Grace
The Uniqueness of Grace
John 1:14-17
Introduction
Christianity has made many great contributions to society and civilisation. If you were to ask what is its unique contribution then that would narrow it because there are many aspects of other religions that share facets of Christianity. During a conference on comparative religions, experts from around the world debated what, if any, belief was unique to the Christian faith. Began eliminating possibilities:- Incarnation? Others have versions. Resurrection? etc. Went on for some time until C.S. Lewis wandered into the room. His response was “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.” After some discussion all agreed. The idea of God’s love coming to us free of charge, no strings, goes against every instinct of humanity. The Buddhists have their 8-fold path, Hindu’s have karma and reincarnation, Jews have Mosaic covenant, Muslims a code of law. Each of these offers a way to earn approval. Only in gospel is God’s love unconditional.
Though I had been taught about God's grace from a young age very often in church and life we get mixed messages. It was quite a revelation to me in my early thirties how all encompassing grace was. I realised that the concept of God I had and his grace was inadequate. Consequently in my religious attitudes I was harsh and uncompromising. I want us to think about this subject over the next few weeks......
Unconditional love
We live in a world where grace is hard to come by. Our secular culture is graceless. It tells us we should look good, feel good and make good. From primary school children are classified according to ability, pigeon holed. As we grow up we learn “you get what you deserve or earn.” Nothing’s really free, you get what you pay for. Religion does the same as already said. Even in Christianity we fail to grasp the principles of grace. Rules and regulations is the world’s perception, a moral code is that many people think it is about. As Christians we may try to please God and keep him happy.
Children soon learn that this is a world where grace is lacking - from their parents. Parental acceptance and approval are given if they toe the line. Parents often use their acceptance and approval for good reasons – to get their children to do the right thing. Christian families are sometimes the least accepting. If children do not accept the religious or moral code of their parents they can experience rejection. I know of Christian parents who refused to attend weddings of their children for this reason, I know of parents who refused to attend a civil ceremony of a child in a same sex relationship. I think that we as Christians get a little confused over issues like this – we are so anxious to make our stand, to express our disapproval, or to not be involved in things we disagree with morally we are in danger of transgressing a much greater ethic – that is to love and accept the sinner. Controversial I know – but many years ago I refused to marry a family member because they had been living together – I have regretted that decision many times. I am no longer interested in making pointless moral stands that achieve nothing more than loving other people.
What is unconditional love? It is to love people, to continue to behave positively towards people whatever they do or say. It is to accept them as they are whilst we may disagree with them on may things. Of course there may be times when love has to be tough love, but still we must find ways of showing that we still love someone even though we have to take a tough stance with them. Believe me when I say I understand that this can be very difficult and know that we can be misunderstood too.
2. The Gospel of Grace.
This is where we need to learn about grace. In O.T., there are 2 words that could be translated grace. One refers to steadfast love, loving kindness, mercy. The other gets to the heart - undeserved favour.
In N.T., the word is “charis” (charismatic). If something is “charis” it is something which brings pleasure; something that is in favour. The N.T., takes this and applies it to our place before God by faith. It means we are in favour, are loved and bring pleasure to God. Not because we deserve it, we don’t - but because of Jesus. God’s undeserved favour. It is about God's unconditional love.
The N.T., is full of descriptions and statements re: grace. John in his prologue, introducing Jesus and the Gospel makes it clear what his story is about - grace. Jesus came “full of grace...” (v.14) - not just a sprinkling but full of grace. From His abundant source there is a constant stream of grace (v.16) - the Gk means “one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon blessing, favour upon favour, gift heaped upon gift” (AB).
He goes on to contrast Moses and Jesus, law and grace. The law revealed man’s sin, his inability to follow perfectly a moral code. This means we are sinners before God. Through Jesus righteousness (right standing before God) comes to us this leads to salvation and forgiveness. Paul called it the “gospel of grace” (“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.” Acts 20:24) = good news of God’s undeserved favour. Paul began his epistles by constantly reminding his readers that they and we are the recipients of “grace and peace.” Why have we made it sound like bad news?
God is constantly pouring out unconditional love and favour on us. We don’t deserve it - but he does it anyway. This is unique in religion and the world at large. It sets the gospel apart. Perhaps the most powerful illustration we have of it is in a story Jesus told to illustrate it. A young man who basically tells his father he wishes he were dead by asking for his inheritance. Goes away parties, uses prostitutes and wastes it all. He’s on the street when he realises servants in his father’s house were better off and returned. The father - what does he do? Having been looking, longing, waiting - runs and showers forgiveness and love upon the prodigal. That is how God sees each of us. The Father never stops loving his son, his love is unconditional. He is merely waiting for the son to come to his senses.
Conclusion.
God’s grace is unique and wonderful. We don’t appreciate it enough nor do we show it enough. I want to encourage both in us. Philip Yancey defines it thus: “There is nothing we can do to make God love us more; There is nothing we can do to make God love us less. God already loves us as much as an infinite God can possibly love.” If you recoil from this you need a fresh appreciation of grace, been infected by Law. He loves us with an everlasting love. How could he love us more than already has? This is grace. God’s love and favour not earned or deserved - it just has to be received via repentance and faith. Free of charge. When God looks at my life upon a graph he doesn’t see jagged swerves toward good and bad - but a steady line of good. “The goodness of God’s son captured in a moment of time and applied for all eternity.”
