Welcome back, my friends. As we begin to look at the Grace of God, you will find that the very understanding of Grace will go against everything you’ve been taught and what often drives you inside (our sinful old nature).
Grace is God’s Emancipation Proclamation that sets all sinners free. When I say FREE that is exactly what I mean. God’s Grace gives you permission to be free, absolutely free in Christ.
But free from what? How about guilt, shame, and discouragement? Or the feeling of being insignificant, unimportant, frightened, insecure, worthless and powerless? And free from just being plain miserable, nervous, and full of panic — stressed out about everything and nothing?
Yes, you are free from all of these feelings and more if you truly understand the Grace of God and believe in your heart God’s Word about these feelings and where they come from.
All of the negative thoughts and emotions you may have do not come from God, they come from Satan and his evil minions. There is no reason now that you need to hold on to them. God’s Grace gives you permission to be free, absolutely free of the negativity that surrounds you and drives your life.
So here are your choices. You can now live a joy-filled life in and through Jesus Christ, or you can keep living a life full of negativity by holding on to your Satan-controlled past? What’s your decision? It’s up to you.
I’m going to do something different this month and share the sermon topics on Grace from my home church. This was an eight week series taught by our pastor, Matt Kaltenberger, and was entitled, Grace Anatomy. Matt highlighted eight wonderful forms of Grace. I have renamed it, Grace for All Occasions, because for the Christian that is exactly what Grace is all about.
Matt’s sermon is based off of a brilliant book entitled, “The Grace Awakening” by Charles R. Swindoll. Matt has said this book changed his life and his ministry. I have to agree — this is one of the books in my library and I highly recommend it for yours.
This lesson is a combination of Matt’s sermons and my own studies on Grace. It is written to be used in a small group Bible study setting. I used this with my small group to teach many of the individuals who do not go to Grace Community Church.
Please feel free to use this with your small group, or if you are attending one in your area. Let me just say you should be doing one or the other. The more time you spend with your Christian brothers and sisters studying the Bible (God’s Holy Word) and praying for the needs of each other, the more you’ll find yourself growing in the Grace of God.
Saving Grace
Let’s start at the beginning, without God’s first act of His Grace we could not go any further in our Christian life. There would not be a Christian life, and we’d all still be lost in our sins without any hope at all.
G Grace is God’s gift to us
everyone has sinned and is far away from God\’s saving presence. But by the free gift of God\’s grace all are put right with him through Christ Jesus, who sets them free. Romans 3: 23-24
R Received by faith
For it is by God\’s grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God\’s gift, so that no one can boast about it.Ephesians 2: 8-9
A It’s available to everyone
For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. ”Romans 10:13
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.John 3:16
C Comes through Christ alone
God gave the Law through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.John 1:17
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.John 14:6
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17
E Extends throughout Eternity
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.Romans 6:23
Salvation Prayer
Dear God, I realize I am a sinner in need of salvation. I know that all my own good works and religious rituals can never save me. Only Jesus can save me. I believe that Jesus, my Savior, came to earth for me and that he died on the cross for my sins. I believe that He was buried and on the third day rose and now sits at your right hand as my advocate. I am asking you, Lord Jesus, to forgive my sins and to come into my life now and be my Lord and Savior now and forever more. Thank you for accepting me and giving me eternal life.”
If you prayed this prayer and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is now your Lord and Savior you have God’s assurance of salvation.
We learned that the first step of Grace Living is the Grace of Salvation.
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT)
Why then is it so hard to live a Grace-Filled Life? You need only look inside of yourself.
for you are still controlled by your sinful nature (Satan’s leading*). You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? 1 Corinthians 3:3 (NLT) *Italics added
What help does God’s Grace give me to change?
But the Holy Spirit (God’s leading*) produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT) *Italics added
What advice does the Apostle Paul give us to solve this problem?
My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are opposing, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence? Galatians 5:16-18 (MSG)
Matthew 6:24 tells us that no one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other
Grace without Works
The Old Covenant (The Mosaic Law)
Everything from ME and nothing from GOD!
