Don't Take Grace for Granted

The Best of the Wheat; Pastor Andrew Buege
Sermon Title: Don’t take Grace for Granted.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8

                   Ephesians is a book that begins and ends with Grace (1:2; 6:24). Through this epistle, St Paul helps us to understand that grace is not a fruit of the Spirit. Rather, it is a pure outgrowth of love which is a fruit of the Spirit.
Paul describes Grace with lofty language speaking of:
·         “the glory of His grace” (1:6);
·         “the Riches of His Grace” (1:7; 2:7) and,
·         grace given so he could “preach the unsearchable riches of Christ” (3:8)
Ephesians also teaches us some other facts about God’s grace.
·         This Grace is such a high and holy wonder that it can never be earned or bartered.  It is and can only be received as a gift. (2:8; 3:2, 7, 8);
·         Not only is it received in the proportion to the working of His mighty power 1:19)
·         But it is compared and understood in the same capacity as we understand the merit of the “gift of Christ.” (4:7).
·         This grace in operation is never without effect: a grace filled heart always “ministers grace to the hearers” (4:29).
How are we to understand the riches of His grace?

Don’t take Grace for Granted because Grace Saved my House!
          Wesley tells of a man he met, who for lack of twenty shillings rent was thrown out of his house.  He was in deep distress when Wesley gave him a Guinea. (A Guinea was a British coin that was worth twenty-one shillings.) After falling on his knees to pray for his benefactor, He rose up saying, “Oh, I shall have a house! I shall have a house over my head!” Life of John Wesley; Telford pg 331.

         Wesley’s life and message of heart-holiness was all at once elevated in this relieved man’s estimation. When grace saved his house, really grace showed him the best way to live.

According to the Daily Study Bible, "the word grace stood for:
·         All that is most winning in personal loveliness.
·         The natural appeal of physical beauty (whether in a person or home) which is not cold and remote, but irresistibly attractive and charming.
·         It was also used for that warm, free-handed, and spontaneous generosity which is kind where there is no claim or merit, and kind without hope of return,
·         A temperament or character lovely in itself, and winning the admiration and affection of all who witness it.”

1 John 4:10. “Not that we loved God, but that He loved us.”

This is the best interpreter of the grace of redemption. It is the “gracious” love of God which provided so much more that a month’s rent, but eternal redemption itself.

Theologians calls this grace a moral attribute of God, meaning it pertains to God’s actions and attitude.  (Wm. Burt Pope)
Grace is an outflow of God’s love in the same manner as righteousness (right actions) is an outflow of God’s Holiness.  In many ways we can observe God’s great compassion toward fallen humanity!
“Grace transcends love.” This is how R.W. Dale describes it.  That is to say, there may be an obligation to love. It is like someone facetiously says, “Yeah, I love them, but I sure don’t like them.”  Someone else quips, “I love you, but only enough to get to heaven.”  It is apparent that human “love” certainly needs a lot of grace in it.
Further, Grace transcends Mercy!” Mercy forgives the penitent, but Grace embraces the sinner with affection who has deserved anger and resentment.

Don’t take Grace for Granted because Grace Saved my Life!  I can personally testify that Grace operated before I knew it!
As a young men, I was full of sin and evil thoughts.  I am ashamed of it but I never took God’s name on my lips, unless it was to curse and swear.  On my 18th birthday, my friends and I went to the Racetrack for a big weekend.  Some of my friends went to the lake and invited me to swim out to the island with them.  I had been drinking and smoking dope and soon wearied and would have drowned.  I certainly deserved for God to say “OK if you want to live like the devil then I will let you die and go to hell.”  But God’s grace didn’t let me drown.  A man in a canoe reached me, just in time and took me to the shore.  But for almost 2 more years, I went back to my drugs, my drinking, my anger and self-will.  Then, a snowstorm in the mountains, again brought me to the point of death.  This time I didn’t cry for a canoer, but for the living God to come and save me.  He came with His love, His mercy and most certainly His Grace!  He heard my prayer and in a moment He saved me from my sins and spared my life!
While the actual demonstration of prevenient and saving grace will draw individuals differently, yet it is His will to bring us out of our sinful choices to love and serve Him.  I still testify that Grace Saved M y Life!

Don’t take Grace for Granted because Grace Saved my Soul!  Grace operates in spite of all our actions.
If we were to speak of the other qualities of grace with which God in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself we should sing:
"Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe. . .
Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that is greater than all my sin,"
There are many horrible pains of sin, but there are just as many qualities of Grace.
Theologian William Burt Pope describes it in this way.
·         “Divine Kindness which is that grace that seeks the well-being of the whole race. Titus 3:4. But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared,
·         “Divine Compassion and Pity is that which looks upon man in his sin and misery and waits to show grace. Mat. 9:36.But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
·         “Divine Forbearance, or Long-suffering is the grace that waits for the sinner's return and submission, restraining the deserved judgment upon evil. That which forgives him when he comes is mercy. Eph 2:4-7. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
·         “Rejoicing Grace: Luke 15:6-7. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
·         “Sanctifying Grace: Eph 3:19-20. And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”

In conclusion, St Paul tells us that God’s grace operates in spite of everything.

      Richard Wurmbrand tells a griping story. “I am God to you!” thundered Captain Reck, the tormenter!  “If I say that you will live; you live. If I say that you die you will die! I am God to you.”  The Christian prisoner had suffered so many beatings he could hardly stand up.  The doctor gave him an injection of adrenaline to revive him.  His loving response to the officer, “Why, Captain, you have spoken a very profound truth.  In fact, you were made in God’s very image! In the likeness of God.  And God created you for high and holy purposes.  God didn’t make you to beat other men and to inflict horrible pain on His creatures, but he created you for something of great honor.”  The Captain lay down his truncheon and drew closer to the bleeding Christian.  “You can kill me, but my blood will cry out that I love you. This is what Christ did for me.” Tortured for Christ.

     Cliff Jeral had lived overseas as a missionary for years.  He was visiting the Capital city on business when he was jumped by a thief. The thief ran up from behind and grabbed his briefcase which had passports and official papers in it. As the thief ran up the street ahead, Cliff started yelling, “Stop Thief! Stop Thief!” The crowd in the street finally apprehended the man and was ready to kill him when Cliff came up to them. Someone had brought an old tire, another brought gasoline and the vigilantes  were ready to burn the thief to death.  When Cliff saw that, he began interceding for the man’s life.  The criminal’s life was spared.

                   This was grace acting toward the thief, as it was operating in the life of the missionary.  But this is what Christ did for me as I had wronged him with my sin! I had stolen his mercies; I had squandered His chances. It was as if, I was running down the road of life thinking I had some great treasure or some great pleasure! He was running after me shouting, Stop! Stop! Thank God that his law brought me to the conviction that I was a criminal who deserved to die.  But it was His grace that interceded for me and forgave all my sins.

I certainly will never again take Grace for granted.