Back
to top
|
|
Grace
the Unfairness of Grace
Matthewe 20:1-18
Introduction.
We began last week looking at the subject of grace. I said that whilst we have all heard about it and may have grasped it in one sense quite well it is amazing how often it doesn't seep through into our consciousness. This may be to do with the mixed messages that are sent out from pulpits – one moment assuring us of god's unconditional love and the next dangling us over hell fire or presenting God as a demanding task master. In many of my attitudes I believe when I was younger I was harsh and uncompromising. One book in particular changed my whole outlook – What's so Amazing About Grace by Philip Yancey, I read this in 1998-9 and it changed me more than any other book I have ever read.
Grace as we saw is the unique contribution of Christianity to world. All other religions have the concept of merit or reward as its way of salvation. The concept of God’s unconditional and unmerited love and favour is unique. Innately we feel we must do something to gain acceptance before God. So unique is grace as we saw last time, that many find it unpalatable. Even in the church we preach grace but often practice law. We fail to grasp and live by the very principle that saves us.
We finished up with the definition of Yancey: “There is nothing we can do to make God love us more; There is nothing we can do to make God love us less. God already loves us as much as an infinite God can possibly love.” When God looks at my life upon a graph he doesn’t see jagged swerves toward good and bad - but a steady line of good. “The goodness of God’s son captured in a moment of time and applied for all eternity.”
Is it fair?
One of the objections that may be raised and has been raised to the concept of God's unconditional love is that it is scandalous, it is unfair! For example: Imagine for a moment that it came to light that Adolf Hitler prior to his death had repented and put his faith in Christ and after killing himself went to heaven, or Osama Bin Laden. Or some mass murderer e.g., Jeffrey Dahmer who abused then killed 17 young men, cannibalising them and storing body parts in his fridge. When he was arrested in 1991 no one could believe the horrendous acts that he had committed. When it was reported that he had become a born-again Christian and been baptised, it was equally hard for some people to believe. Could God really forgive someone like him? The pastor who baptised Jeffrey and met with him once a week until Jeffrey was murdered in prison. During those visits he came to know Jeffrey very well and says the prisoner was truly a changed man after his conversion. After he became a Christian, not everyone was convinced that the prisoner’s faith was sincere. His conversion even angered some people. One member of the pastor's congregation remarked, “If Jeffrey Dahmer is going to heaven, then I don’t want to be there.”
How can a Christian hold that viewpoint? Maybe one reason for this is fear. We know of their troubled past, and we fear that they have not really changed. The apostle Paul faced the same kind of fears. When he chose to follow God and gave up his persecution of Christians, many still feared him and were sceptical that he had really changed. After all, Moses and David were also both murders, but we see what great works God did in their lives. Perhaps our apprehension stems from the fact that we have allowed ourselves to categorize sin. We classify some sins as small and almost inconsequential. Others are big and really, really bad. But is that how God sees sin?
What would you say? Some would say it’s not fair, they should rot in hell for what they’ve done. I want to look at this subject - the unfairness of grace from this parable where a similar question is posed.
The Two Tariffs.
There are 2 tariffs, 2 ways of being judged by God. One is called Law. It is absolutely fair and just, it is based on merit and reward. On this tariff you get what you earn/deserve, no more, no less.
The second is called Grace. on this tariff God does not treat us as our sins deserve, some call that unfair, the bible calls it grace. You don’t get what you deserve, you get what you don’t deserve. On the basis of Jesus’ sacrifice, our sins are washed away. The Grace tariff. So when God looks at our lives he doesn’t see “jagged swerves toward good and bad but rather a steady line of good. The goodness of God’s Son captured in a moment of time and applied for all eternity.” That’s Grace. I know which tariff I like don't you?
This parable is all about grace. It shows that favour with God is not a matter of works but grace. It was written to explain Matthew 19:30. To show that man’s method of reckoning is not God’s/ God’s way is the way of grace. To bestow on those who do not deserve it, the blessings of his kingdom - as a gift. Man’s reckoning = days work>days wages. God’s = hour’s work>day’s wages. Former = merit/reward. Latter = grace. It shows that God owes no man anything. Every reward is an act of grace. Jesus point is that the sinners – the tax collectors, prostitutes were going to enjoy the kingdom and its benefits just like the righteous, the moral and the good. In fact perhaps even more. Those who worked all day and those who worked an hour got the same reward. In God’s kingdom those who are converted as children and those on their death bed - each are saved, forgiven, eternal life. The believer who has lived a good life and the one who has been a terrible sinner - neither get what deserve. All sinned, justifies freely by his grace (Rom. 3:23-24). It’s not fair some say. I want grace, I need grace.
The Level Playing Field
Not only are there 2 tariffs, but grace provides a level playing field. Our acceptance before God has nothing to do with works, human effort or goodness. As in parable effort irrelevant - grace - the landowner chose to reward by grace. It is all a gift of God’s grace. This applies to all. We ‘re all in the same boat. The N.T., and history are full of such examples, wonderful stories of God’s Grace.
The Dying Thief - a man who lived a wicked life - saved on his deathbed. Yet highly moral Pharisees were threatened with the fires of Gehenna.
The Apostle Paul - a man who hated Christ and Christians. Who persecuted them to their deaths. Is arrested by God’s grace and becomes it’s greatest trophy and evangelist. But others who would never dream of persecuting anyone yet who doesn’t believe the Gospel is lost.
