the promise of it. Take this message personally and rejoice in what a difference it can make in how you view God, and of how you view life. Do it! Bro. Joe “And all of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”
Grace is defined as “God’s unmerited favor.” This means that we don’t deserve it but God gives it to us. We have the gift of grace because the Lord wishes to give it. The word “grace” is not seen in the Old Testament, but we see it, for example, in the life of David. Grace was granted David after his adultery with Bathsheba. We see this grace at work every time we read a psalm written by David. It was by grace that his works have a place in God’s word. Grace is a gift that we can have in our lives if we will just realize our need for it and if we will realize our own sins and repent and ask God's forgiveness. God’s grace can make a difference in how we view Him. God’s grace can make a difference in how we view people. (You know what I mean!!) God’s grace can make a difference in how we live. Read what Paul wrote about the difference that grace made in his life in 1 Corinthians 15:10: “For by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” Grace is a gift that is personified in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. John alluded to this in John 1:17: “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” Jesus personified the grace of God by the way He lived His life, by the way He treated people and that He willingly gave His life on the cross for us. We can live in the reality of Christ’s grace every day that we live if have faith in Him. Grace is a gift that we can,and should, share with the world. People need to see God’s grace personified by us by the way we treat them. People need to see God’s grace personified in Christian churches. We need to remember what Jesus told His disciples in John 13:35: “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples; if you have love one to another.” It is a gift that we need to share – let’s do it! Bro. Joe “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12. Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, and godly, in this present world. 13. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”
This is one of Paul’s greatest statements about the work of the grace of God. Let’s dig into it and see what it teaches us. First, we see how it started: The grace of God appeared in the person of Jesus Christ. In John 3:16 it is stated: “For God loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Paul wrote about it in Romans 5:8: “For God commends His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” All of the Old Testament prophets attest to the appearance of God’s grace in Jesus Christ. Second, we see what it brought to humanity: It made salvation possible for all people. Paul shared with us how this happens: “For by grace through faith are you saved through faith.” (Ephesians 2:8) We know that not all people will take the grace invitation. Jesus said that the road that leads to destruction is wide and the road to leads to everlasting life is narrow. (Matthew 7:14) This is why we send missionaries around the world, even into dark and dangerous places. We want to make the invitation available to all people. Third, we see the result of salvation by grace: “Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” Never mistake that grace does not make any demands on our personal morality. Grace does not nullify the demands of the gospel on the lives of those it touches. We chafe at the word “godly” today, but that does not make it unimportant. We might mistake “godliness” for “self-righteousness.” A sign of true godliness in humility. The righteousness that we live before the world, is imputed to us from the Spirit of God in our lives. Fourth, we see the goal of the life of grace: “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” The life built on grace is always looking forward to Jesus Christ. We do not put our hope in ourselves, but in Jesus Christ alone. We get glimpses of His glorious appearance now, but when He really comes --- whoa! As the gospel hymn states: “What a day, glorious day that will be….” Bro. Joe “For I am the least of the apostles, that I am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain: but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
In the preceding article we looked at the hatred of Paul, and in how by the grace of God, He was converted and became a devout apostle of the Jesus that he opposed so adamantly in the beginning. Paul was not what he had been before Christ came into his life. If it was possible for Paul, it is possible for anyone, even of the most adamant against the gospel. I want to look at another aspect of the miracle of God’s grace. By God’s grace Paul was not what he deserved to be. Thinking of all that he did against Christ’s church Paul didn’t deserve to do all that he did after he was converted. He stood in amazement of what God allowed him to do after his conversion. He started many churches throughout Asia Minor and Macedonia. He won people to Jesus from his place of imprisonment in Rome. In the final analysis, he wrote most of the New Testament after the four gospels. Paul did all of this in spite of the fact that he didn’t deserve to do it. Grace is defined as unmerited favor, meaning that we get from God what we do not deserve. I am amazed that God has used me over the years from 1960 until today in 2016 in His ministry. Through all of my failures and trials, by His grace God has used me in spite of myself. I am writing this article today by his grace. We must come to understand that God does everything through us through His powerful grace. Just pause now, and thank God for His grace that allows you to serve Him. By God’s grace, Paul was what he never expected to be. His earliest training was at the feet of the great Jewish scholar Gamaliel. He had that way of life figured out, and was defending it with zeal when He was confronted by the risen Christ on the Damascus Road. Paul never expected to be a champion of the cause of Christ, yet no one can surpass the work that he did, traveling from city to city and across a continent in order to serve Christ. You don’t know what God will do with you in His grace. There might be a Sunday School class for you to teach. He might call you to be a deacon in your church. He might call you to be an usher. He might even surprise you like He did Paul, and frankly me, by calling you to preach His word. He is definitely calling you to be his witness in the places where you are by the way you live, and by the way you love. Whatever God in His grace gives you to do, do it gratefully because of His grace on your life. By His grace, God wants each of us to be what He wants us to be, to do what He wants us to do, to go where He wants us to go, and to be what He wants us to be….all by His grace. Do it! Bro. Joe “For I am least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