Man says: God, just give us the rules you want us to follow and we’ll do everything you ask without having to bother you. We know you’re busy and we’re all adults so just trust us.
I can just hear the Israelites saying this to Moses as he came down the mountain with the 10 commandments. Unfortunately they had broken every one of them by the end of the first day. So why do you think God should trust us?
We go through life believing that in order for God to love me today, in order for God to accept me, in order for God to approve of me right now today, I’ve got to do something, I’ve got to perform. I’ve got to put on my spiritual best and work for God’s approval. This is the lie that Satan is constantly whispering in your ear through his false religions and cults.
So we say, if my good deeds, outweigh my bad deeds, then God will be pleased with me. But, if I don’t do something for God today, He’ll give me a bad day.
We continue to believe that the Christian life is based on what we do when God clearly tells us,
We are all infected and impure with sin. When we put on our prized robes of righteousness, we find they are but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves we fade, wither, and fall. And our sins, like the wind, sweep us away. Isaiah 64:6 (TLB)
Whatever we do through ourselves is nothing but filthy rags to God. It’s not what we do; it’s all based on Grace.
But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8 (NLT)
The New Covenant (Jesus)
Everything from GOD, and nothing from ME!
Man says: Jesus died for us in order that He may live inside of us. It is His life in us that is the power by which we live a true Christian life. A Grace- filled life.
This is what the Apostles realized after the death and resurrection of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and immediately began sharing the Good News with their fellow Israelites along with the Apostle Paul to the Gentiles after his conversion on the road to Damascus.
When it comes to salvation or to eternal life with God, it has nothing to do with what we do in this life! It has everything to do with what God has done for us.
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NLT)
And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved. Romans 11:6 (NLT)
As a child of God, God loves you as much today as He ever will. There is nothing you can do to make God love you or accept you more.
Question: If my good works have never meant anything to God, why does James say in the 2 chapter and verse 26, “Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works?”
Your new mindset set should be one where you want to live for God, you want to do what’s right, you want to please God, and you want to do what’s holy. Why? Because He’s done so much for you.
He gave himself for us, to rescue us from all wickedness and to make us a pure people who belong to him alone and are eager to do good. Titus 2:14
So what good works am I supposed to do now you ask? Your actions (good works) might be the same, but your motives need to change
Don’t do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3 (GNT)
Serve God with an attitude of gratitude.
Here are three examples of how not to serve God from Jesus Himself in Matthew Chapter 6:
“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
The good works we now do as Christians should be done to bring honor and glory to God our Heavenly Father and not ourselves.
How do I know if I’m doing good works for God and not me?
Old Covenant – I hope someone notices what I’m doing and tells others how great I am. Then I’ll receive my earthly reward and recognition for what I’ve done.
New Covenant – I see a need and I fulfill it, then I thank God for the opportunity He has given me to serve Him. I don’t tell anyone what I’ve done; I just do it because God directed me. Then I’ll receive my Heavenly reward and recognition when I stand before God.
If you selfishly want your reward and recognition right now for the good deeds you are doing here on earth, make sure others see what you’re doing, or brag about what you’re doing for God so others hear about it. That’s your decision.
Just remember when you are standing before God waiting for your reward and recognition for all you’ve done here on earth for Him and He doesn’t say anything, you’ve been warned.
For me I choose to be recognized by my Father in Heaven for the things I’ve done in His name, rather than to be recognized and admired by the people around me here and now.
Grace without Condemnation
Legalism:
Legalism is an attitude, a mentality based on pride. It is an obsessive conformity to an artificial standard for the purpose of exalting oneself.
Examples of legalistic thinking
- I do this or I don’t do that, and therefore I am pleasing to God.
- If only I could do this or not do that, I would be pleasing to God.
- These are the things that I’m doing or not doing to win God’s favor.
Which covenant does this associate with? The Old or New?
This is the continual battle inside of each of us. Our Old Prideful nature needs to be in control of everything we do, and will constantly battle with your New Nature given by God. You need to let it go and just believe in God’s Grace.