John Newton who told of the grace that “saved a wretch like me” was a coarse and cruel slave trader who was saved on board ship in the midst of a storm that nearly threw him overboard. Even after his conversion he continued to ply his trade. He wrote “How sweet the name of Jesus sound...” while awaiting in an African harbour for a shipment of slaves. But as the grace of God worked on him be renounced his profession and joined Wilberforce in the fight against slavery. He meant those words “a wretch like me” with all his heart.
In 1994 Dahmer was beaten to death with a broom handle by a fellow prisoner. Good riddance we may say - he deserved worse. In the aftermath of his death someone said “Crimes that bad can never be forgiven. He couldn’t be sincere.” The Gospel can save the most heinous sinner. No one is too bad, no one is too good. Not even a Jeffrey Dahmer. Such is the grace of God.
Conclusion.
If God doesn’t treat us as sins deserve we must not treat others as they deserve. The grace received must dispense. Sometimes when wronged we say “I’m not doing...they don’t deserve it!” Possibly. But that’s not grace. That’s not how God has loved us and treated us. We are called to be graceful, gracious. Don’t treat people as they deserve. Give them what they don’t deserve, like us - grace.
Back to top
|
|
|
|
Grace
The Riches of Grace
Luke 14:15-24
Preached on 15th May 2011
Introduction
We began looking at the subject of grace. I said that whilst we have all heard about it and may have grasped it in one sense quite well it is amazing how often it doesn't seep through into our consciousness. This may be to do with the mixed messages that are sent out from pulpits – one moment assuring us of god's unconditional love and the next presenting God as a demanding task master. The concept of God’s unconditional and unmerited love and favour is unique to the gospel. We finished up with the definition of Yancey: “There is nothing we can do to make God love us more; There is nothing we can do to make God love us less. God already loves us as much as an infinite God can possibly love.” When God looks at my life upon a graph he doesn’t see jagged swerves toward good and bad - but a steady line of good. “The goodness of God’s son captured in a moment of time and applied for all eternity.”Those who worked all day and those who worked an hour got the same reward. In God’s kingdom those who are converted as children and those on their death bed - each are saved, forgiven, eternal life. The believer who has lived a good life and the one who has been a terrible sinner - neither get what deserve. It’s not fair some say. I want grace, I need grace.
Grace is like a great painting - you need to spend time looking at it, appreciating it, taking it. Today come at it from different angle - look at the riches of God’s grace.
1. The Feast of God’s grace.
This parable uses an age of a great banquet/feast to which God invites us. This is an illustration of the great riches of God’s grace. God’s grace is like a great feast. “A meal of a lifetime lavished on those who had in no way deserved it.” What is on the menu of this banquet, this meal of a lifetime? Imagine now, as dinner time approaches you are invited to a Banquet, the greatest banquet, the greatest food ever prepared is on the menu. God has prepared such a feast for us. In fact we are already at the table, the meal is before us, trouble is we’ve fallen asleep!
Common Grace - John said we receive “grace upon grace” - yet we fail to appreciate it. There are 2 types of grace - common grace and special grace. Common grace are those manifestations of God’s love and favour experienced commonly, in day to day life - “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matt.5:44-45. Next time you're soaking up the sun and thinking what a marvellous life it is - remember this is God’s grace. All the good gifts around us - manifestations of undeserved grace. This world only deserves wrath but God is gracious. When you’re listening to favourite music, appreciating the beauty of the world, when you’re in love, sexual experience, eating a meal you really enjoy - you’re tasting common grace! Good government, justice rightly exercised, social care in its forms, medical assistance and education all of these are common grace. But that term tends to demean them. They are common in that they are enjoyed by all irrespective of faith in God or knowledge of God. But it is all God's grace and kindness. Only theologians make the distinction, God does not, it is all part of his goodness and kindness.
Special Grace - Special grace is that which comes to us through Jesus. It is common in that it is available to all - but special in that it is enjoyed only by those who receive it. Expressed in Jn. 3:16, prodigal son, all the blessings of salvation. Justification, presence, power, eternal life, etc.
Eph. 1:3-8 details some of the fare at this feast. In fact Ephesians is about our riches in Christ. In Christ we have “every spiritual blessing” or “all the blessings of the Spirit.” God has withheld nothing from us, spared no expense, but lavished blessing upon blessing upon us.
- Election v.4. - God has chosen his people to receive many blessings in order that they be a blessing to the world. Blessed to be a blessing. That is why you are an Christian – in order to be a blessing, to receive and share his grace in a world that needs it.
- Adoption v.5. - Furthermore, God has adopted us as his children. We are literally God’s adopted children, adopted by him though we don’t deserve it, he has chosen to make us the objects of his love, part of his great family.
- Redemption - But this does not explain God’s grace enough so another term is used. Redemption = bought back, it is a word from the market place. Mankind in biblical terms is enslaved by sin and Christ has come to set us free from that which seeks to steal and kill and destroy us. There is a destructiveness
in humanity that he came to set people free from.
- Forgiveness - “forgive” = to carry away, reminds us of the ritual on Day of Atonement when High Priest confessed Israel’s sins over a live goat and had it taken into the wilderness, outside camp to be lost, never to be seen again. In same way Christ died to carry away our sins so never seen again. Guilt is such a destructively powerful thing in people's lives. Christ dies to ensure we live our lives free from guilt and condemnation.
