I. Introduction
A. Review Paul’s introduction
-Last week we looked at the first part of Paul’s introduction to the church at Corinth.
-Even though the letter contains several areas of chastisement, or correction, Paul begins by encouraging the church at Corinth.
-He reminds them of their standing before God.
-They are sanctified, seen as holy.
-Through their faith in the resurrected Christ.
-Paul calls them saints, as he does all Christians nearly 60 times throughout his letters.
-Paul’s intent during this introduction is to remind the believers in Corinth of who they are in Christ, but also the expectation due to that position.
-Today we will look at the blessings that come as a result of being a Christian, or saints, as Paul calls them.
-Please turn to 1 Corinthians, chapter 1
PRAYER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Last week I wanted you to be overwhelmed by the fact that God sees you as a saint.
-Even though you may not always act as a saint does, Almighty God sees you as one if you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
-Today I want you to allow yourself to be blown away by the concept of God’s grace
-Grace = God’s unmerited favor
-There is nothing you or I have done to earn God’s grace in our lives.
-He did not look down from heaven and see what a special person you are that he decided that you deserve His grace
-Did not decide that you would be such a wonderful testimony if you just got saved that He forced it on you
-God saved your lost soul in spite of you and not because of you.
-That’s why it is called grace
-The other day in Geometry class we got into a lengthy discussion about eternal security.
-They wanted to know if I thought a person could lose their salvation
-Students come from various church backgrounds
-I guided their discussion allowing them to make their various arguments
-Eventually I took them through scripture to see how one gets saved
-Finally, I asked them what they did to earn salvation
-They said nothing
-I told them they were correct and since there was nothing they did to earn salvation there is nothing they can do to keep salvation.
-Good works don’t get you saved and good works don’t keep you saved.
-Some of these teens have been taught that Baptists, and others with like theology, believe you can’t lose your salvation so they can do want they want and still be saved.
-We just claim 1 John 1:9 and move on.
Michael Horton, Professor of Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary, relates the following in his book, The Agony of Deceit:
The radical gospel of grace as it is found throughout Scripture, has always had its critics. Jimmy Swaggart told me a few years ago that by trusting in God's justifying and preserving grace, I would end up living a life of sin before long -- and thus, lose my salvation and be consigned to hell. Paul anticipated that reaction from the religious community of his own day after he said, "Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more" (Romans 5:20, NKJV). So he asked the question he expected us to ask: "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" (6:1) Should we sin so that we can receive more grace? In other words, "If people believed what you just said in Romans 5, Paul, wouldn't they take advantage of the situation and live like the dickens, knowing they were 'safe and secure from all alarm'?" That's a fair question. But it reveals a basic misunderstanding of the nature of God's saving grace. Paul's response is unmistakable: "Certainly not? How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" (Romans 6:2, NKJV).
Someone confronted Martin Luther, upon the Reformer's rediscovery of the biblical doctrine of justification, with the remark, "If this is true, a person could simply live as he pleased!" "Indeed!" answered Luther. "Now, what pleases you?" Augustine was the great preacher of grace during the fourth and fifth centuries. Although his understanding of the doctrine of justification did not have the fine-tuned precision of the Reformers, Augustine's response on this point was similar to Luther's. He said that the doctrine of justification led to the maxim, "Love God and do as you please." Because we have misunderstood one of the gospel's most basic themes, Augustine's statement looks to many like a license to indulge one's sinful nature, but in reality it touches upon the motivation the Christian has for his actions. The person who has been justified by God's grace has a new, higher, and nobler motivation for holiness than the shallow, hypocritical self-righteousness or fear that seems to motivate so may religious people today.
-Do you remember from last week what the word “saints” means?
- hagios (hag'-ee-os); sacred (physically pure, morally blameless or set apart for God, consecrated) (powerpoint)
-Beloved we are called, or appointed, to be saints.
-To be morally and physically pure and blameless before others.
II. Exhortation To Godly Living
A. Stressed throughout the New Testament.
-1 John 2:3-6 – “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” (powerpoint)
B. Normal encouragement in Paul’s letters.
-Philippians 1:6 – “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (powerpoint)
***** -Colossians 3:1-10
-Paul sums up the hope of his ministry this way.
-1 Corinthians 2:5 – “that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (powerpoint)
C. The foundation of the letter
-Paul takes the first nine verses of 1 Corinthians to show believers who they are – saints, holy ones, sanctified ones. The rest of the letter is built upon this foundation.
-“You are holy; therefore act holy.”
-“Live a life compatible with who you are.”
-We become saints by the grace of God
-We are enabled to live as saints by this very same grace
(title powerpoint)
***** -1 Corinthians 1:1-9
III. The Benefits Of Being A Saint
-Many benefits
-Forgiveness of sins, eternal life, indwelling of the Holy Spirit, joy, peace, hope, heaven
A. Maybe the greatest benefit of being a saint is experiencing God’s grace.
-This is experienced in the past tense, present tense, and future tense
IV. Grace Seen In The Past Tense in Corinthians
A. Grace defined
-1 Corinthians 1:4,6
- 1 Corinthians 1:4 – “I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus” (powerpoint)
-“was given”, v.4
-“was confirmed” v.6
-In the Greek this is what is known as the aorist tense.
