present. I want to say honestly how appreciative
I am to be here and thankful that Brother Todd would have
me and thankful to this congregation for hosting this and everything
that you have done to welcome all of us here and you've been
so hospitable and we have just enjoyed it so much. Turn with
me, if you would, to 2 Peter chapter 3. 2 Peter 3, and let's read the last
verse, verse 18. But grow in grace and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To him be glory,
both now and forever. Amen. I've titled this message
Growing in Grace. Growing in Grace. Grow in Grace. Before we get into the details
of this, I just want to simply point out that growing in grace
is growing in the knowledge of our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. and growing in the knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is growing in grace. One is the definition of the
other. And when we grow in grace and
grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
this is the result that growing brings to us. This is the ending
result of that knowledge. The end of verse 18, we say,
to him be glory, both now and forever, amen. Now let's see if we can look
into this and really understand what this means. Peter said,
grow in grace. First, what is grace exactly? What is grace? We need to know
what grace is if we're going to grow in grace. And I believe
the best place to start is the first time it was mentioned in
the scripture. Go with me to Genesis 6. Genesis 6 verse 1 says, And it came to pass, when men
began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were
born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men,
that they were fair, and they took them wives of all which
they chose. And the Lord said, My spirit
shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh,
Yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were
giants in the earth in those days. And also after that, when
the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they
bare children to them, the same became mighty men, which were
of old, men of renown. And God saw that the wickedness
of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of
the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it
repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it
grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy
man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man
and beast, and the creeping thing and the fowls of the air, for
it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in
the eyes of the Lord. God said, I am going to destroy
this whole world. But this one man, Noah, found
grace in the eyes of the Lord. What does that mean? What is
the definition of grace? What did Noah find? This is what
he found. This is what grace is. He found
unearned favor from God. He found a generous outpouring
of love and kindness and acceptance from God. Noah found a gift. We heard something about that
recently, didn't we? Noah found a gift, an undeserved graciousness. He found a mercy. He found a
forgiveness with God only because it pleased him to do so. That's
what Brother David so clearly pointed out to us Friday night
or whenever it was. Noah found good will from the
heart of God just because it pleased God to give it to him.
Was Noah any better than anybody else? No. He was just as bad
as everybody else. But that's what grace is. That's
what Noah found when he found grace. Now, had Noah earned that
favor from God, had he earned that generous outpouring
of kindness and acceptance, And had he done something to deserve
that goodwill from the heart of God, providing him a deliverance
and a salvation, then he would not have found grace, he would
have found works. It would say, but Noah found
works in the eyes of the Lord. But he found grace. He found
grace. Grace is the opposite of works. That's the first thing we need
to understand if we are going to grow in grace. In order to
grow in grace, we have to shrink in works. We just have to. And sometimes it takes a little
while for that to happen, but it just has to happen. The works
of this flesh, the doing of this flesh. Grace has everything to
do with Christ doing the work for us and not us doing it. Grace has everything to do with
that. So if we're going to grow in
grace, we need to shrink in our own works. Like again, like David
said the other night, don't do that. Just don't do it. We need to be determined to shrink
in works for our salvation. If grace is going to increase,
works must decrease. They're just going to have to
decrease. Look with me at Romans 11. Romans 11 verse 5, it says, Even so then, at this present
time also, there is a remnant according to the election of
grace. And if by grace, then it is no
more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be
of works, Then it is no more of grace, otherwise work is no
more work. What he's saying is salvation,
deliverance from God. It comes by one or the other,
but it can't be both. That's what he's saying. It just
cannot be both. We are either saved by grace
or works. And in verse five, he said it's
not works, it's grace. according to the election of
grace. Grace, grace, God's grace, amazing
grace, wonderful grace. Salvation is by grace. It's by
grace. By grace are you saved. Now let's
see if the Lord will allow us to grow in grace a little bit.