These are just some of riches lavished on us (v.7-8). We could talk about the assurance of heaven when we die, the promise of god's presence that he will never, ever leave us. The fact that God has a plan and purpose for this world in which we have a part and therefore he has a plan for our lives too. All of this carries a significant risk – it is risky and I want to address that soon. But for the moment let us just concentrate on the feast of his grace and be thankful.
2. The Invitation.
In the parable Jesus told we are given insight into how we come by this feast - an act of sheer grace and generosity, in which the whosoever are invited to enjoy it.
A modern version of this parable appeared in a newspaper in 1990:- A couple getting married went to a posh hotel and ordered to meal, pored over menu, chose china/silver/flower arrangements - bill came to 13,000 - paid half as deposit. Just as about to send invitations Groom pulled out. Could only get 1,300 back. Bride decided rather than forfeit rest go ahead and have a great banquet. 10 years before she’d been living in a homeless shelter before she’d got back on her feet. Now she decided to use her savings to treat the down and outs of Boston. Invites were sent to rescue missions and homeless shelters. Addicts, tramps, mentally ill, used to eating out of dustbins ate a meal of a lifetime, drank champagne, chocolate wedding cake and danced late into the night.
Conclusion
A number of years ago Jonathan Aitken, a former Cabinet minister and Privy Councillor - was disgraced, proven to be a liar, financially ruined was sent to prison for perjury. He was pilloried in the press. Following during this time, he did an alpha course At Holy Trinity Brompton. He made an address to the C. S. Lewis foundation and Prison Fellowship Ministry where he tells how he used to be a nominal Christian, saying “I think I bore a disturbing resemblance to that Pharisee in that story of the Pharisee and the publican (Lk. 18)... the humility of the publican was far from me. I was certainly not saying “God be merciful to me a sinner”, nor was I doing the will of the Father. He goes on to tell how he turned to the Lord and repented, began to pray with “real Christian brothers and sisters.” Gradually his prayers became less self-centred and more God centred as he changed. In Chelsea police station where he was charged he spent 5 hours alone in a cell waiting for formalities to be done. “I used that time to pray, to meditate and to read all 16 chapters of Mark’s Gospel. This should have been a time of deep despair. The worst day of my life. Not so. For I has such an overwhelming sense of God’s presence in the cell with me that I was at peace.”
The grace of God a marvellous thing. You can be widely hated, vilified by the press, lose everything you have - be sent to prison in disgrace. Yet you can know you are loved by God, forgiven, cleansed, have eternal life and know the presence of God in your life. But in it all the grace of God, the riches of his grace are set before us as a feast. Turning a cell into a Temple of God’s presence.
Back
to top
|
|
|
|
Grace
The Riskiness of Grace
Romans 5:12-21
Preached Autumn2011
INTRODUCTION
We began looking at the subject of grace. Grace is like a great painting - you need to spend time looking at it, appreciating it, taking it. I have borrowed Yancey's definition: “There is nothing we can do to make God love us more; There is nothing we can do to make God love us less. God already loves us as much as an infinite God can possibly love.” We had a look at the riches of God’s grace, including what theologians call common and special grace. Common grace are those manifestations of God’s love and favour experienced commonly, in day to day life, food drink, weather, justice, love etc. Special grace is that which comes to us through Jesus. Iain raised some issues last week about law and grace. He said that Scripture seems to give us mixed messages. The fact is whilst we would like it to be all neat and tidy – it is not. Scripture is not like that, the bible is not a simple book as some would have us believe. I want us in particular to look at how grace can seem very risky – I want us to consider the risk God has taken on us. That God has taken a great risk by operating a policy of grace.
1. JUSTIFYING GRACE.
I want to clarify what is meant by justification particularly as this is the most risky aspect of all. God’s justifying grace is truly remarkable - Rom. 3:21-24; 4:4-5; 5:20-21. To justify = to declare righteous, not guilty. Tom Wright who is something of an authority on this says this: (justification) denotes, primarily, that action in the law court whereby a judge upholds the case of one party in dispute before him (in the Hebrew law court, where the image originates, all cases consist of an accuser and a defendant, there being no public prosecutor). Having heard the case, the judge finds in favour of one party, and thereby ‘justifies’ him: if he finds for the defendant, this action has the force of ‘acquittal’. The person justified is described as ‘just’, ‘righteous’, not as a description of moral character but as a statement of his status before the court. Justification then most certainly does not mean that we are righteous in character but only in status.
The need for justification is this - God can only be in covenant with human beings if that sin is dealt with, and this has been achieved by God himself in the death of his Son (Rom. 3:24-26; 5:8-9). Jesus takes on himself the curse which would have prevented God’s promised blessing finding fulfilment (Gal. 3:10-14). The resurrection is God’s declaration that Jesus, and hence his people, are in the right before God (Rom. 4:24-25). The verdict issued in the present on the basis of faith (Rom. 3:21-26) correctly anticipates the verdict to be issued in the final judgement on the basis of the total life.
God declares righteous the wicked on the basis of faith alone. While they are still in the state of sin! It doesn’t mean that the believer has to stop sinning first. It doesn’t mean that the believing sinner is made righteous - but we are declared righteous. He hasn’t joined a church, paid tithes, been baptised, stopped sinning. He’s just turned to put his faith in Christ! Day by day, bit by bit, he learns what it means to live a life that honours Christ. The greater the sin the more the grace (Rom. 5:20).
