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The Reality of God's Grace in the Life of a Believer
Ephesians 2:2-10 by Cooper Abrams |
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The Reality of God's Grace in the Life of a Believer
Ephesians 2:2-10 by Cooper Abrams |
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2. Walking according to the world means one is living his life in conformity to how the world lives. The world refers to the majority of the inhabitants of this earth and refers to the state of darkness or living in sin apart from God. Jesus said "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12)
2. In Ephesians 6:10-18 Paul gives us instruction as to how to fight Satan's influence in our lives. Verse 11-12 tell us the reality of the Devil's opposition to God's work. Christians are told to: "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:11-12)
3. There are only two supernatural forces in this Universe and that is God our Creator, and Satan who was a special created arch angel who rebelled against God.
2. He was an exalted angel (Eze. 28:12-14).
3. He was called Lucifer, son of the morning (Isa. 14:12)
4. He was lifted up with pride and sinned (Eze. 28:15,16; Isa. 14:12-13 ). "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north" (Isaiah 14:12-13)
5. He became the enemy of God and of man (Ge. 3; 2 Co. 11:3). Some may question why God allowed him to do this? The answer is God is a loving a just God. He created the angels and man with a will. That means that His created being can choose to serve the Lord or reject Him. He does not force Himself on His creation. He does not force us to love Him, because true love is a choice.
2. We either serve Satan or we serve God. No straddling the fence and no middle ground. Each of us are on one side or the other.
2. There is not clearer statement concerning the state of the unsaved than found in Romans 3. "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes." (Romans 3:10-18)
2. Revelation 20:11-15 reveals a dreadful truth. Those that die will be judged justly and then condemned to the everlasting punishment in the Lake of Fire. When a person dies their eternal destiny is irrevocably determined. The one who puts his faith in Jesus Christ alone and His atoning work on the cross will spend eternity in heaven with the Lord.
However, those that reject God's freely offered gift of grace will upon dying in their sins spend eternity separated from God, from His goodness and love and in the darkness of the fires of hell. That is the tragic truth for the saved and the wonderful truth for the saved. The truth is no one needs go to hell.
2. Jesus said "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
God tells us of His desire saying, "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:4)
"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." (Ephesians 3:14-19)
ILLUS: If you fill a clay pot with a gallon of water and carry it on your head it will soon grow heavy. However, when you swim underwater you have hundreds of gallons of water on top of your head and you do not notice the weight. Why the difference? Why is one way so much a burden and the other none at all? The answer is related to the environment that you are in. When you are in an environment of air, water is hard to carry as you bear all its weight. When you are in the environment of water it is easier, because the water carries the weight. So it is in the spirit. If you are in the environment of the flesh, lost and rejecting God's mercy and grace God's commands are extremely burdensome. You carry the load alone. In fact totally so and you cannot carry the load. If you are in the environment of the spirit filled with the Holy Spirit He takes our burdens. A life lived in the Spirit will be in the world yes, be subject to the pressures of the world, but will overcome them.
III. The Reality of God's Promise of Heaven. Eph. 2:6-7
ILLUS: I cannot remember anyone ever giving me a surprise party. I have attended a few and they were given by someone who loved the person the surprise party was for. I know it must feel really wonderful to be surprised this way....especially know that someone really cared for you that much.
Yes, I have a lot of questions about heaven. I think that God has not told us all the details because He wants it to be a wonderful surprise. (Cooper Abrams)
B. God's promise to those who believe is to give them all the joys of heaven.
ILLUS: The older I get the more aches and pains I have. I will not bore you with the details, but I have a number of health problems. I go to the doctors for help....but honestly they offer very little. They treat the symptoms, but the problem still remains. I try hard to find a cure, but do not hold much hope there is one. Heaven will cure all my health problems.
IV. The Reality of God's Freely Offered Grace. Eph. 2:8-10
A. It is God who makes a Christian. No person, preacher, church, group, organization.....no one or thing can make a child of God. Only God can do that.
B. God creates us for the purpose of serving Him in reaching others.
2. Jesus stated His plan is clearly just before He returned to heaven.
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:19-20)
His plan is wonderful and if based on His character and attributes of being a loving and just God. He sacrificed more than we can comprehend to implement His plan and offer salvation to all men.
"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:" (Romans 6:1-8)
The little boat came drifting on and those that were on board were unable to extricate themselves from their awful danger until she passed the fatal point, and they had given up all hope. Just as those on board were about to commend themselves to such mercy as they might find in their dying hour, the one who had charge of the little craft started, and a look of eager expectation came upon his face; and then he gave some orders and immediately the sails were raised upon the little craft. He had thought that he felt upon his cheek a faint breath of air blowing up the river.
At first it did not seem to make the slightest difference with the sails, but as the breeze grew fresher the sails began to fill out; and then occurred a terrible battle, the wind against the current until at last, the might of the current remaining the same in power and the breeze increasing in force, the little vessel was held still for a moment; and then as the breeze quickened and grew mightier and mightier against the sails. The wind triumphed, and the little boat moved almost inch by inch at first, fighting her way until at last they were able to guide it in safety into the calm water out toward the great lake.
