God’s Remarkable Grace – Part 1

Michael continues this week that the term “remarkable” means uncommon, different from the norm; outstanding, extraordinary and unique. God’s grace is remarkable. How would you explain the full concept of “grace” to someone who didn’t know the gospel of Jesus Christ? Grace is uncommon. “Common” means that which is ordinary, average and unrefined. “Ordinary” is unexceptional and deficient in excellence. “Casual” is common, laid back and apathetic. Unfortunately, the “Casual Christians” are casualties in the spiritual battle. 

Ephesians 2:6-9 “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Salvation is by God’s remarkable and amazing grace. Grace is God’s divine unmerited favor. God’s grace is a gift given to the one who didn’t deserve to receive it, by the One who didn’t need to give it. Grace is “all of thee and none of me”. Salvation is God’s gift given by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. The Pharisees thought that they could earn righteousness. They thought salvation was based on their own performance. However, salvation is not of works. It is a gift of God’s grace. According to 2 Corinthians 6, “We beseech you that you receive not the grace of God in vain.”  Why were we given God’s grace? For what were we given His gift of salvation? Some people they would get to heaven by their own works of baptism or circumcision. Some think that you have to speak in tongues to be saved. Some think that you have to keep the Old Testament law. Grace is not about performance. It’s about God’s gift. The purpose is that we should be to the praise of the glory of His grace, fit for the Master’s use.

Humility is required in order to receive grace. It’s easy to judge others and to think we’re superior to others. Like the Pharisee prayed, “Lord, thank you I’m not like that tax collector over there.” The tax collector prayed, “Lord have mercy on me a sinner.” Which prayer did God hear? A broken and a contrite heart God will not forsake. Evil speaking, gossip, grumbling and complaining will reject grace. From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  According to Psalm 19, “may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable unto thee, O Lord my strength and my redeemer.” 

John 10:27-29 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”

When you ask a person, “What do you think God thinks about you?” most will answer, “I think God’s disappointed in me. I think I’ve fallen short of his expectations.”  If you call a man “Man of God,” or a woman “Woman of God”, most will look down.  When you ask them why, they’ll say, “because I feel unworthy.” However, because of God’s grace, He made me worthy and now, by His grace, His mercy has made me His own.  “Man of God” means God’s man and the “Woman of God” means God’s woman. This is the genitive of possession.  It means that we are His and He is ours. Because of grace, it’s not who we are but “whose we are”.

Let's continue Michael's message on God's remarkable grace in the next post.
In Christ, Brian