SAVED BY GRACE, NOT THE LAW

SAVED BY GRACE AND NOT THE LAW

20190915su-SERMON- Saved by Grace Not Law Rom 6:14/1Cor 9:21

SERMON SYNOPSIS

The very nature of SIN in man becomes the preeminent justification in his belief that if he can be just good enough, be a little bit heavier on the GOOD side than the BAD side that he or she win access to the Kingdom of God. Here is the TRUTH: Man does not have the capability, the intelligence, the ability, the talent, the strength, the confidence or creativity to do ANYTHING that will usher him or her into God's magnificent Realm. WHY? Because we all are SINNERS!

Only Christ can open that door. Joh 14:6  Jesus *said ..., "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

OPENING PRAYER

O Lord, Awesome and powerful creator, make Your presence known to us this morning, this Lord's Day. Your HOLY SPIRIT is always welcomed among us. Open our hearts, open our ears, open our very souls to Your mighty message. Help us to understand the great weight and gravity of the gift of Grace. We can only marvel at the depth and vast length of Your love for Your creation. May we constantly strive to know You more, to represent and be an Ambassador to You in the highest reflection, and to TRUST and OBEY for that is the way, Amen and AMEN.

SERMON

‘Grace’ is the first word of greeting and the last word of farewell in St. Paul’s letters; for him it includes the sum of all blessing that comes from God through Christ.

Grace originates from the Latin word Gratia, meaning Favor. In Biblical reference, this favor or Grace is unmerited, undeserved, and in relation to God Himself, the act of giving grace is HOLY. Grace is a HOLY GIFT, freely given by He who created all that is and that will ever be. This wondrous and HOLY Gift should never, ever be taken for granted.

Certainly, after Paul met Jesus while on the road to Damascus, in the brilliant light of His Holiness, we read in Acts Chapter 26 and Verse 18the instructions spoken to Paul by the Lord telling him:  "to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'

Paul is an excellent example that WORKS cannot win you the Gift of God's Grace. Paul was LAWFULLY prosecuting Christ's followers, arresting them, men, women, young and old, and in some cases, being the authority to put them to death. Paul LEGALLY abused, persecuted and killed Christians yet Jesus affords Him GRACE and delivers him from the Jews and the Gentiles; granting him salvation......and a JOB in the Ministry of Jesus Christ. DO YOU NOT FIND THIS EVENT INCREDIBLE??? By all that is HOLY, in my mind, ...Paul should have been on the EXPRESS ESCALATOR that leads to HELL. Instead, He becomes the undisputed champion of Apostles and the Father of the Church of Christ to the Gentiles. This is amazing by whatever measure you may use!

BELOVED........THIS IS GOD'S GRACE!

The First mention of the word Grace is in Ezr 9:8  "But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. And the last in Rev 22:21  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. Grace is revealed in 122 verses, with the majority in the Book of Romans.

By God granting His exclusive Grace, void of ANY works, other than BELIEF, men cannot brag on themselves that one man was worthy and another was not worthy,..based on man's performance. The Lord knows the heart of every created creature, every SINNER and is fully aware of all of our positives and our negatives. He is the only decider for Grace. It would be wonderful in God's Kingdom if everyone would answer the call to know Christ Jesus;

1Ti 2:4  ...who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Sadly, the majority of those who live on this planet will not answer, will not believe. They will not see the Kingdom of God. Only the darkness of HELL.

The Sentence of Eternal Death that was pronounced upon us thousands of years ago at Adam's fall will be carried out. Jesus took the place of those who BELIEVE on Him and HE died in our place on that Cross at Calvary. Those who answered the call to know Jesus. Those who said YES. Those who answered the knock on the door, Their ETERNITY will be LIFE FOREVER in joy in LIGHT and in peace in the Kingdom of the Most High.

Act 4:12  [as Peter spoke to an assembled crowd] "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." His name is JESUS.

And in Joh 14:6  Jesus *said ..., "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

It is by GRACE we are saved, GRACE and not works.....

Rom 3:20  because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

Rom 3:27-28  Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.  (28)  For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.

Rom 5:17  For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Rom 11:6  But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

Act 20:32  [Paul says goodbye to those in the Church of Ephesus, knowing that they would not see each others face again...] "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

How are we saved? BY THE GRACE, of Almighty GOD, through FAITH, faith in that we cannot see or touch, or taste, but know deep in our souls exists in HIS HOLY SPIRIT, in CHRIST JESUS, son of Almighty God, all for the GLORY of the FATHER of us all. That my BELOVED, is the method by which each of us can be and are saved to His eternity and His Glory.

SUMMARY

Joh 1:17  For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. The LAW had to be given in order that man might understand clearly that which is abhorrent to our Lord. Paul him self admitted in Rom 7:7  What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET." The LAW simply confirmed to us that we were indeed SINNERS, deserving of death, eternal death. Only through the wondrous GIFT of GRACE delivered through His mighty heart through LOVE, GRACE and Only GRACE is the way we are saved through the Son, the Lord God, Jesus our Christ.

CLOSING PRAYER

FATHER GOD, LORD JESUS, it breaks my heart that there are so many here in this building, in this community, in this town, county, state who are in the WINTER of their lives and most subject to suffer their LAST BREATH only to discover that the eternity to which they are delivered is only darkness, anguish, pain and suffering for ever and ever. That is their END by their OWN CHOICE. I pray O Father, that this will not be the end they choose. I pray that the TRUTH of the GOSPEL will convince those who waiver, to answer the knock on the door of their hearts and invite the Son of God to come in and sup with them. In HIS precious name, I THEE PRAY, Amen.

BENEDICTION AND CLOSE

Jud 1:24-25  Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,  (25)  to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

SUPPORTING SCRIPTURE

Rom 6:14, 7:7, 3:30, 27-28, 5:17, 11:6, 1 Cor 9:21, Jn 14:6, Act 26:18, 4:12, 20:32, Ezr 9:8, Rev 22:21, 1 Tim 2:4, Jud 1:24-25

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?