The relief of God’s grace
Terrible Disappointment!
Without Me you can do nothing John 15:5
By the deeds of the law no flesh shall be justified in His sight Romans 3:20
We are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags Isaiah 64:6
Every one of them has turned aside; they have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good, no, not one Psalm 14:3; 53:3
Tremendous Relief!
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me Philippians 4:13
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
For it is God who works in you both to will and to work on behalf of His good pleasure Philippians 2:12, 13
He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it 1 Thessalonians 5:24
Proposition: Righteousness is not a work, but a GIFT
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him 2 Corinthians 5:21
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord Romans 6:23
2nd Proposition: No-one likes this helplessness very much!
You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love Galatians 5:4-6
Ephesians 2- The graceful passage (Some home truths…)
v1 DEAD
Just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus sin spread to all men, because all sinned Romans 5:12
And God said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know” Ezekiel 37:3
v2 DAMNING DISOBEDIENCE
v3 DEFAULT
v4 DIVINE DIFFERENCE
v5 DEFINITE DISINTERMENT!
But now Christ has risen form the dead, and has become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep 1 Corinthians 15:20
v6 DIVINE DOMAIN
(The Lamb) has made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth Revelation 5:10
v7 DISCOVERED DEITY
To demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus Romans 3:26
Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted Hebrews 2:17-18
Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Romans 5:20-21
v8 DONATED DELIVERANCE- IT’S A GIFT!
By grace…
God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense
you have been saved…
(God will) give to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life Matthew 25:46
through faith…
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen Hebrews 11:1
and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace towards me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me 1 Corinthians 15:10
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration of the Holy Spirit whom He poured out on us abundantly through Christ Jesus our Saviour, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life Titus 3:5-7
v9 DISCRIMINATION DENIED
God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began 2 Timothy 1:9
“Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 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 counted for righteousness Romans 4:3-5
But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. But indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith Philippians 3:7-9
And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace Romans 11:6
For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all James 2:10
For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God Colossians 3:3
v10 DESIGNER’S DESIRE- poiema, God’s poems
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen Hebrews 13:20-21
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 Philippians 1:6
CONCLUSION
1.Reckoning ourselves dead to sin and alive to Christ, by grace through faith
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord Romans 6:11
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain Galatians 2:20-21
2.Taking hold of His tools
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work 2 Timothy 3:16-17
3.Working now no longer in our own strength, but HIS!
To this end I also labour, striving according to His working which works in me mightily Colossians 1:29
4.Why? FOR HIS PLEASURE- Our raison d’etre, why we were created
Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power 2 Thessalonians 1:11
That you may lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God Colossians 1:10
Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will Ephesians 1:5
5.And finally…
Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be the glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21