I have five things concerning grace that I'd like for us to
see. And if the Lord allows us to get a hold of this and we
come to an understanding of these five things, they will cause
us to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The first thing I want us to
see about God's grace is it's sovereign. Do we sound like a broken record? Well, I like broken records,
don't you? The only kind of broken record I like is this kind. Sovereign
grace, all right? Romans 11, right here, verse
five. Even so then, at this present time also, there is a remnant
according to the election of grace. The election of grace. What that means is God gives
his grace to whoever he chooses to give his grace to. It's His grace. It's not our
grace. It's not the world's grace. It's
not general grace. It's His grace. It's His to give. It's in His hand to give to whoever
He is pleased to give it to. Individually. Whoever He's pleased
to give it to. Hold your place here in Romans
and look with me at Exodus 33. Exodus 33 verse 18. And Moses said, I beseech thee,
show me thy glory. And the Lord said, I will make
all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name
of the Lord before thee, and will be gracious to whom I will
be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. He
said, I will show grace and mercy to whoever I want to show grace
and mercy to. That's my goodness. That is His sovereign right as
God. That's His sovereign right as
God. The name Lord means sovereign. When you look up the definition
of the word Lord, it means sovereign. And the word sovereign means
sole reign. Sole reign, absolute authority. He has the power and he has the
right to do what he wants with whom he wants. If we ever learn this concerning
him, We will grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ. Everything he does is sovereign. If we want to know something
about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, here it is. Everything
he does is sovereign, starting with his grace. Starting with
his grace. He reigns over his grace. He does with it whatever he's
pleased to do with it. Go with me back to Romans, this
time chapter nine. Romans 9 verse 9 says, this is
the word of promise, at this time will I come and Sarah shall
have a son. And not only this, but when Rebecca
also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac, for the
children being not yet born, neither having done any good
or evil that the purpose of God according to election might stand,
not of works, but of him that calleth, It was said unto her,
the elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have
I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses,
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. So the first thing we can grow
in the knowledge of concerning God's grace is it's sovereign
grace. This is sovereign grace. Here's the second thing. Look
with me again at Romans 11. Romans 11 verse 6, it says, and
if by grace, then it is no more of works, otherwise grace is
no more grace. You know what that means? That
means it's free. I mean, that just, that touches
my heart. It's free. It's free. If we don't have to
work for it, It's free. One man made the statement, and
I love this statement. I just, this is, I'm sure you've
heard this. He said, we cannot preach God high enough, man low enough,
or grace free enough. I love that. It's so true. We
can't preach God high enough, man low enough, or grace free
enough. Do you ever get afraid that you're
preaching grace just a little too free? How free is free? It's free. Somebody says, you
mean it's free? Yes, it's free. What do I owe
you for it? Nothing, it's free. Thank God it's free. God's grace
to every sinner that he has sovereignly chosen to give it to is free. It's so free. Look at Romans 6. Verse 14. For sin shall not have dominion
over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace. That means God's favor is not
conditional. It's not conditional. People
say, well now, you know, God will be gracious to you as long
as you obey the law. He'll be gracious to you as long
as you obey that law, but the moment you disobey the law, there's
no more grace for you. Not so. That is not so. God's grace is not conditional
on man keeping the law or keeping himself from sin. It's not conditional
on anything in Christ. And we can't forget those two
words. That in Christ is free. It's
conditional on Christ only. He's the one and only condition
on this. In Christ is completely free.
Look at Romans 4. Verse 1 says, What shall we say
then that Abraham, our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath
found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof the
glory, but not before God. For what saith the Scripture?
Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the
reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that
worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly,
His faith is counted for righteousness, even as David also describeth
the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness
without works. It's free. It's free. Verse 7, saying, Blessed are
they whose iniquities are forgiven. and whose sin is covered freely,
freely forgiven, freely covered. Look with me at Romans 3 verse
23. For all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace
through the redemption that's in Christ Jesus. whom God has
set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to
declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are
passed through the forbearance of God. To declare, I say at
this time, his righteousness that he might be just and the
justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then?
It's excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but
by the law of faith. Therefore, we conclude that a
man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Without
the deeds of the law. Mercy with God is great. Grace
is free. It's free. I love that old poem. Run, run, the law demands, but
gives me neither feet nor hands. The gospel bids me sweeter things.
Bids me fly and gives me wings. Free, just free, it's free. Freely made free. The grace of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is sovereign and is free. I'm
gonna speed up. Turn to 2 Corinthians 8. 2 Corinthians 8 verse 9, it says, For you know the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes
he became poor, that you through his poverty might be rich. The grace of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ is sacrificial grace. It is sacrificial grace. Again,
grace means gift. It was a sovereign gift. It was
a free gift. And it was a completely, totally
sacrificial gift. He did not give some. He gave all. He gave all. He didn't give out
of His riches. He didn't give some of His riches.