2. THE DANGER OF GRACE.
But there is a danger with justifying grace - it is open to abuse, taken advantage of. Many have done so. Even an emphasis on repentance does not remove it completely. We have all done it. We know something is wrong, sinful. Yet we reason. “I can get forgiveness afterwards. God will forgive me.” If I am already declared righteous now and on judgement day. Why can’t I live as I like, I’m forgiven of all sin past/present and future. That is true.
Others have reasoned if where sin abounds grace abounds all the more i.e., the more I sin the more grace is highlighted, surely it is desirable to do so. One leader of an extremist sect cursed for an entire hour in the pulpit of a London Church others got drunk and blasphemed - they developed a doctrine of the “holiness of sin”. This is an extreme but there is a truth here too. A famous Archbishop William temple put it like this: It is penitence which creates intimacy with our Lord. No-one can know him intimately who has not realised the sickness of his own soul & obtained healing from the physician of souls. Our virtues do not bring us nearer to Christ - the gulf between them & his holiness remains unbridgeable. Our science does not bring us near him, nor our art. Our pain may give us a taste of fellowship with him, but it is only a taste unless that great creator of intimacy - penitence - is also there. (William Temple)
Grace is risky. It is open to abuse. Paul answers some of these in Rom. 6 - look at next week as see power of grace to change. Which is the answer to its riskiness. But let's face it God took a risk by declaring the truth of grace, justifying grace in advance. As Jude puts it “some have changed the grace of our God into a license for immorality”. (v.4).
3. THE ALTERNATIVES TO GRACE.
Because of this many whilst holding on to belief in grace try to eliminate this element of risk and play safe which is the reason why many fall into legalism. The want to maintain or impose various laws, rules or regulations. They may want us to observe the Mosaic Law, or various moral or ethical codes. There may be a list of dos and don'ts. Pentecostals in the past have been guilty of this. It used to be smoking, drinking, going to the cinema, wearing make up, dancing etc. Everything is black/white, no grey areas where people can follow their conscience and the Spirit’s leading. That is legalism and it is wrong. The bible tells us what sin is. When we start adding to it we become like the Pharisees who in addition to the Law of Moses added hundreds of other rules and regulations and points of clarification. Grace is Heb. 8:10-12.
I understand why people want to go down this road. In a society which doesn't like restraint and in a desire to prevent the church following we attempt to use rules to keep people from it. But that is not N.T. Grace. Which instead of using law as the way of producing holiness uses love and gratitude. Law doesn’t work anyway e.g., in Bible College rule re: no TV on a Sunday. Produces resentment & rebellion. Rules and regulations in the end focus on externals and God is concerned re: heart. Leads to judgementalism, judge others who disagree.
The alternative to grace is Law, rules and regulations – that often leads to a concentration to externals which in turn leads to hypocrisy and judgementalism e.g. Pharisees.
CONCLUSION.
Paul in his writing resists this. But that doesn't mean he is saying that it doesn't matter what you do as we will see on another occasion - he points out that such is God's grace that it transforms us. Just as forgave the woman caught in adultery but then saw it as something which could transform her so that she could leave destructive way of life. The answer to sin is not to impose a strict code of behaviour, beyond the simple maxim Jesus passed on – love god, love others. If we know God, love God, understand and receive God’s grace. Out of that a far more powerful motivation for holiness is produced. A holiness of heart not of externals. Grace has the power to transform us. See next time. The benefits outweigh the risks. That’s why God did it.
Back
to top
|
|
Grace
The Transforming Power of Grace
Romans 6:1-7
Preached Autumn 2011
INTRODUCTION.
Grace as we have seen means we can’t do anything to make God love more/less. By this grace justified us – in other words he has declared righteous, not guilty. Whom does God justify? The ungodly. The sinner who turns to God in faith he credits it to him as righteousness. God doesn’t require us to do anything good, just put put our faith in his Son. We are declared righteous in God's sight - When God looks at my life upon a graph he doesn’t see jagged swerves toward good and bad - but a steady line of good. “The goodness of God’s son captured in a moment of time and applied for all eternity. We noted God has taken a risk here. Grace is open to abuse. We may reason when tempted “I can get forgiveness afterwards”. If already justified can’t I do what I like? So to avoid this some turn to legalism and man made rules and regulations but much of the New Testament, written to refute that tendency.
What I did not go into detail with last week is that the faith that the bible speaks of is not simply believing in the existence of God. It is to believe and trust in Christ, to turn to him to follow him. If one really does that then immediately that commitment to follow will lead us to make better choices. Here in Rom 6 Paul tackles the issue head on by highlighting the power of grace to transform and liberate the sinner.
1. We are dead to sin v.1-14.
He begins by addressing the question in v.1. Some having seen truth of grace said well if my sin highlights God’s grace shouldn’t I go on? “God forbid” is his reply. Why? We are dead to sin. When Christ died he took our sins with him, they were crucified with him. If we put faith in him we are united with Christ. What is true of him is true of us, our sins and the power of sin over us was nailed to the cross. It is dead in Christ. Note that the grace of God in Christ’s death not only took away the guilt and penalty of sin but also took away its power too. Sin no longer has power over the believer - it is dead and defeated. So how can we go on in it?
