Getting To Know God - God's Amazing GraceAny one remember that old television show called the Millionaire. The story was always the same. An eccentric, wealthy old man would find someone who was in deep trouble, and through a special messenger delivered a check for one million dollars, no strings attached. The fun part of the show each week was to watch the reaction of the recipient. When cynicism gave way to realism, the celebration was something to watch.
Life as we know it is based on performance, and not grace. Our culture tells us in a thousand different ways that we are rewarded because of what we do. You get stars in Kindergarten, Stars for music lessons well done Grades in School, and Bonuses at work.
From early childhood we are taught a performance oriented philosophy that says: There is no such thing as a free LUNCH! If it sounds too good to be true, it IS! We make our money the old-fashioned way; we EARN IT! God helps those who help THEMSELVES!
We Americans are pros at performance. We know too little about Grace. That makes it hard for us to relate to the truth from God's Word. I want us to look at God's grace
The word "Grace" in the Bible literally means undeserved, unrecompensed kindness. It is not some little ingratiated act. It is a display of extraordinary love that is undeserved and cannot be paid back.
Grace is a love that cannot and need not be earned. Grace is a gift given to those who do not deserve it. The Bible says that it is God's nature to bless undeserving people.
Psalm 86:15 " You, Oh Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God."
In fact the Scriptures teach that God loves to show his grace to people. Isaiah 30:18 " The Lord longs to be gracious to you." To be gracious is His pleasure. God takes joy in giving His grace to you. We could look at many different benefits of God's Grace today, but I want us to focus on just one
GOD'S GRACE GIVES NEW LIFE WHEN WE ARE SPIRITUALLY DEAD.
The Bible teaches that every human being has been born spiritually dead because of sin.
Ephesians 2:1 "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins..."
TO BE SPIRITUALLY DEAD DOES NOT MEAN
1. a person is as bad as he could possibly be or
2. a person is not capable of doing many good and moral things.
TO BE SPIRITUALLY DEAD MEANS to be totally separated from the life of God.
Ephesians 4:18 (NIV) "They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts."
To be as insensitive to God as a physically dead man is insensitive to the world around him. One of the 1st indications of physical death is the body's inability to respond to stimulus. Dead people don't react. The spiritually dead are totally insensitive to spiritual things. Dead men don't hear or see. Dead men are dead! People who are spiritually dead have no capacity to respond to spiritual things.
If you are a Christian today that is not because one day you were smart and humble enough to believe in Christ. Or you were smart enough to cash in on eternal life. You didn't trade your faith for God's Grace. Your Salvation is a result of God's Grace from beginning to end. If you believe in Christ today it is a miracle that has taken place in your life.
By God's grace you have been spiritually resurrected and given new life.
Look at Ephesians 2 again
1. As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy
5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from
yourselves, it is the gift of God--
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Your experience was similar to the experience of Lazarus when he was raised from the dead. Lazarus had been dead for days, decay had already begun. There was no hope for him. If he were to be able to even hear Jesus calling him, Jesus would have to 1st make him alive.
And that's just what Jesus did. He called out to Him with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"
The grace of God made Lazarus alive. The Grace of God gave him the ability to come from the tomb.
How is this truth meant to impact your life?
1 If you have not yet trusted in Christ as your personal Savior, you should do so today.
For some of you, the Grace of God may be seeking you out this very moment... The pieces of the puzzle seem to be falling into place in your life. Christ died for you and you are without a personal relationship with Him. The Wind of God's Gracious Holy Spirit is blowing in your life. In speaking of this Sovereign work of God's Spirit Jesus said,
John 3:8 "The wind blows wherever it pleases. you may hear it's sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit
Let the wind of God's Spirit blow in your life now."
Respond by simply humbling yourself before God, Turn from your sin and come to Christ, Trust in Him to save you. He died in your place.
2. For those who have already trusted Christ, you are meant to gain from this a new appreciation, a new awe, and a new humble thankfulness before God for His Saving Grace poured out on your life.
You are meant to rediscover here that God's acceptance and love and forgiveness of you is based totally and completely on His Grace. Not on anything you have done or will ever do. God was not obligated in any way to give you life. He would have been perfectly just and fair to condemn you and me for all eternity. Instead He chose you to be His own
He sent His Son to die to pay sin's penalty . He has made you alive and brought you to faith in Him. God did not make you alive because you 1st believed in Christ, but you believed in Christ because he 1st made you alive.
God's Grace gives new life to the Spiritually dead