The two verses printed above are part of Paul’s great resurrection chapter in 1 Corinthians 15. Before the text printed above, Paul was telling how many people had witnessed the resurrected Christ. Jesus had revealed himself to Paul on the Damascus Road, and possibly in Arabia during his sojourn there after his conversion, so he included himself as one of those who had witnessed Christ after His resurrection. What we see in these two verses is the miracle of God’s grace in the life of Paul. By grace, the Risen Christ had converted him. The story behind these two verses are that if the Risen Christ could forgive Paul, He can forgive you as well. No one is beyond the grace of God. Here is the story that the text tells: The text shows us that, by God’s grace, Paul was not what he had been. He wrote that he had persecuted the church of God before his conversion. He was revealed as the church’s greatest enemy in the latter part of chapter 7, and in the opening verses of chapter 9 of Acts. From the accounts that we have of Paul’s life, we can see what Jesus did in his life, and what He can do to any who come to Him in faith. Before God’s grace got ahold of him, Paul was mean-spirited. He had taken people from their homes and had them flogged. He had been legalistic in that he would not admit that Jesus was the Son of God. His heart had been filled with hatred toward those with whom he disagreed. Today, a lot of people are spewing hatred toward the Christian faith, and toward those of us who believe and take it seriously. When we read what they write, and hear what they say on television, what are we to think? I know that I sometimes get really angry when I hear it, but, then, again, I think about Paul. I would probably have felt that way about Paul, and might have been tempted to return his hatred. But I have to remember that Jesus saved Paul. He had even loved Paul in spite of his hatred. Am I supposed to love those people and pray for their conversion? Yes! I did not say that I agreed with them, and that I would not oppose them. But instead of returning hatred I need to pray that grace and the love of Christ will get ahold of their hearts. I remember Paul, and I know that this can happen. Let’s "bless those who curse us and do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who despitefully use us…." Where have I heard that? Oh! Jesus said it in Matthew 5:44. There are many people that I will refer to as “Pauls” and “Paulines” in our midst. We should pray that they will turn their animosity into love by the grace of Christ, and be witnesses for the cause of Christ. Remember! If it happened to Paul it can happen to them. We need to oppose their plans, but we cannot, must not return their hatred. Pray brothers and sisters! Pray! (Continued tomorrow) Bro. Joe “But will God in very deed dwell with men on this earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built.”
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” The prayer of Solomon in 2 Chronicles 6:18 was made on the occasion of the dedication the first Temple built in Jerusalem. The temple was built to remind the people of the presence of God among them. It was also built for God to come mysteriously among His people in a cloud of glory in the Holy of Holies in the temple. Solomon was amazed that God would “dwell with men on earth.” Little did Solomon know what God was willing to do by grace on behalf of, not just the Jewish people, but of all of the people on earth. The first thing that I noticed about Solomon’s prayer was his confession of the greatness of God. Solomon realized that God was much greater than the temple that had just been built. He knew that “the heaven of heavens cannot contain (God).” If this prayer had been made today, Solomon would have said the universe cannot contain God, for that is what “the heaven of heavens” is. It is impossible for humans to configure the greatness of God. There is nothing that we can measure up against God. His greatness is unique in our universe and beyond. (By beyond, I mean whatever is beyond the created universe and is the abode of God.) We cannot figure God out. What we know of Him is what He has revealed to us in scripture. Our responsibility is not to explain God, but to believe in Him, entrust our lives to Him and tell others about Him. Which brings us to the second thing that I noticed: When I read this prayer of Solomon, my mind went immediately to John 1:14, where we are told that “the word (Jesus Christ) became flesh and dwelt among us." Without meaning to be, Solomon was prophetic in this text. Solomon was amazed that God would come to the temple and be among His people, while in the heart of God, He had already planned to come to earth in the form of Jesus of Nazareth. (We could say to Solomon, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”) Solomon might have had an inkling of the grace of God, but God’s grace had not yet been fulfilled in all of its glory. God did, indeed “dwell with men on earth.” He did not just come to the temple, but He came to earth and lived among men revealing the “grace and truth of God.” With our two texts we are shown the greatness and the grace of God. Which brings us to the third thing that I noticed: Both the greatness and the grace of God are seen in the two texts as being for the benefit of people. God came among His people, Israel, to assure them of His presence and to forgive them for their sins. Jesus came among His people to not only forgive them for their sins, but to die on the cross to forgive them for their sins. This is so incredible that most people will not believe it. Because of the greatness of God, a lot of people cannot fathom His existence. On the other hand, there are those who might believe in the greatness of God, but they cannot accept that He would stoop to come among us and die for our sins. For whatever reason, people have come up with ideas to belittle the greatness and grace of God. But the New Testament tells us that it is true. It takes us into the world of the time that Jesus was on earth and gives us a glimpse of what His coming meant. John wrote, “and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” There it is: We do not have to explain the greatness and grace of God; we simply need to believe it, and put our faith and trust in Jesus. John explained it to us in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Believe it! Bro. Joe “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God, which was with me. 11. Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.”
