Jim Parker
Member
Words we throw around just like we knew what they meant
(Eph 2:8-10)
For by grace
you have been saved
through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift from God,
not of works, lest anyone should boast.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus FOR good works,
which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Four items: 1. Grace
2. Saved
3. Faith
4. Works
And one more 5. Everlasting (Eternal) Life.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Grace. What is it
1. Most often used definition: “Unmerited Favor”
From Vine’s Expository Dictionary: …favor on the part of the bestower,
> the friendly disposition from which the kindly act proceeds, graciousness, loving-
kindness, goodwill generally,
e.g., Act 7:10; (Joseph’s rescue from prison by Pharaoh)
> especially with reference to the Divine favor or "grace,"
e.g., Act 14:26; (God’s grace enabled the missionary work of Paul & co.)
> in this respect there is stress on its freeness and universality, its spontaneous character, as
in the case of God's redemptive mercy, and the pleasure or joy He designs for the recipient;
a. We experience Grace in the actions that God takes to bring about good results
for the benefit of mankind.
b. These gracious acts were not done in response to any merit on the part of the
recipient or any debt owed by God to mankind.
c. Rather, they are based solely on God’s characteristic manor of acting in mercy
and loving-kindness toward His beloved creatures.
(John 1:14)
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory,
the glory as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth;
2. Certainly Jesus, Who is God the Word made flesh, was in no need of any “unmerited
favor.”
a. In this verse we can understand that the word “grace” does not refer to
“unmerited favor” but to the graciousness that is a characteristic of God.
b. It is graciousness that characterizes all the acts of God toward mankind.
c. For example; God’s patience is an act of grace because God is not in a hurry to
condemn anyone to an eternity in hell.
(2 Peter 3:9)
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
i. He is patient with everyone who does evil in order to allow him plenty of
time and every possible opportunity to hear the Gospel, to repent, to
believe and to be saved. That’s being “Gracious.”
ii. God does not destroy sinners the minute they sin. He gives them plenty of
time to repent and believe the Gospel.
d. God’s action toward us is always gracious.
i. He forgives every sin if we will simply confess and repent. (1 John 1:9)
ii. The wages of OUR sin is death but God, in Jesus, suffered our death and
redeemed all of mankind, every last human being, from death.
> Death has no more power over mankind.
> It can’t keep us down.
> Everybody gets raised from the dead.
iii. Jesus died for us when we were sinners and enemies of God
> God didn’t wait until we were on friendly terms with Him to act.
> God acted for the benefit of all mankind whether we were His
children who loved Him or His enemies who hated Him.
(Ro 5:7-8)
Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man--though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
(Ro 5:10)
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,
much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
e. And God didn’t just say, “You’re forgiven, now, go about your business as usual.”
He also brought us into the “family business.”
i. He adopted us as His sons and daughters. Our Father is God Almighty.
ii. He made us ambassadors of the Kingdom of God, representing Him to
the world
iii. After He reconciled us in Christ, He gave us the ministry of reconciliation of the world to God.
iv. God anointed all believers as his kings and priests.
f. What does all that look like?
Luk 19:10
for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost
(Mat 28:19-20)
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;
(Acts 6:8)
And Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
(Acts 2:38, 41)
And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
So those who received his word were baptized,
and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
3. And from His fullness have we all received, grace upon grace. (John 1:16a)
Two concepts: (1) Fullness
(2) Grace upon grace
a. What is “His fullness”?
i. Fullness: (Gr. Pleromatos) refers to the fullness of the Deity of Jesus Christ.
> Everything that God is, Jesus is.
(Col 2:9) For in him (Jesus) dwells all the fullness (Pleroma) of the Godhead in bodily form.
ii. “Fullness” refers to everything that defines what God is.
> omnipotence, authority, glory, immortality, omniscience, omnipresence, mercy, grace, love, wisdom, eternal existence, immutability, etc.
b. What is the “grace upon grace” which we have received?
i. God graciously saves us because He loves us and wants to save us.
ii. God graciously sent His Son to die for OUR sins BEFORE we repented.
iii. God graciously forgives all sin, no matter how horrible and outrageous, if
someone will just confess and repent.
iv. No matter how many times we sin, He will forgive us.
v. God sends His Holy Spirit to dwell WITHIN us and gives us Christ in us
the hope of glory
vi. And, since the Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father – (Jn17:21)
and the Son and the Holy Spirit are in us along with the Father:
> God graciously dwells within us in His Fullness
> We have become Jesus’ brethren as a new creation, a new race,
of God-Bearing Human Beings
Hmmmmm..........Maybe, we should let Him out now and then..........
