WES HUMBLE

A Picture of Grace Chuck Swindoll in his book, Grace Awakening, vividly remembers his last spanking. He says, “It was on my thirteenth birthday, as a matter of fact. Having just broken into the sophisticated ranks of the teen world. I thought I was something on a stick. My father wasn’t nearly as impressed as I was with my great importance and newfound independence. I was lying on my bed. He was outside the window on a muggy October afternoon in Houston, weeding the garden. He said, ‘Charles, come out and help me weed the garden.’ I said something like: ‘No. . . it’s my birthday, remember?’ My tone was sassy and my deliberate lack of respect was eloquent. I knew better than to disobey my dad; but, after all I was ripe old age of thirteen. He set a new 100-meter record that autumn afternoon. He was in the house and all over me like white on rice, spanking me all the way to the garden. As I recall, I weeded until the moonlight was shining on the pansies. That same night he took me out to surprise dinner. He gave me what I deserved earlier. Later he gave me what I did not deserve. The birthday dinner was grace.”

When Jesus told stories, grace was a favorite theme. He employed a gracious style in handling children. He spoke of the Prodigal Son in grace. As He told stories of people who were caught in helpless situations, grace abounded as with the Good Samaritan I spoke about last week.

Instead of extolling the religious official who spoke of how proud God must be to have him in His family, Christ smiled with favor on the unnamed sinner who said, “God be merciful to me, a sinner.”

“God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.” Titus 2:11-14 (The Message)

Grace has been used to describe many things.

We often think of a person has being graceful. Some have described Michael Jordon’s ability to float through the air as being graceful. Consideration and care for others can be characterized as grace. I have heard the flight of a bird as being graceful.

What is the real meaning of grace?
What does it mean from a biblical perspective?
Is there some area in your life where you need the grace of God?

1. A Definition of Grace

There are three facts about grace that you must know.

    A. It comes from God.
    B. It is designed to bring salvation.
    C. Everyone receives it.

This refutes the notorious notion that salvation is only for some people. Salvation is for everyone. It doesn’t matter what or who you have been. God’s grace is for you.It doesn’t matter what your background is or you economic status God’s grace is for you.

It is for people from every nation.

When I was little we sang the song Jesus loves the little children of the world. You remember the line, red and yellow, black and white they are precious in God’s sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.Grace is for all people.

If a person cooperates with God’s grace, they will be saved. There is no exception to this rule.

God grants us the free will to make up our minds about His grace. You may hear about it, study it, sing about it or read about it and still you have the right to choose to accept it or not.

In Ephesians 2:4-5 we read that we were dead in trespasses and sins, “. . . but because of His great love, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions, it is by grace you have been saved.”

Grace is God reaching out to you and to me in mercy and love.

The ultimate demonstration of God’s love is seen in His love-gift to mankind. Jesus came to earth from God as the answer to the problem of every human on the planet.

God’s grace does more than just reaching out to us to bring forgiveness of sins.

Grace seeks to work within each person’s life that practices Christ-following.

Grace is the password to the New Testament. All the New Testament books of the Bible are filled with the word grace.

Take your Bible sometime and read the beginning and ending of all the books written by Paul. You will read phrases like:

    “Grace and peace to you from God our Father.”
    “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit brothers.”
    “Grace to all you who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.”
    “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”
    “Grace be with you.” And “Grace and peace to you.”
    “Grace and peace be yours in abundance”

Grace is important in all of our lives. Grace enables people to change for the better.

Grace is the outreaching of God’s love and mercy to undeserving people, producing within them the desire and power to do God’s will.

Dr. Allan Brown says, “This means that any desire to know God, any desire to seek spiritual truth comes from God. In fact, apart from God’s grace, planet earth would be filled with hatred and violence; there would be no righteous people.

A favorite picture of God’s grace unfolds in the following story:

“Sir Edward C. Burne-Jones, the prominent nineteenth-century English artist, went to tea at the home of his daughter. As a special treat his little granddaughter was allowed to come to the table; she misbehaved, and her mother made her stand in the corner with her face to the wall. Sir Edward, a well-trained grandfather, did not interfere with his grandchild’s training, but next morning he arrived at his daughter’s home with paints and palette. He went to the wall where the little girl had been forced to stand, and there he painted pictures—a kitten chasing its tail; lambs in a field; goldfish swimming. He decorated the wall on both sides of that corner with painting for his granddaughter’s delight. If she had to stand in the corner again, at least she would have something to look at.” (Swindoll, Grace, pg. 11-12)

2. The Diversity of Grace that is available to you.

God has grace for every need. If you were to study all the passages containing the word grace in the Bible you would come to understand very quickly that God’s grace is available for every area of our lives.

    A. Grace that redeems us.

Rom. 3:24, “. . .and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Justification is God’s ability to forgive our sins and remove the penalty which is death. It also involves His ability to accept us as righteous in His sight.It is His grace that creates spiritual hunger within us. This hunger allows us to seek God and repent and turn from our sins.

    B. Grace that helps us to stand.

Rom. 5:1-2, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through who we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”

When you accept God’s grace in your life you gain access to Him. You now have the ability to stand before Him as sons and daughters.

You don’t need to crawl or grovel of beg. He is your Father.