What is the worst thing that you have done? Paul’s confession here was that he “persecuted the church of God.” I don’t know the full extent of that persecution, but with the information that we have, we know that it was brutal. For example, Paul literally took people out of their homes to put them on trial because of their faith in Jesus Christ. We are always reminded that the only thing that separates sins in the Bible is a comma, but brutality is an awful thing and leaves scars on the people who are brutalized and on the people who do the brutal act. Paul had a lot to be forgiven, but he was, after all, forgiven for all of it. What was at work in Paul’s forgiveness is at work in our forgiveness. That is why I opened with the question about the worst thing that you have done. If you have trouble accepting your own forgiveness after you have repented and asked for God’s forgiveness, you need this lesson. What was at work was the grace of God. Grace is classically defined as God’s unmerited favor. This means that we do not deserve to be forgiven for any sin, no matter what we consider the seriousness of it. Paul was forgiven, and we can be forgiven, because God is the God of grace, mercy and love. Jesus sought Paul out, and called him into Christian service before he had chance to pray. But at some time, Paul had to seek God’s forgiveness for his many sins against Christ’s church. In fact, Christ told Paul that in persecuting His church, Paul was persecuting him. Good lands! What a wonderful reality. There are people who reject God’s love because of His judgments, when they could discover His grace if they would just turn to him. If God’s grace applied to Paul, it applies to anyone who seeks God’s forgiveness. Grace is not a dormant attribute of God. I will illustrate what I mean by what Paul wrote in verse 10, “But by the grace of God, I am what I am.” Another way to say this is “by the grace of God, I am not what I was.” Before his Damascus Road experience, Paul was filled with animosity, just pure hatred, toward Christ and toward Christ’s people. But because of the grace of God, Paul’s life had been changed. He was no longer filled with hatred. He no longer wanted to bring harm to people with whom he disagreed. God’s grace is so powerful that it literally changes people’s personalities. God’s grace turns people around and gives them a heart of joy instead of a heart of hatred and fear. The good thing is that God’s grace continues its work in our lives and continues to change us day by day, week by week, etc., etc. God’s grace can change you too if you will surrender to it. Another important aspect of grace was that Paul did not have to do anything to get it, but after he had it, he went to work for the Lord. We can see Paul’s heart on this matter in Ephesians 2:8-10: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9. Not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” God’s grace saves us when we put our faith in Christ, but after we have been saved by “grace through faith,” we are given work to do. Paul pointed out that we are not saved by works because if we were we could boast about what we did to get ourselves saved. We are saved by pure grace, but grace is a catalyst to service for God. Paul didn’t do anything to get saved, but after he was saved he did a lot to serve the Lord. You should either marvel in the grace that saved Paul, or confess your sins and invite Jesus into your life by faith, and you can marvel at the grace that saved you. The extent of God’s grace is eternal and applies to you. Bro. Joe “For the word of God is quick (alive), and powerful, and sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
I want to share with you today what I view as the depths of the Bible. You know that I will not be able to do this subject justice in this short blog, but I think that I can give you some insight into those depths. First, Hebrews 4:12 reveals the word of God as a sword that goes deeply into people’s hearts and minds and affects the “thoughts and intents of the heart.” God’s word is not just a good read; it is a life-changing experience. This might not have been your experience, but it has certainly been mine. Reading the Bible makes a difference in my life, and in the lives of all who view it as the word of God. It is the word of God to all who read it, but not all who read it view it that way. Second, the depth of the Bible is seen in the revelation of the nature of God. The Bible reveals the sovereignty of God. This means that He is all-powerful, all-knowing and ever-present. There is nowhere that His power is not available. There is nothing that He does not know, and there is nowhere that He isn’t present. When Moses asked the Lord what name he could use when he told the Hebrew people who He is, the answer was “I Am.” That is His eternal name. There was never a time when He didn’t exist, and never a time when He will fail to exist. The Bible reveals the sovereign God who is eternal. Third, the depth of the Bible is seen in the dynamic love of God. Of course, John 3:16 comes to mind: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” God’s love. as revealed through Jesus. is deep