(Eph 2:8-10)
For by grace
you have been saved
through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift from God,
not of works, lest anyone should boast.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus FOR good works,
which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Four items: 1. Grace
2. Saved
3. Faith
4. Works
And one more 5. Everlasting (Eternal) Life.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Grace. What is it
1. Most often used definition: “Unmerited Favor”
From Vine’s Expository Dictionary: …favor on the part of the bestower,
> the friendly disposition from which the kindly act proceeds, graciousness, loving-
kindness, goodwill generally,
e.g., Act 7:10; (Joseph’s rescue from prison by Pharaoh)
> especially with reference to the Divine favor or "grace,"
e.g., Act 14:26; (God’s grace enabled the missionary work of Paul & co.)
> in this respect there is stress on its freeness and universality, its spontaneous character, as
in the case of God's redemptive mercy, and the pleasure or joy He designs for the recipient;
a. We experience Grace in the actions that God takes to bring about good results
for the benefit of mankind.
b. These gracious acts were not done in response to any merit on the part of the
recipient or any debt owed by God to mankind.
c. Rather, they are based solely on God’s characteristic manor of acting in mercy
and loving-kindness toward His beloved creatures.
(John 1:14)
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory,
the glory as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth;
2. Certainly Jesus, Who is God the Word made flesh, was in no need of any “unmerited
favor.”
a. In this verse we can understand that the word “grace” does not refer to
“unmerited favor” but to the graciousness that is a characteristic of God.
b. It is graciousness that characterizes all the acts of God toward mankind.
c. For example; God’s patience is an act of grace because God is not in a hurry to
condemn anyone to an eternity in hell.
(2 Peter 3:9)
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
i. He is patient with everyone who does evil in order to allow him plenty of
time and every possible opportunity to hear the Gospel, to repent, to
believe and to be saved. That’s being “Gracious.”
ii. God does not destroy sinners the minute they sin. He gives them plenty of
time to repent and believe the Gospel.
d. God’s action toward us is always gracious.
i. He forgives every sin if we will simply confess and repent. (1 John 1:9)
ii. The wages of OUR sin is death but God, in Jesus, suffered our death and
redeemed all of mankind, every last human being, from death.
> Death has no more power over mankind.
> It can’t keep us down.
> Everybody gets raised from the dead.
iii. Jesus died for us when we were sinners and enemies of God
> God didn’t wait until we were on friendly terms with Him to act.
> God acted for the benefit of all mankind whether we were His
children who loved Him or His enemies who hated Him.
(Ro 5:7-8)
Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man--though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
(Ro 5:10)
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,
much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
e. And God didn’t just say, “You’re forgiven, now, go about your business as usual.”
He also brought us into the “family business.”
i. He adopted us as His sons and daughters. Our Father is God Almighty.
ii. He made us ambassadors of the Kingdom of God, representing Him to
the world
iii. After He reconciled us in Christ, He gave us the ministry of reconciliation of the world to God.
iv. God anointed all believers as his kings and priests.
f. What does all that look like?
Luk 19:10
for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost
(Mat 28:19-20)
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;
(Acts 6:8)
And Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
(Acts 2:38, 41)
And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
So those who received his word were baptized,
and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
3. And from His fullness have we all received, grace upon grace. (John 1:16a)
Two concepts: (1) Fullness
(2) Grace upon grace
a. What is “His fullness”?
i. Fullness: (Gr. Pleromatos) refers to the fullness of the Deity of Jesus Christ.
> Everything that God is, Jesus is.
(Col 2:9) For in him (Jesus) dwells all the fullness (Pleroma) of the Godhead in bodily form.
ii. “Fullness” refers to everything that defines what God is.
> omnipotence, authority, glory, immortality, omniscience, omnipresence, mercy, grace, love, wisdom, eternal existence, immutability, etc.
b. What is the “grace upon grace” which we have received?
i. God graciously saves us because He loves us and wants to save us.
ii. God graciously sent His Son to die for OUR sins BEFORE we repented.
iii. God graciously forgives all sin, no matter how horrible and outrageous, if
someone will just confess and repent.
iv. No matter how many times we sin, He will forgive us.
v. God sends His Holy Spirit to dwell WITHIN us and gives us Christ in us
the hope of glory
vi. And, since the Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father – (Jn17:21)
and the Son and the Holy Spirit are in us along with the Father:
> God graciously dwells within us in His Fullness
> We have become Jesus’ brethren as a new creation, a new race,
of God-Bearing Human Beings
Hmmmmm..........Maybe, we should let Him out now and then..........