-Indicates an action that was completed at particular, definite point of time
-Greek word for grace is “charis”
-The best one word definition for charis is favor.
-Not to be confused with mercy
-Mercy is not getting what we deserve.
-Grace is giving us what we don’t deserve.
-The grace of God in saving men as demonstrated through His Son, Jesus Christ, is the most undeserved and unrepayable act of kindness this world will ever see.
-It could not be repaid even if you wanted to.
-God’s grace is totally free and definitely unearned.
-In spite of all that grace has done, there is something that grace cannot do
-It cannot coexist with certain things.
B. Grace cannot coexist with guilt (powerpoint)
-Grace does away with all guilt.
-God does not say. “In an act of grace I will give you salvation, but if you mess up I will take it away.
-Grace is not grace if God says, “I will save you if you don’t sin.”
-Instead it becomes a legal gift that can be taken away if certain stipulations are not met.
-A gift with strings attached.
-If we can keep from sinning, we would not need grace.
-We would be able to merit salvation based on our perfect conduct.
-We know this isn’t the case.
-If grace could be taken away it is not biblical grace.
-Scripture clearly teaches that God’s grace is unmerited, undeserved, and permanent.
-Grace needs sin in order to operate.
-Without the need of forgiveness, there is no need for grace.
-At one time all stood guilty before God.
-Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (powerpoint)
-God is holy and just. (6:23a)
-Because He is holy, sin cannot be ignored.
-Because He is just, sin cannot go unpunished.
-God is loving and merciful. (6:23b)
-He offers the forgiveness of sins.
-Offers to take away what we have rightfully earned
-If we accept His grace as given through Jesus Christ.
-When we come to God His way, through faith, we exist in this state of grace. (Present grace)
-Romans 5:1,2 – “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (powerpoint)
-Do not let the feeling of guilt consume you as a Christian.
-There are feelings of guilt as a result of sin.
-Yet there is no longer the condemnation for that sin.
-You might feel guilty.
-But you no longer are.
-The pain or guilt a Christians feels when sinning is a reminder that God gives us that we ought not be involved in a particular sin.
-We are saints after all.
-I must say, however, that freedom from sin does not give you freedom to sin.
***** -Romans 6:1-11
-God may discipline, or chastise you for it (Hebrews ch. 12:3-11)
-The amazing thing about God’s grace is that, through Christ, God takes away all sin, all guilt, all punishment.
-This is what grace has done.
C. Grace cannot coexist with human obligation. (powerpoint)
-You and I can never pay God back for what He has done for us.
-It would then be a loan, not a free gift.
-We could not pay for our salvation before we were saved.
-It is foolish to think we can after we are saved.
Heaven's Entrance Exam: A man died and went to heaven. Of course, St. Peter met him at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter said, "Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in." "Okay," the man said. "I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart." "That's wonderful," said St. Peter. "That's worth three points!" "Three points?" said the man. "Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithes and service." "Terrific!" said St. Peter. "That's certainly worth a point." "One point?!! Well, I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans." "Fantastic, that's good for two more points," said Peter. "Two points!" the man cried. "At this rate the only way I'll get into heaven is by the grace of God." "Bingo, 100 points! Come on in."
-God’s grace does make us totally indebted to God.
-Not because we can repay Him.
-It is because we realize we never can.
-If Janeen needed a kidney transplant to save my wife’s life.
-A person voluntarily gave her a kidney.
-We could never repay that person.
-Yet we would always feel indebted to this person.
-They had, at least temporarily, given her the gift of life.
-How much more indebted ought we to feel if someone gave us all we need for the gift of eternal life?
-If we could work for our salvation than God is obligated to give it to us.
***** -Romans 4:4,5 – “Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness” (powerpoint)
-If we can work for our salvation, then it is not grace, but payment.
-Your employer does not give you money out of grace.
-You, hopefully, earned it.
-He/she is obligated based on what you did.
-Grace is different than this.
-God is not obligated to give grace.
-Based on the fact it is a gift, we are not obligated to give anything in return.
-However, we owe God our highest love, our deepest devotion, and our greatest service as expressions of our gratitude and because all we have and are belong to Him.
-We owe Him everything out of gratitude; we owe Him nothing out of obligation.
D. Grace cannot coexist with human merit (powerpoint)
-There is absolutely nothing you have done to have received God’s grace.
-There is absolutely nothing you can do to receive God’s grace.
-God does not just offer His grace to “good” people.
-Some people do make morally better choices.
-Some people do good things.
-Some people sacrifice for others.
-Yet none of these things merits salvation
-Isaiah 64:6 – “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment” (powerpoint)
-Spiritually, when we stand before God on our own merit the verdict is the same.
-Romans 3:22-23 – “for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (powerpoint)
-This is what makes grace so wonderful. (Future grace)
-Paul is thankful for God’s grace in his own life and in the life of the believers at Corinth.
-Yet he never forgets where this grace comes from.
-“given to you by Christ Jesus” (v.4)
V. Conclusion (title powerpoint)
A. Are you a recipient of God’s grace?
-He offers it today.
-But you must receive it as it is offered. (Gift Eph. 2:8-9)
-You must place your faith in the fact that Jesus died for you.
-There is nothing you can do to earn in.
-Just receive His grace.
PRAYER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