This is in effect what has happened to us in Christ - in principle. What we have to do is to enforce this and live in it practically. Paul says this happens as we know certain things - v.3,6,9. We have to realise this truth. Having done that have to regard ourselves as dead to sin - v.11 - i.e., think of ourselves as actually having died to sin. Then we must no longer do what sin wants, we no longer offer our bodies, minds, mouth, to do sin’s bidding any more. Sounds easy doesn’t it! But we know it is not. Why is that? One of the problems is we don’t realise and really regard ourselves as dead to sin and therefore unable to resist it. We have been programmed to think “I know I am going to sin, fail today, I’m only human, no-one’s perfect, I can’t help it.” We expect to sin every day = unbiblical thought.
Paul argues that having received the grace of God, been forgiven, realising what God done for us, knowing sin is dead, if we believe this there is no reason why as we walk with God in the Spirit we cannot know substantial victory over the power of sin in our lives (what about Romans 7? There is a lot of debate over what that actually means). Like the woman caught in adultery – grace leads to a new opportunity to live a different life.
2. We are no longer slaves to sin v.15-23.
Paul then turns his attention to another question “why can’t we do as we like?” To answer this he uses another metaphor - of slavery. When you sin you become its slave (Jn. 8:34). Today people call it addiction. In the name of freedom people indulge in destructive patterns of behaviour - the more you indulge it, the more you crave. It is a freedom that enslaves.
Paul says that when we turn to God we change master. No longer is it sin, but God - we are set free - Jn. 8:36. We are under new ownership, sin is no longer master, righteousness is. True freedom is not the freedom to do what we want but to do what is right. This being so Paul says, the grace of God has set us free why would we want to go back to your old master. Besides look at the wages – sin leads to death (destructive lifestyles), righteousness leads to eternal life (the life of the ages). Yet again we think he is talking about heaven and hell but that is not what he says.
The question is then why is it so many of us don’t seem to break free the destructive grip of sin in our lives? Illustration might help. In U.S. slavery abolished in 1863 and slaves were legally set free. What happened was the vast majority of salves in South who were legally free continued to live on as slaves, many in fear and squalor. A war had been fought, a president assassinated - yet some slaves were kept totally ignorant of the changes. Others simply chose to continue in the only existence ever knew. Is there a parallel with Christians who’ve been set free, redeemed by blood of God’s Son, who either don’t realise freed of sin or choose not to live in freedom. Jesus said if know truth set free (Jn. 8:31). The truth is God’s grace has saved us and set us free from sin. If we choose to live in that freedom, the destructiveness that wrecks our health, our families and relationships, our finances etc. can be defeated. It won’t be easy to do it, but the grace of God is more powerful than sin. We must think like people set free from sin, believe we are free and walk in that freedom by walking in the Spirit, who will empower us.
Conclusion.
Titus 2:12 tells us God’s grace teaches us to say no to sin. God’s grace doesn’t just lead to forgiveness, it is the power to change us also, by setting us free from sin’s power and mastery. We have to realise this, believe and in power of Spirit live in it. Rules and regulations will never do it. They deal with externals. The power of grace alone, the power of God’s love alone will do it. That’s why need to realise the grace of God.
e.g., imagine a young man is told by his parents that he must learn German or else. So he does as he is told, even though doesn’t really want to do it, goes to lessons and learns German - slowly. Another young man - he on holiday meets a young woman - who is German and speaks no English. She is gorgeous and clearly likes him. They fall in love. Which one will learn German quickest? Love is a better motivator than Law. When we are born again, the grace of God comes to us, it amazes us and as we grow in this new relationship, grow in love for God so we grow in holiness and success against sin - out of love for God who first loved us.
The Christian life can be like walking on a tightrope – it is hard and demanding on occasions particularly if we are trying to be Christlike. It is not easy and we fall off – but there is a safety net called forgiveness. Sometimes we may stay in the net and use it as a trampoline. But God wants us to get back up on tightrope. That is God’s plan for us. Grace and God’s forgiveness gives us the freedom to fail - not so we can fail all the time, but so with a sense of security we can live life as God intends us to.
Back to top
.
|
|
| Grace
The Liberating Power of Grace
Galatians 5:1
Preached Autumn 2011
INTRODUCTION.
Grace as we have seen means we can’t do anything to make God love more/less. By this grace justified us – in other words he has declared righteous, not guilty. God doesn’t require us to do anything good, just put put our faith in his Son. We are declared righteous in God's sight - When God looks at my life upon a graph he doesn’t see jagged swerves toward good and bad - but a steady line of good. “The goodness of God’s son captured in a moment of time and applied for all eternity. We noted God has taken a risk here. Grace is open to abuse. But God's grace also changes us, it is a transforming thing. When a person genuinely believes there is a turning to follow Christ which coupled with the activity of God's Spirit causes change to take place. As Paul highlights if we believe all of this and realise that sin is dead we can know victory over the destructive power of sin in our lives.
I want us to continue to consider the theme of freedom, especially how God’s grace liberates us in our relationship with God and others.
Freedom
In part Galatians is about freedom. We have become accustomed to read Galatians in the light of the debate over salvation by faith vs. works which is a Reformation issue. When much of it is an argument about the law and its role in the Christian life where Paul rejects keeping the Law as the Badge of membership of the people of God. So what marks out a Christian is not the set of observances that mark out Jews from Gentiles, but rather Jesus himself, and the way in which one is known as a member of his people, the church is quite simply (Christian) faith. His emphasis throughout is that the true descendants of Abraham are defined by their faith not by their adherence to a written code. He goes on to say later that this will produce a more genuine righteousness than law ever could.
