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This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by starting a new mini-series entitled,“God’s Grace is Sufficient.” I believe it is going to be a blessing to you.
In our last mini-series we look a look at the need for grace and how God provided it through the blood of His own Son. As a quick recap, the need for grace was generated in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve sinned against God and since God is a God of justice, their transgression required a payment. Instead of killing Adam and Eve, God gave them grace and an animal died in their place. This set the tone for animal sacrifice, which was repeated throughout the Old Covenant, but the blood of animals was not enough. The blood of a bullock, goat or turtledove could never be sufficient for the transgression of man.
Under the Old Covenant animal sacrifice was required every year, because man could never be good enough on his own. Under the burden of the Law of Moses, many Israelites dealt with the ramifications of breaking God’s Law and the burden was tremendous, because no man could be perfect in God’s sight.
The Law served it’s purpose, it revealed to man that he was not good enough, it brought man to the end of himself, and he realized he needed a savior. God provided that savior, His name is Jesus, and He came to save the world of our sin. God did this by grace because He loves us. We did not deserve it, we did not earn it, and even now, we could never work to pay God back for it. Jesus died by grace, we are offered eternal life by grace, when we accept Jesus as Lord we are saved by grace, and we then get to pursue and complete our purpose by grace — undeserved, unearned, unmerited. And guess what? God’s grace is sufficient for it all!
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. God’s grace is sufficient to save. Paul said, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” (Eph 2:8,9 NLT). You could never earn or deserve eternal life, so stop trying. Accept eternal life, through Christ Jesus, by grace, as a gift. When you settle the fact that you are only saved because of what Jesus did, it will bring you overwhelming and unshakable peace.
2. God’s grace is sufficient to preach. Paul said, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ” (Gal 1:5,7 NLT). The Apostle Paul preached the gospel of grace and so do I. We don’t have to “add” anything to the gospel. I have heard many preachers attempt to scare people into living right. It’s the goodness of God that leads to true repentance (Rom 2:4). Just share the truth: none of us are good enough and God saved us by grace.
3. God’s grace is sufficient in your daily life. Paul said, “All the other apostles are greater than I am. I say this because I persecuted the church of God. That is why I am not even good enough to be called an apostle. 10 But, because of God’s grace, that is what I am. And his grace that he gave me was not wasted. I worked harder than all the other apostles. (But I was not really the one working. It was God’s grace that was with me.)”(1 Cor 15:9,10 ERV). The Apostle Paul was arguably the most accomplished Apostle. Paul wrote over half the New Testament, he went on five missionary journeys, he changed the world he lived in, and he took no credit for it. Paul attributed all he did to the grace of God. Guess what? If you and I want to fulfill our purpose we must do the same.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for taking the time to teach me about Your amazing grace. I now understand why Jesus had to die. The blood of animals was not enough and it could never be a sufficient payment for the sin of man. In the fulness of time, You sent Your own Son to die in my place. You did this because You love me. You did this by Your undeserved grace. Jesus willingly died for me. Jesus did not do this because I did anything to deserve it. Jesus died in my place by grace. This gospel of grace is now what I preach. I heard it, I accepted it, I believed it, I received it, and I was changed by Your grace. I am saved and I am not going to hell. I am not saved because of what I do or what I fail to do. I am only saved because of what Jesus did. I am a changed man because of Your grace and I now share the gospel of grace with the world. I am not ashamed of the gospel. It changed me and I will preach Your message, Your grace, everywhere I go, so that others can be changed. And Father, I live every second of everyday reliant on You and Your grace towards me. I am who I am by Your grace and Your grace towards me shall not be in vain. I will work hard, I will pursue my purpose with bulldog-tenacity, and I will complete my assignment before I die. But even as I do all of this, it will not really be me doing the work, but rather You through me, by Your undeserved grace. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
