Living by Grace




Living by Grace

Erie City Mission 

Today we are going to focus our attention on the grace of God. What is grace? Grace is a word that is used thousands of times in the Bible. It means to show kindness, to forgive sin, to be generous, to perform a charitable act, to bestow spiritual strength or any kind of divine favor. Grace in the Bible is freely given by God to undeserving sinners. It is because Jesus died on the cross to take the penalty for our sins and he rose again from the dead to give us Eternal Life. Letters in the word, GRACE spell out God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense.

Mercy is not giving us what we deserve. If I ran a red light because I wasn’t paying attention. Got a citation from a police officer, went to the judge to plead my case. If this was a first offense, he might let me off with a warning. This is mercy. I don’t deserve it, but the judge gave it to me anyway.

Grace could be illustrated that I ran the red light while I was drunk. I was driving without a license because of two previous DUI convictions. I hit a car and sent someone to the hospital. The judge sentenced me to prison, plus I must pay for the damage to the car and the hospital bills. Then a very wealthy person with great power and influence pays all my bills. He tells the judge he will adopt me as his son, and I can come and live with him. Will pay a fine so that I don’t have to go to prison.

That is the kind of grace that God offers to sinners. We totally don’t deserve it, but he offers it as a free gift. All our sins were placed on Jesus when he hung on the cross and died. If we believe in God’s grace and receive it by faith, he not only forgives us of all our sins, but he also adopts us into his family and gives us a place in Heaven. Not only that, he gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit to live inside us forever and give us victory over sin in this life.

Titus 2:11-14; 3:3-7

11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

This passage gives us several benefits that the Grace of God brings to believers:

1). Salvation: God’s grace saves us from the punishments for sin that we all deserve. We deserve Hell, God gives us Heaven, we deserve death, God gives us Eternal Life. Our sins bring us bondage and slavery, God sets us free. Salvation from sin, death, and hell is not something we deserve. It is not something we earn by good work. But it is freely given by God’s grace. Can I get an Amen?

2). Satisfaction: Titus 2:12 says that the Grace of God teaches us to “deny ungodliness and worldly lusts” The whole world is chasing after things that they hope will bring them pleasure. All kinds of electronic gadgets, all kinds of entertainment, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, pornography, sexual immorality. They leave us empty and unfulfilled. Jesus says He is the bread from heaven, which totally satisfies all hunger. He is the living water that quenches all thirst.

3). Guidance: teaches us “to live soberly, righteously and godly” in this present age. Soberness, seriousness about life. Righteousness. Not a whole list of regulations. True righteousness is to follow the teachings of Jesus. Love the Lord your God, with all your heart soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. 

James 1:7 “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”

4). Redemption: Being bought from slavery with a price. We have been bought with the precious blood of Christ. Therefore, we have been set free from “every lawless deed”. God is purifying us to be his own special people, zealous for good deeds. Re-read Titus 3:3. What we were before Jesus saved us. Sadly, what we sometimes continue to be.

5). Regeneration: Being born again. Jesus said, “Except you be born again, you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven”. First birth, born of the flesh. Second birth, born of the Spirit.

6). Renewal: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away, all things have become new”. Start life all over again as a new person.

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. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  John 3:16-18

Pray prayer of confession of sin, faith in Jesus' death and resurrection.

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