Legalism wrenches the joy of the Lord from the Christian believer, and with the joy of the Lord goes His power (In you) for vital worship and vibrant service. The Paralysis of Legalism by S. Lewis Johnson
Are you full of joy or sadness?
Three tools of Legalism
- Doctrinal Heresy – Tries to attack and twist the truth. It is a theology that salvation is not by faith alone — it requires works. Human achievement must accompany sincere faith before you can be certain of you salvation. This is the cornerstone of Satan’s salvation by works theology. Satan is a master at the manipulation and misquoting of God’s Word, a good example of this is what he did to Eve in the Garden of Eden.
This is what the apostle Paul said to the members of the church in Galatia concerning doctrinal heresy:
There Is Only One Good News
I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.
Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed. Galatians 1:6-9 (NLT)
What is the Good News?
This is what it says, “The Good News is near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart.” This Good News tells about putting your trust in Christ. This is what we preach to you. If you say with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved from the punishment of sin. Romans 10:8-9 (NLV)
- Ecclesiastical Harassment – This grace-killing tactic is used by those who spy out (Greek translation, lie in wait for) and enslave unwitting believers. New believers beware of these people. Read how Paul explains it.
“Then fourteen years later I went back to Jerusalem again, this time with Barnabas; and Titus came along, too. I went there because God revealed to me that I should go. While I was there I met privately with those considered to be leaders of the church and shared with them the message I had been preaching to the Gentiles. I wanted to make sure that we were in agreement, for fear that all my efforts had been wasted and I was running the race for nothing. And they supported me and did not even demand that my companion Titus be circumcised, though he was a Gentile.
Even that question came up only because of some so-called believers there—false ones, really—who were secretly brought in. They sneaked in to spy on us and take away the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to enslave us and force us to follow their Jewish regulations. But we refused to give in to them for a single moment. We wanted to preserve the truth of the gospel message for you.” Galatians 2:3-5
Don’t base your spirituality on man-made things you’ve decided to do.
- Personal Hypocrisy – Those who lie and deceive, acting one way but living another. Many people erroneously believe that once they become Christians by faith, they must follow a new list of rules and regulations in order to please God – not to be saved, but to grow in Christ or to stay on God’s good side. Here’s what Paul says about the Apostle Peter when he said one thing then did another:
But when Peter came to Antioch I had to oppose him publicly, speaking strongly against what he was doing, for it was very wrong. For when he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians who don’t bother with circumcision and the many other Jewish laws. But afterwards, when some Jewish friends of James came, he wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore because he was afraid of what these Jewish legalists, who insisted that circumcision was necessary for salvation, would say; and then all the other Jewish Christians and even Barnabas became hypocrites too, following Peter’s example, though they certainly knew better. Galatians 2:11-13 (TLB)
Remember that God never uses guilt to shame or manipulate us. Others might, but He doesn’t.
Galatians 5:1 “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.”
Christian Liberty: Christ set us free from the legalistic attitude that we have to do something, or follow a set of rules or standards to please God. Instead you are free because you are pleasing to God not because what you do but because of God’s grace.
Love God with all your heart and then do whatever you want.
If I live in God’s grace I can be who I am in Jesus Christ without basing my spiritualty on rules or religious standards. Paul says.
Now do you think I am trying to make people accept me? No, God is the one I am trying to please. Am I trying to please people? If I wanted to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10 (ERV)
The Bible without Grace = Legalism
Grace without the Bible = Self Destruction
Horizontal Grace
Living in God’s Grace and Offering God’s Grace to others!
Vertical Grace
Centers on your relationship with God. His unconditional love for us.
If the Father is satisfied with His Son’s full payment for sin, and we are in His Son, by grace through faith, then He is satisfied with you and me.
Horizontal Grace
Centers on our relationships with others. Our unconditional love for each other.
Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.
Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.
Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.
Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.”Romans 12:9-18 (MSG)
What keeps us from offering Grace to each other?
Two reasons
We Compare: We tend to compare ourselves (our standards) to others (their stupid standards). The root of this lies in our Old Nature called PRIDE!!!!
- If you like me, then I’m fine with you.