It is by this faith alone (Rom. 5:1) we are right with God and have peace with God. God accepts us on the basis of our faith in him alone. We do not have to earn God’s favour and acceptance by keeping some standard. Grace means we are freed from Law and its power since Christ has fulfilled its requirements for us. You do not have to try/strive to please God, Jesus already done it. We can rest in him. Too many believers still labour under some misconception that God is like some angry parent tutting that we don’t match up. God accepts us as we are. Since we are also freed from the tyranny of sin we are free to live as God wants us to. Knowing that God has already accepted us. There are a number of important implications of this acceptance by God, especially re: other people.
Accepted by God.
If God does not require us to attain a standard before he accepts us it follows that since it is God’s acceptance and opinion that really counts, & his is the opinion we should seek (after all Jesus said God’s & man’s mutually exclusive Jn.5:44) we are freed from all spiritual performance. If we don;t have to do it for the Almighty why do we have to do it for those less than almighty?We do not have to try to please others or impress them. Many of us spend our lives trying to please/impress other people. Often stems from parents whose favour/acceptance, it appeared to us, was conditional upon our good behaviour. But we are not called to be men-pleasers, but God-pleasers - he is pleased. So stop, refuse to jump through hoops to please others. It is remarkably liberating. Be it parent/child, husband/wife, boss/employee, friends/enemies, pastor/church. Christ has come to set us free! By all means please people because you love them/want to be a servant. But you don’t have to do it to gain acceptance.
Freed from control
It follows from that, that we are set free by God’s grace from the controlling influence of others. Some people try to control us by their actions or their approval or withdrawal of their approval. They may subtly threaten us, give is ultimatums, try to bribe us, make us feel guilty or ashamed. Christ did not set us free to serve anyone else except himself. When we serve him we experience the greatest freedom. I determined a long time ago I would not try and motivate people by making them feel guilty from this pulpit. It is so easy to do, it is hard not to. I think most pastors do it without realising – but it is manipulative. In some ways I have suffered for it, because I have given permission for people to not do things or come to church even and not feel guilty about it. But a charge that is often laid at the door of organised religion is that it is about control, it is a system by which some people control others. That is not what Jesus came to establish which is why we must beware of it.
Freed from comparison
Grace means freedom from comparison to others too, since we are accepted and loved by God as we are. Too often we look at others whom we think look better, sound better, are better than us. They have more of everything. They are more spiritual, holy, work harder. Their families are more together and Christian than ours. They achieve more etc. First appearances are deceptive. Secondly, God has accepted us, his opinion of us is the one that matters. So refuse to compare yourself or let someone compare you. As I regularly announce to my family, sometimes when point out some idiosyncrasy of my nature “I am unique”. Basically, I am what I am, by the grace of God.
Freedom to fail
Grace means I am free to fail. Grace is a safety net for when I fall off the tightrope. Some people slam us for failing. Refuse to listen to them. Instead hear the voice of God - 1 Jn. 1:9. We are what we are by God’s grace, but by his grace I will be what he wants me to be. Not what someone else wants me to be.
2. Accepting Others - Rom. 14:1-4.
All this has implications for how we treat others. Since God has accepted us as we are and freed us from having to strive to please him and also others. We must extend that same grace to others lest we be like unforgiving servant. Therefore:
a. Stop judging others by their performance. Stop judging others by what you can see. God is their judge and he sees their heart. Stop judging others because they don’t happen to fit into your scheme of things. The word of God is the standard not our opinions e.g., go to cinema, wear make-up, play cards, t.v., not having a quiet time every morning/day, wearing certain clothing, smoking, alcohol consumption, listening to certain music, dancing, working on a Sunday etc.
b. Stop comparing people. In your mind or to others. Comparison is a form of judgement and in measure used, God measure to you. Let people be without comparing, judging, condemning them.
c. Stop trying to control or manipulate others. Don’t threaten or intimidate people. Don’t try to make people feel guilty. Don’t withhold acceptance from people or give it according to what they do. Give it freely. If you see something bad say what a 16thc. clergyman called John Bradford once said as he watched some criminals taken off to be executed “There but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford”.
d. Give people the freedom to fail. Don’t condemn people for failing, rather pray for them, encourage them, pick them up not put them down. This is what God has done for us.
Conclusion.
Grace means we are accepted by God, we are freed from the merry-go-round of spiritual performance, from the controlling influence of others, from comparisons and we are free to fail. Freely we have received the liberating power of grace, now freely we must give it away. Don't send people on guilt trips. Accept people without expecting them to jump through hoops for you. Don;t compare them to others, be very slow to judge others and give them room to fail. Christ has come to set us free. So be free. Live free. Be free to be the person God wants you to be, free of the approval or control of others. Allow others to do the same. We’ll all be much happier.
| |
Grace
The Reason to Forgive
Matthew 18:15-35
Preached Autumn 2011
Introduction.