This may be so hard for us to understand and accept. Sometimes we look at God through the lens that our earthly natural Father provided for us. That is not always positive. God is not like earthly fathers we are supposed to be like Him. He is perfect and is the embodiment of fatherhood. The highest ideal. When we beg to come home and just be a servant, it is God who says kill the fat calf and throw a party, because my son who was lost is now found.

You might need to have a little bit of gumption and put some legs to your prayers but God will be with you through every storm that life deals you. Hopefully you have enough sense to get in out of the rain. He will help you stand by His grace.

    C. Grace that is strengthening

2 Cor. 12:9. “And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, and my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

Is there some area of your life that is weak? Are you feeling that you can’t seem to ever get on top of the difficulties?Are you struggling with God’s will?

God assures us that His grace will be enough to enable us to know, be and do what He wants us to do.

    D. Grace that will establish you.

Heb. 13:9, “For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace.”

God want you to be established with Him in a life of obedience to His word. He didn’t put commands in the Bible so we could always live under them hoping some day to achieve success in living up to them. He expects us to live out His word and promised grace to enable and empower us to do so.

    E. Grace that will enable you to sing.

Colossians 3:16, “. . .singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” God’s grace gives us a song even in the night of our soul.

It is the heritage of Christ followers. Those who have gone before left us a legacy of singing even when music seems ridiculous.

God’s grace is reaching out to you today. He is longing to give you the power you need. He is reaching out to you in love and mercy to increase your desire and ability to do His will.

3. The Deployment of Grace in your life.

It should be clear to us that God’s grace is available to all and is sufficient for every need in our life.

The question must then be asked, why don’t more people experience the fullness of God’s grace? Why are so many people anemic and feeble? God’s grace is free but it is not cheap. Although God’s grace is available for all, it does not automatically work in all. There are things God requires of us if we desire His grace to be deployed in full measure in our lives.

“God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.”

Grace has a teaching component. We are to say a resounding “NO” to a godless, indulgent life.

    A. The instruction of Grace

    It is His grace that makes our consciences work.
    It is His grace that prompts us to live self-controlled lives.
    It is His grace that causes us to live, “God-filled, God-honoring lives”
    It is His grace that frees us from a, “dark rebellious life into this good, pure life.”
    It is His grace that motivates us and enables us to be, “energetic in goodness.”

God enables us to obey Him but He does not force us to obey Him! The choice is clearly ours. God wants you and I to grow through every experience of life. He wants us to put Him squarely in the picture of our lives. Sometimes the picture is not pretty. Sometimes the picture of our life leaves us feeling alone and without answers.

It is at that moment that He invites us to live in His grace.

    B. The invitation to GraceWhat does God require?
How can it work in our lives?
How do I sign up for this grace?

In the book of James he supplies us with the answer. I was startled when I read this passage in the Message. You won’t get it much plainer than this.

“ Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want you own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don’t have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn’t yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it. You wouldn’t think of just asking God for it would you? And why not? Because you know you’d be asking for what you have no right to. You’re spoiled children, each wanting your own way. You’re cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn’t care? The proverb has it that, “he’s a fiercely jealous lover.” And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you’ll find. It’s common knowledge that “God goes against the willful proud and gives grace to the willing humble.So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games our over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.” (The Message. James 4)

That is God’s grace for you. He stands today looking for ways to paint grace into the picture of your life.

Some of us today are trying to manage our lives.
We have become proficient at the art of multitasking.
We think we have to hold it all together.

Can I just remind you today that God’s grace doesn’t depend on you. It is not about your ability it is about Him and what He is offering to you. It is not about what you have today to give to God.

Harvey Penick was a golf pro whose biggest success came late in his career. He is best known for his 'Little Red Books' on golf. In reality, Penick never wrote with the intention of making money. In the 1920s, Penick purchased a red spiral notebook in which he recorded his observations on golf. He kept this notebook for decades. In 1991 he showed his notebook to a writer and asked if he thought it was worth publishing. The writer/agent told Harvey he thought it could be published and agreed to help him find a publisher. A short time later the man sent Harvey a letter telling him that Simon and Schuster had agreed to publish it with an advance of $90,000. The next time these two met, Harvey was troubled. He told the agent that with all his medical bills there was no way he could advance the publishing house that much money. His agent had to explain to Harvey that it was he who would be receiving the $90,000! The book was titled "Harvey Penick's Little Red Book," and it sold more than one million copies.

As I hold this frame before you today you can see that it does not contain a picture. I want to picture God’s grace in my life. I want to be in this picture. You need to be in this picture. Most of all God needs to be in this picture.

According to the Chicago Tribune, in the summer of 1994, Marcio da Silva, a love-struck Brazilian artist, was distraught over the breakup of a four-year old relationship with his girlfriend. He tried to win back her love by a gesture of great devotion. He walked on his knees for nine miles. With pieces of car tires tied to his kneecaps, the twenty-one year old man shuffled along for fourteen hours before he reached her home in Santos, Brazil. He was cheered on by motorists and passerby, but when he reached the end of his marathon of love thoroughly exhausted, the nineteen-year old woman of his dreams was not impressed. She had intentionally left home to avoid seeing him.

You may be trying similar acts of devotion to impress God and earn salvation and His grace. God will not be impressed by our actions. He wants our trust and faith to be in Him.

In my hand no price I bring, Simply to the cross I cling.

“Love that goes upward is worship; love that goes outward is affection; love that stoops is grace.” –Donald Barnhouse

2002/10/13

Sermon Reources available here...