- If you don’t like me, then there must be something wrong with you.
When we begin to compare ourselves with each other, it always leads to a judgmental attitude. And it nullifies Grace.
We Control: This is the truest from of Legalism. “You must live the Christian life exactly the way I do.” By manipulating and controlling other individuals, we kill the creativity and individuality in the body of Christ. The root of this lies in our Old Nature called PRIDE!!!!
- My thoughts are the only right thoughts.
- My conclusions are the only right conclusions.
- My standards are the only right standards.
Grace says we are allowed to be different.
What does God say about being a controller verses being an individual?
One Body with Many Parts
The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.
Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?
But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”
In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other.If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 (NLT)
What magnifies Grace?
Don’t Criticize Others
“1Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.
2-4 For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ’s table, wouldn’t it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn’t eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God’s welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help.”Romans 14:1-4 (MSG)
- God has accepted us, so who are we to act like God and judge each other. Learn to accept each other:
- A Grace giver accepts unconditionally. I’m going to allow you to come to your own conclusions; I’m going to allow you to live by your own personal standards even if they are different from mine.
- As a Christian you have a responsibility to accept your brothers or sisters in Christ even if your standards are different than theirs, and vice versa.
- We have to learn to accept each other unconditionally
Allow God to Guide
“Or, say, one person thinks that some days should be set aside as holy and another thinks that each day is pretty much like any other. There are good reasons either way. So, each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience. What’s important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God’s sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you’re a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli. None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It’s God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other.” Romans 14:5-8 (MSG)
- We must allow the Holy Spirit to work in each individual and allow them to come to their own conclusions not concerning sin, but personal standards on disputable matters.
- As a Christian matures in their faith through the power of the Holy Spirit their standards may change 180 degrees. We are to give each other the space and freedom to grow in Christ.
- Where do you get your direction from?
Don’t Judge each other.
So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For the Scriptures say,
‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’”
Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall. Romans 14:9-12 (NLT)
- As Christians we are not qualified to judge anyone. The root of this lies in our Old Nature called PRIDE!!!!
- Our job is to let God do His Job, not the other way around.
Express our Liberties Wisely
Forget about deciding what’s right for each other. Here’s what you need to be concerned about: that you don’t get in the way of someone else, making life more difficult than it already is. I’m convinced—Jesus convinced me!—that everything as it is in itself is holy. We, of course, by the way we treat it or talk about it, can contaminate it.
If you confuse others by making a big issue over what they eat or don’t eat, you’re no longer a companion with them in love, are you? These, remember, are persons for whom Christ died. Would you risk sending them to hell over an item in their diet? Don’t you dare let a piece of God-blessed food become an occasion of soul-poisoning!
God’s kingdom isn’t a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness’ sake. It’s what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy. Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ. Do that and you’ll kill two birds with one stone: pleasing the God above you and proving your worth to the people around you.
So let’s agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don’t drag them down by finding fault. You’re certainly not going to permit an argument over what is served or not served at supper to wreck God’s work among you, are you? I said it before and I’ll say it again: All food is good, but it can turn bad if you use it badly, if you use it to trip others up and send them sprawling. When you sit down to a meal, your primary concern should not be to feed your own face but to share the life of Jesus. So be sensitive and courteous to the others who are eating. Don’t eat or say or do things that might interfere with the free exchange of love.” Romans 14:13-21(MSG)
Galatians 5:1 “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.”
- Accept each other unconditionally
- Allow God to guide individually
As you go through this week keep asking yourself these two questions:
- Do I add to others’ guilt or do I lessen it?
- Am I promoting another’s liberty or restraining it?
“ The time will come when people will not listen to sound doctrine, but will follow their own desires and will collect for themselves more and more teachers who will tell them what they are itching to hear. They will turn away from listening to the truth and give their attention to legends.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (GNT)
Join me next month for Part 2 of Grace for All Occasions as I discuss the last four forms of Grace. Rather than my usual salutation, I will leave you with the words of the Apostle Peter,
“May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.”2 Peter 1:2 (NLT)
Until next time, may His mercy, peace and love be multiplied to you.