We have been concentrating mostly on God’s incredible grace to us. We don’t have to strive to please God he is pleased. We don’t have to try to be better in order to earn his approval. God’s grace is free of charge. Last time begun to think of implication re:others. That since God has accepted us and is pleased, we are free from having to strive to please others, control of others. We are freed from comparisons since God accepts us. But that means we in turn must show this to others. Don’t compare others, don’t try and control, accept them for who they are, warts and all. This is part of what means to be a people of grace, who’ve received it and in turn show it.
Continue to look at what it means to be a people who have received and in turn show God’s grace by looking at area of forgiveness. Forgiving others is an area that affects all of us. We all need forgiveness and all need to show forgiveness. It is also a very difficult area. When we have been wronged we think “It seems so unfair, if I forgive them they will get away with it. They may do it again. They don’t deserve it. Why should I make the first move? I’ll forgive them when they apologise”. This is what confronts all of us. It is the issue which confronted Corrie Ten Boom
It was in a church in Munich where I was speaking in 1947 that I saw him--a balding heavyset man in a gray overcoat, a brown felt hat clutched between his hands. One moment I saw the overcoat and the brown hat, the next, a blue uniform and a visored cap with its skull and crossbones.
Memories of the concentration camp came back with a rush: the huge room with its harsh overhead lights, the pathetic pile of dresses and shoes in the center of the floor, the shame of walking naked past this man. I could see my sister's frail form ahead of me, ribs sharp beneath the parchment of skin.
Betsie and I had been arrested for concealing Jews in our home during the Nazi occupation of Holland. This man had been a guard at Ravensbruck concentration camp where we were sent.
Now he was in front of me, hand thrust out: "A fine message, fraulein! How good it is to know that, as you say, all our sins are at the bottom of the sea!"
It was the first time since my release that I had been face to face with one of my captors and my blood seemed to freeze.
"You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk," he was saying. "I was a guard there. But since that time," he went on, "I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fraulein--" again the hand came out--"will you forgive me?"
And I stood there--and could not. Betsie had died in that place--could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking?
Since we’ve been looking at God’s grace to us, the question is what do we do with this grace? Do we accept it and then deny it to others or share it? In short... Why Forgive?
1. God has forgiven us.
Parable of unforgiving servant is instructive here. This servant has been shown incredible grace, yet he fails to show it to another. Jesus said that would be thrown in jail ‘til he paid up - never! - v.35. Clearly God expects those who have received his grace to show that same grace to others. Those who receive it, and understand what has been done for them, cannot surely but show grace and forgiveness to others. At the most basic level if we have understood at all the grace of God, received his forgiveness - which is like the massive debt being cancelled - how can we not forgive others whose debt to us is minute in comparison. Back to Corrie Ten Boom's story:
It could not have been many seconds that he stood there, hand held out, but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do.
For I had to do it--I knew that. The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we forgive those who have injured us. "If you do not forgive men their trespasses," Jesus says, "neither will your Father in Heaven forgive your trespasses."
Still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart. But forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. "Jesus, help me!" I prayed silently. "I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling."
And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.
Perhaps we struggle with forgiving others completely because not fully recognised how much we are forgiven ourselves, the extent to which God had to go. That is why we must forgive - to persistently refuse to do so is to say that we have not really appreciated the grace of God. To refuse that to others implies we are ignorant of God’s grace. As Corrie Ten Boom realised, not to forgive was an impossibility - however difficult. First and foremost we must forgive others because it is an accurate commentary on whether we have understood the grace of God to us.
2. The Consequences of Unforgiveness.
Second reason why must do so is the consequences of unforgiveness. Jesus spoke in his parable of this. What does it mean? At very least it suggests we will find ourselves locked in a spiritual prison. Paul in Eph. 4 : 26-27 implies unforgiveness and unresolved anger gives Devil foothold, implying it is a destructive force in us, and v.30 that is grieve the Spirit. Unforgiveness puts us into a prison, it deprives us of God's life of the ages, the joy, peace and loves that are its characteristics.
3. Forgiveness sets others free.
Thirdly when forgive another we release a person from the strangle hold of guilt. We’ve all been in the situation where we have wanted to be forgiven but it is not very forthcoming. We look to see signs of forgiveness. When we see them there is relief e.g., Joseph and his brothers - Gen/ 50:15ff. Release that person to be, as God has to you. Isn't this what God has done for us?
4. Forgiveness sets us free.
Fourthly, when we forgive the first and often only person to be healed is ourselves. “When we forgive, we set a prisoner free - us. When we fail to forgive we suffer. We remain stuck in the past, locked in until we forgive. The past haunts us and casts a shadow over our lives. We constantly come back to that old hurt and resurrect it. We never really move on. I’ve seen people like this. Desperate for vindication, they can’t let go of the past. In the end they become sad, bitter individuals. Blind to the harm they inflict on themselves. They don’t realise that their unforgiveness gives the one who hurt them greater power over them. Something eats at them inside. They are slaves. The only thing harder than forgiveness is the alternative.
5. Forgiveness ends the cycle of retribution.
Finally, if we don’t forgive where will it all end? Someone wrongs us and we think “I’ll give taste of own medicine.” Aggrieved they do the same. Tit for tat leads to an endless cycle of retribution and revenge, until someone calls a halt and says - “I forgive - no more getting my own back. Ghandi said “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”
Conclusion.
Focussed on the “why” of forgiveness - God’s wonderful grace, unconditional love and forgiveness, means that when we receive it, if we receive it - compels us to treat others in the same way. Let us be free and set others free.
.Back to top |
|
|
|
..