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For decades now I've heard that grace is described as follows
G.R.A.C.E.
God's Riches At Christ's Expense.
God's unmerited favor.
And several years ago I heard a guy describe it as follows.
This idea of God's unmerited favor gives us the impression that we come to Jesus with empty hands. But we don't come with empty hands. Most of us come to Jesus with blood on our hands. We're drunks, drug addicts, drug dealers, inappropriate contentography addicts, prostitutes, adulterers, gossips, slanderers, blasphemers, our slander, according to Matthew 5 says that we are murderers. Character assassins.
For some of us, we've violated every single commandment God has given.
So, in fact, God's Grace is not unmerited, but ill-merited.
Thankfully, Jesus came to save sinners. We who were deathly ill and needed a doctor no other doctor possessed the wherewithal and knowhow to doctor us.
In Hebrews 7:25, we read that God saves to the uttermost all who come to him through Jesus Christ.
Grace has an extensive list of passages in the bible which are inherently necessary to make a full effect.
But Paul describes grace in Titus 2:11-14.
Ponder what Paul is saying here.
It's so important that he makes the statement
I used to think, based solely on the initial descriptions I stated above, that grace was something important that took place a very long time ago. Jesus went to the cross and died in my place. God raised him from the dead, and the Holy Spirit seeks us out to save us. But after that, things got slim pickings, and was dependent on how disciplined we were.
Sadly, most of us were the complete antithesis of disciplined.
As Jeremiah said
Our sin had broken our humanity and while we knew we were a mess and needed a savior, living a godly life was foreign concept to us.
Some of us were arrogant, or perhaps religious enough from our upbringing, but we'd left churches because we didn't want religion. We
But as I see the grace description, I see it as an aggressive, actively engaged in teaching us, instructing us, encouraging us, taking our self-destructive habits, and replacing them with godliness, love, joy, etc...
God's grace brought salvation.
To whom did grace come? To all.
Grace teaches us.
What does grace teach?
To deny ungodliness
To deny worldly lusts.
I realized at a certain point that I had no idea what godliness was. But I knew that I was ungodly. So how do I know what I'm supposed to deny?
Grace teaches us that the ungodly desires and practices we were engaged in are what we need to deny.
Worldly desires.... that's easy. I was encased by it, but that meant a complete change of thinking.
God told Jeremiah what his job description was. Jeremiah 1:10
Take a look at what he's saying here.
To uproot, to tear down to destroy and to overthrow. To build and to plant.
Take a look at 2 Corinthians 10:4-7.
So, what else does grace do?
Grace teaches us that we should live righteously, soberly and godly in our present age.
This means that for those of us who have no idea what righteousness is, grace teaches us not only what it is, but how to do righteousness in God's estimation.
For those of us who have no idea what biblical sobriety is, Grace teaches us, and then teaches us how to live soberly.
For those of us who have no idea what godliness is, Grace teaches us what it is, and how to live godly.
In whatever age we live in.
Grace teaches us to look forward to the return of Jesus. I.e., be excited about the coming of Jesus.
Grace teaches us that we have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus. He is actively purifying us from ALL iniquity.
Question.... how much of our iniquity are we redeemed from?
How much are we being purified of?
Then, Grace teaches us that we are to be excited to do good in the world in which we live and interact every day.
What is the outcome of Grace's involvement in our lives?
There is nothing more active in our lives as Jesus followers than the grace of God.
Remember what Jesus said to us
G.R.A.C.E.
God's Riches At Christ's Expense.
God's unmerited favor.
And several years ago I heard a guy describe it as follows.
This idea of God's unmerited favor gives us the impression that we come to Jesus with empty hands. But we don't come with empty hands. Most of us come to Jesus with blood on our hands. We're drunks, drug addicts, drug dealers, inappropriate contentography addicts, prostitutes, adulterers, gossips, slanderers, blasphemers, our slander, according to Matthew 5 says that we are murderers. Character assassins.
For some of us, we've violated every single commandment God has given.
So, in fact, God's Grace is not unmerited, but ill-merited.
Thankfully, Jesus came to save sinners. We who were deathly ill and needed a doctor no other doctor possessed the wherewithal and knowhow to doctor us.
In Hebrews 7:25, we read that God saves to the uttermost all who come to him through Jesus Christ.
Grace has an extensive list of passages in the bible which are inherently necessary to make a full effect.
But Paul describes grace in Titus 2:11-14.
Tit 2:11-14 WEB 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age; 13 looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.
Ponder what Paul is saying here.
It's so important that he makes the statement
Tit 2:15 WEB Say these things and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one despise you.
I used to think, based solely on the initial descriptions I stated above, that grace was something important that took place a very long time ago. Jesus went to the cross and died in my place. God raised him from the dead, and the Holy Spirit seeks us out to save us. But after that, things got slim pickings, and was dependent on how disciplined we were.
Sadly, most of us were the complete antithesis of disciplined.
As Jeremiah said
Jer 4:22 WEB “For my people are foolish. They don’t know me. They are foolish children, and they have no understanding. They are skillful in doing evil, but they don’t know how to do good.”
Our sin had broken our humanity and while we knew we were a mess and needed a savior, living a godly life was foreign concept to us.
Some of us were arrogant, or perhaps religious enough from our upbringing, but we'd left churches because we didn't want religion. We
But as I see the grace description, I see it as an aggressive, actively engaged in teaching us, instructing us, encouraging us, taking our self-destructive habits, and replacing them with godliness, love, joy, etc...
Tit 2:11-14 WEB 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age; 13 looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.
God's grace brought salvation.
To whom did grace come? To all.
Grace teaches us.
What does grace teach?
To deny ungodliness
To deny worldly lusts.
I realized at a certain point that I had no idea what godliness was. But I knew that I was ungodly. So how do I know what I'm supposed to deny?
Grace teaches us that the ungodly desires and practices we were engaged in are what we need to deny.
Worldly desires.... that's easy. I was encased by it, but that meant a complete change of thinking.
God told Jeremiah what his job description was. Jeremiah 1:10
Jer 1:10 WEB Behold, I have today set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to uproot and to tear down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”
Take a look at what he's saying here.
To uproot, to tear down to destroy and to overthrow. To build and to plant.
Take a look at 2 Corinthians 10:4-7.
So, what else does grace do?
Grace teaches us that we should live righteously, soberly and godly in our present age.
This means that for those of us who have no idea what righteousness is, grace teaches us not only what it is, but how to do righteousness in God's estimation.
For those of us who have no idea what biblical sobriety is, Grace teaches us, and then teaches us how to live soberly.
For those of us who have no idea what godliness is, Grace teaches us what it is, and how to live godly.
In whatever age we live in.
Grace teaches us to look forward to the return of Jesus. I.e., be excited about the coming of Jesus.
Grace teaches us that we have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus. He is actively purifying us from ALL iniquity.
Question.... how much of our iniquity are we redeemed from?
How much are we being purified of?
Then, Grace teaches us that we are to be excited to do good in the world in which we live and interact every day.
What is the outcome of Grace's involvement in our lives?
There is nothing more active in our lives as Jesus followers than the grace of God.
Remember what Jesus said to us
Mat 11:28-30 WEB 28 “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