Dear friend have you been heedless and careless, and drifting on the tide of worldliness, the moved along in the strong current of selfishness, the rushing stream of avarice, the flow of unbelief, swept along by the current of simple indifference? Has it been bringing you nearer and nearer to the fatal plunge? God says these sins separate us from eternal hope and heaven. Tonight, would you open your heart to catch the wind that blows from heaven, the wind of God's mercy and grace, that it may touch your heart, your conscience, and your life, and bring you into the desired haven.
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I. The Reality of the State of the Unsaved. The believer's past life. Eph. 2:2-3
A. The unsaved walk after the course of this world.
II. The Reality of God's Love. Eph.. 2:4-5
1. The New Testament often uses the word "walk" to denote the course of one's life. For example "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:7) If one walks in the light it means they are able to see what is around them. The light means God's truth, that which is right. So to walk in the light means one is able to perceive the truth and live by that truth.
B. The unsaved are following Satan.
1. The "prince of the power of the air." Three times Jesus referred to Satan as the "prince of this world." (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11)
C. Who is Satan? What was Satan's origin:
1. He was created (Col. 1:16). "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him." (Colossians 1:16)
D. The reality is that a man lives his life for God, walking in the light as a child of God or his lives his live for Satan walking in darkness.
1. I am not saying that most men willing choose to serve and honor Satan, but that is exactly what they do when they reject the Lord and live in conformity to the sinful world the Devil has created. Many people would be greatly offended if you told them they serve the devil. But that is the result of sin. The origin of sin came from the devil. He tempted Adam and Eve and his purpose was to oppose God, to oppose righteousness (which simply means doing what is right) and to plunge the mankind into sin. He accomplished his goal.
E. The unsaved live to satisfy the lusts of the flesh and the mind. Without the power of God in one's life we cannot serve God. We have no righteousness of our own. Apart from God's grace and act of salvation, a man does not have the ability to obey God.
1. Man is born with a sinful nature. "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:20-22)
F. The unsaved's nature is of wrath. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1:18)
1. God will judge sin and those that reject His forgiveness will have to stand in judgment and answer for their sins.
A. God is rich in mercy. Paul describes God's love as being rich in mercy.
B. God loves us with a great love. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
1. To be rich means to have an have an abundance of something. The Greek word is "plousious" (ploo' see os) which means to be wealthy and to be abounding with wealth. God abound in His mercy.
ILLUS: The story is told about a mother once approached Napoleon seeking a pardon for her son. The emperor replied that the young man had committed a certain offense twice and justice demanded death.
"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)
Paul writing to the Corinthians called God, the Father of mercies. "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort"(2 Corinthians 1:3)
"But I don't ask for justice," the mother explained. "I plead for mercy."
"But your son does not deserve mercy," Napoleon replied.
"Sir," the woman cried, "it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask for."
"Well, then," the emperor said, "I will have mercy." And he spared the woman's son.
Speaking of God's eternal promise in salvation Paul said these wonderful words of praise of our Savior:
C. God makes alive the spiritually dead. I find if very difficult to fully describe what it means to be alive in Christ Jesus. Maybe this will help to explain it:
A. God's plan is that He wants us in heaven with Him.
I have many questions about heaven. I know absolutely that I will go there when I die, and I know it is a wonderful place. Think about who is heaven's home. It is the abode of Almighty God who spoke this universe into being. He is the home of Jesus Christ our Savior who came, in His great love for us suffered and died for our sins on the cross, shedding His blood and taking our sins upon Himself. How wonderful is our God and Savior.
As a pastor I live under a great deal of stress. I try as best I can to turn my problems over to the Lord and have some success, but not completely. There are times when I have a relapse. Heaven will cure the source of all stress!
I am not really afraid of death....I know what lies on the other side. But one thing does bother me about it. Things will continue on after I am gone, but I will not be here to see them. I kind of hate to miss what will be happening. But heaven is eternal and I will never have to worry about not being a part of the future again.
I love the truth. It bothers me a lot to see so many people being deceived and believing lies. Lies like false religion, attacks on God's word. Lies that teach children evolution. Liars in having to hear the God deniers boasting in pride.
Heaven is going to cure a lot of problems all these problems....everyone of them forever. Amen and Amen!(Cooper Abrams)
A. God saved us by His grace. God's grace is unmerited favor. It is God reaching out to the sinner.
Conclusion:
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
B. God's grace is receive by faith. God's grace is freely offered. Only God can saved, but He offers it to all.
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10)
C. God's grace cannot be earned.
1. No man can save himself. All men are sinners.
V. The Reality of what God Creates in a Believer. Eph. 2:10
2. Salvation is a freely offered gift.
3. There is no pride in receiving God's grace...only humility and repentance.
1. You cannot serve God without serving others.
C. Predestination and election are what God has planned and created a believer to me.
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
Nowhere in God's word does He say He predestined some to heaven and the rest to hell. No where in the Bible does it say that God withholds His mercy and grace from anyone. God's plan is to offer all me his grace....if they will believe and receive it. If not...then God will not force salvation on me who do not want it. He will not force men to worship and love Him...if they do not want to.
D. Believers should walk and live in good works.
If God has shown his love to us and gone to such lengths to offer us forgiveness of sins and eternal life....why would someone who knows the Lord want to live like the world?
There is a point above the Niagara Falls called "Past Redemption Point," and, in years past as the vessel came near to that point, those that were watching it from the shore trembled. Nothing had ever passed that point before and been rescued.