and wide. The Greek word that is translated “love” in John 3:16 is the word “agape” (a-gah-pay). It translates the most dynamic love. It is the same word that is used in the “love chapter” in 1 Corinthians 13. It is the word used in 1 John where God’s love is mentioned. Agape is a sacrificial love that will cause one to die for the beloved. It is a love that cannot be earned and that can only be accepted. Fourth, the depth of the Bible is seen in God’s grace. The usual definition of grace is “God’s unmerited favor.” My favorite definition is that “you don't deserve it, but you get it anyway.” The Bible reveals that all human beings are sinners. I guess we could say that some are worse sinners than others, but it makes no difference. Sin is sin and we need God’s intervention to save us from it. Ephesians 2:8-9 gives the dynamic message of salvation by grace: “For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works lest any man (or woman) should boast.” Grace paved the way and faith opened the gate. God’s grace is the most profound teaching of the Bible. It means that we have never deserved forgiveness for our sins, but that God took the initiative by sending His Son to earth. What a profound and wonderful message. The God of the Old and New Testaments is involved in history and He wants to be involved in our lives. The gods of other religions are not personally involved in people’s lives. There are other aspects of the depths of the Bible, but these are enough to let us know that we are loved by God, that He is interested in our lives, and that He takes the initiative to be involved in our lives. How deep and wide is the word of God! Bro. Joe “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12. Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. 13. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.”
Titus was God’s man to preach the gospel to the people on the Island of Crete. Titus 2:11-13 gives us the content of the message that he was to preach to the unruly people of Crete. It was a message of God’s grace. The message of God’s grace has not changed. It is still the message that we are to give to the world. The message is, and always will be, a message of the grace of God. Grace is defined as “God’s unmerited favor.” This means that we do not deserve all that God has done for us, but He has done it, and is doing it, today. These two verses show us the essence of the profound grace that we are to share with the world. Paul reminded Titus, “for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.” God’s grace is inclusive. The gospel that we preach is intended to reach all people, not just people of whom we approve, or with whom we are comfortable. There is no one who is so sinful that God’s grace cannot reach him or her. This doesn’t mean that all people will respond positively to God’s grace, but it does mean that this grace is available to them. This is why Jesus commanded His disciples, and us, to go into the entire world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is why missionaries are being sent all over the world. The message of grace, the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, is meant to be shared with the whole world. This means that the gospel is to be carried to remote places where people are uninformed, and it is to be carried to the erudite and sophisticated people of the world as well. We should not forget that “the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all (people).” Paul reminded Titus, “teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world.” God’s grace is instructive. When people accept Jesus Christ as Savior, their lives are changed. This is what the gospel of grace instructs us to share with God’s people. The grace of God brings profound change into the lives of the people who embrace it. There is no better example of the life-changing nature of the gospel than Paul himself. He knew what it meant to be touched by the grace of God and to turn from being a hateful person to being a loving person who would share the gospel of grace all over the Roman Empire, and thus to the world. It was said of the people of Crete, that they “are always liars, evil beasts…” (Titus 1:12) Titus was to take the profound message of grace to even the “liars” and “evil beasts” of Crete. The grace of God could transform their lives as well as the most amiable of people. Grace teaches us that we are to deny ungodliness and to shun worldly lusts, and that we are to live “soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.” Grace still teaches this today. Paul reminded Titus that God’s grace included, “Looking for that blessed hope, and glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” God’s inclusive and instructive grace also informs us that “this present world” is passing away and Christ will return for His people. God’s grace does not save us for this world alone, but for a glorious future with Christ forever. This is the gospel of grace that Titus was to share in Crete, and that we are to share where we are. Let’s do it! Bro. Joe |
AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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