Ephesians 4:14-15 (ESV) – …the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
Phonesia
Disconfect
Blamestorming
Intaxication
“The very center and core of the whole Bible is the doctrine of the grace of God.” – J. Gresham Machen
Matthew 18:21-22 (ESV) – Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Matthew 18:23-25 (ESV) – “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.
We discover we have a problem we can’t fix—Sin
Romans 3:23 (ESV) – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Ezekiel 18:20 (ESV) – The soul who sins shall die. Romans 6:23 (ESV) For the wages of sin is death
James 2:10 (ESV) – For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.
Romans 3:23 (ESV) – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
God offers a solution we could never deserve– Grace
Matthew 18:26 (ESV) – So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’
Matthew 18:27 (ESV) – And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.
2 Peter 2:19 (ESV) – They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.
What is Grace?
Grace is free sovereign favor to the ill-deserving . – B.B. Warfield
Grace is love that cares and stoops and rescues. –John Stott
2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) – For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Accurate Diagnosis:
Romans 3:23 (ESV) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Ephesians 2:1 (ESV) And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
Cure: Grace
Ephesians 2:5 (ESV) – even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved
G od’s
R ighteousness
A t
C hrist’s
E xpense
Romans 5:17 (NLT) – For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ.
Psalm 103:10-12 (ESV) – He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
Grace Demands a Response
Matthew 18:28-30 (ESV) – But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 2 9 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 3 0 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.
Matthew 18:31-35 (ESV) – When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
1 Corinthians 15:10 (ESV) – But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain.
Cheap Grace
Well, then, let the Christian live like the rest of the world, let him model himself on the world’s standards in every sphere of life, and not presumptuously aspire to live a different life under grace from his old life under sin (Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship )
Titus 2:11-14 (ESV) – For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
Grace Redeems
Grace Teaches
Grace Reforms
Grace Restores
