A Great Deliverance
Introduction
Man is so hopeless and helpless that only the grace of God can save him. God knows that, but He has to convince sinful man that he cannot save himself. John Newton wrote the song "Amazing Grace." He was convicted of his sinfulness and his need of Christ. He knew what it meant to be saved by grace. The first stanza begins, "Amazing grace! how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see."
A man dies and goes to heaven. Of course, St. Peter meets him at the pearly gates. St. Peter says, "Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in."
"Okay," the man says, "I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart."
"That's wonderful," says St. Peter, "that's worth three points!"
"Three points?" he says. "Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service."
"Terrific!" says St. Peter, "that's certainly worth a point."
"One point? Golly. How about this: I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans."
"Fantastic, that's good for two more points," he says.
"TWO POINTS!!" the man cries, "At this rate the only way I get into heaven is by the grace of God!"
"Come on in!" says St. Peter.
I. THE GREATNESS OF MAN'S GUILT
A. CONDITION OF MAN. (v. 1)
The Bible doesn't have anything good to say about sinful man. God says there is no one who is righteous or even does good. (Rom. 3:10-12) Paul goes so far as to say that man is dead. Sin separates the soul from the life of God. Man is physically alive but spiritually dead. What killed him was sin. Sinful man does not have the lifeof God within him. The Bible states that sin and death entered into the world by Adam. (Rom. 5:12) Sinners are spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins. The word "sin" means missing the mark, the righteousness God requires. The word "trespasses" means to step over the forbidden line. Trespass is a deliberate or willful act of disobedience. The sinner is a rebel against God
B. CONTROL OF MAN. (v. 2)
1. Controlled by the world.
Paul wrote that sinners "walked according to the course of this world." Walk speaks of a person's behavior or conduct. The word "world" in this verse is not referring to the earth but to the world's system. Man in his lost condition is influenced by the world. His thinking and his actions are according to the ways of the world. In all of recorded history since the fall of Adam, man has lived according of this world's system.
2. Controlled by Satan.
Satan is in control of this world's system. He is the "prince of the power of the air." He is the "spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." Satan works to blind the sinner and to feed the lust of the sinful flesh. This leads to bondage to sin and to Satan. The final result for sinful man is judgment in hell.
C. CRAVINGS OF MAN. (v. 3)
We are all like Paul who said, "For the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do." (Rom. 7:19) We all share the old sin nature of Adam. (Rom. 5:12) Our minds have been corrupted by sin and our flesh lusts for things that are evil. Wecrave to satisfy the desires of the flesh and of the mind. They both are opposed to God and His holiness. "Lust” is a strong desire for that which is forbidden by God.
The word "conversation" in the King James Bible means conduct. Our bad conduct (Mark 7:21-22, Gal. 5:19-21) and our evil thoughts are both the result of our sinful nature. We all our sinners. (Rom. 3:23) We had no choice in being born with our sin nature, but we do have a choice in the ways we seek to fulfill the desires of the flesh. No one forces us to sin. We crave for the sins we commit.
D. CONDEMNATION OF MAN. (v. 3)
We are condemned because of our sinful nature. Our disobedience and conduct reveal our sinfulness. We rightfully deserved God's wrath. We cannot improve the old nature to make it better. The old man (sinful nature) must die. In order for us to go to heaven, we must be born again. (John 3:3,5)
II. THE GREATNESS OF GOD'S GRACE
The greatest person (God) with the purest motive (love) saved us by the giving of His Son (Jesus). This is God's unmerited grace to the undeserving.
A. LOVE OF GOD.
(v. 4) "His great love which He loved us"
"Grace is nothing less than the unlimited love of God expressing itself in measureless grace." (Lewis Sperry Chafer)
Paul begins verse four with encouraging words, "But God." Jesus came to rescue the sinner from his hopeless and helpless condition.
After Paul finished describing the sinful condition of man, he wrote of God's grace and love for man. God does not love us because we are loveable, but because He is gracious. Only pride could make a person think they are loved by God because of some worth within themselves. We are all sinners and we are all the children of wrath. But God commended his love to us "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8)
Jesus, the Father's sinless Son, died for the ungodly.We are all disobedient sinners who deserve God's wrath. This statement expresses the amazing grace of God for sinners. As sinners, we have merited the wrath of God, but we have never merited His love and grace. God does not save us by His love. We are saved by His grace. It required the death of Jesus to atone for our sins.
B. LIFE FROM GOD.
1. A present possession. (v. 5) "hath quickened"
Before salvation, we were spiritually dead. We were without spiritual life, but God has made us alive in Christ. Eternal life is a present possession for those in Christ. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:36 )
When we are saved, we become "partakers of the divine nature." (2 Peter 1:4) Paul stated that we should "walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:4) One evidence of spiritual life is that we have a better understanding of spiritual things. We have a love for God and a spiritual hunger for the Word of God. Our new nature desires the things that please God.
2. A present position. (v. 6)
He has raised us up and "made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." God has raised us up from death to life in the power of the resurrection of Christ. "As Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." (Rom. 6:4) God is the one who has given to us life and allowed us to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. This is something God has done for those who are in Christ. It is a present possession and a present position for the believer.
God has now "blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." (Eph. 1:3)
III. THE GREATNESS OF GOD'S GIFT
A. REVEALS GOD'S GRACE. (v. 7)
As we think about our past, and understand more about our present blessings, we look forward to the future blessings to come. We begin to grasp a little more about the greatness of God's gift to us in Christ.
We will never stop being blessed by God's grace even after we are home with Him in heaven. The Lord will continue throughout the endless ages to show forth the riches of His grace and kindness toward us.In Romans 8:18Paul said: "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18 KJV)
Charles Spurgeon:"So is it with the grace of God: he has as much grace as you want, and he has a great deal more than that. The Lord has as much grace as a whole universe will require, but he has vastly more. He overflows: all the demands that can ever be made on the grace of God will never impoverish him, or even diminish his store of mercy; there will remain an incalculably precious mine of mercy as fall as when he first began to bless the sons of men."
The grace of God and the love of God are beyond my comprehension. We will be discovering more throughout eternity about God's love and grace and the blessings that they impart.
B. REVEALS GOD'S GLORY. (v. 7)
God's own purpose will reveal His glory throughout all eternity. His grace bestowed on us will reflect His glory. Man was God's crown in His creation. God made man in His own image but sin scarred and marred that image. God in His infinite love and immeasurable grace has been restoring fallen man. In heaven, we will be on display like trophies of God's amazing grace.
Creation reveals the glory of God's power and creativity. Redemption of sinners reveals the glory of God's character.He is good, kind, longsuffering, holy, righteous, loving, and gracious.
Jesus prayed: "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." (John 17:24 KJV)
"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." (Revelation 4:11 KJV)
John Newton became a preacher of the gospel of Christ after his conversion. In his later years, his mind begin to fail him. At times he would have to be reminded what he was preaching about. On one occasion he said, "My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior." What a great deliverance we have in Christ! Thank God for His grace.
CONCLUSION:
What do you suppose we will talk about in heaven? Charles Spurgeon said: "When all the saints shall be gathered home they shall still talk and speak of the wonders of Jehovah's love in Christ Jesus, and in the golden streets they shall stand up and tell what the Lord has done for them to listening crowds of angels, and principalities, and powers." Will you be there? God will save you by His grace if you will turn to Jesus in faith and repentance. Why not trust Jesus today to be your Savior and Lord?