He gave His riches. He gave all of his riches to
the point that though he was rich, he became poor so that
all of his people might be rich. Rich in him, rich because of
him. He gave his whole self. He gave his whole self until
there was nothing left to give. What else could he have given
for his people? What else did he reserve and
not give to them? Nothing. Nothing. He had to sacrifice all in order
to show grace to his people. Oh, the love that sought me.
Oh, the blood that bought me. Oh, the grace that brought me
to the fold. Wondrous grace that brought me
to the fold. The grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
It was sovereign, free, sacrificial. and saving. Saving. Turn with me to Romans 5. Romans 5, verse 20. Moreover, the law entered that
the offense might abound, but where sin abounded, grace did
much more abound. That as sin hath reigned unto
death, even so might grace reign, there's sovereign grace again,
through righteousness unto eternal life. By Jesus Christ our Lord,
God Almighty purposed to be gracious to his sinful people by saving
them from their sins. He purchased, he purposed to
be gracious by sending a substitute for them, a substitution of blood,
a substitute of mercy, the gift of a payment in full, payment
in full. My mother, boy, she was precious,
and she was a very, happy person, and I think she
was a very animated person. When she got excited, she got
really excited. And back in the good old days,
they did not used to let you have anything until you paid
for it. Now you get all you want and worry about paying for it
later. But in the good old days, you had to put it on layaway.
If you didn't have the money, you had to put it on layaway.
And my childhood is filled with memories of making layaway payments.
We were always, you know, running errands. I just got to stop in
wherever and put, you know, this month's payment on my layaway.
All about business, you know. We'd go in. I'd stand there at
the counter and putting this on my layaway, you know. Okay,
here's your receipt. All right, let's go. Next stop. But on the day of redemption,
you know, she'd be all about business. But on the day of redemption,
she used to get so excited. I'm going, yes, it's been on
layaway. We're going to go get it. Redemption
is a payment in full. It's not redeemed until it's
paid in full. And she put that final payment
on the counter, and they'd say, And she'd take it home. People
think that Jesus Christ put us on layaway on the cross. That's
what they think. He made one of the payments.
And we still got to keep making payments. That's not so. It was
paid in full. Grace was saving grace. Paid in full. It was a gift that
was completely, totally redeemed. You don't owe me $20, whoever
said that. Paid in full. Finished. Done. Complete. Rest. Rest. No more payments. Rest. So, the grace of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ, it was sovereign grace. It is sovereign
grace. It's free grace. Sacrificial
grace. saving grace, and therefore,
here's the last one, it's sufficient grace. It is sufficient grace. The grace of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ is sufficient grace. Go with me over to 2 Corinthians
12. 2 Corinthians 12 verse 7, Paul
said, lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance
of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh,
the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted
above measure. For this thing, I besought the
Lord thrice that it might depart from me. And he said unto me,
my grace is sufficient for thee. For my strength is made perfect
in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will
I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may
rest upon me. The grace of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ, is all we need. It really is all we need. We
may not have anything else, but if we have his grace, we have
everything. It's all we need. It is sufficient. It's so efficient. Sufficient
is not the correct word. 2 Corinthians 4 says it's abundant. 2 Corinthians 9 says it's exceeding. It's exceeding. It so far surpasses
all that we could ever need. Let me tell you one more story.
When Isabella was about two or three, old enough to where we didn't,
you know, she was not ready to serve herself at the dinner table,
but she was old enough to reach and grab stuff, and she would
always, for a while there, she was constantly grabbing the spoon
of whatever, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, something, and
you know, it'd just be this huge, and we're like, that's too much,
that's too much, baby, no, no, no, put that back, that's too
much. That's too much, uh-uh, no, no, no, uh-uh. One day we
sat down at the table and Isabella held her plate up and I started
serving her and she said, I want too much. Well that's what the grace of
the Lord Jesus Christ is. It's too much. David said, my
cup is just spilling over the sides. It's just spilling over
the sides. It's not just sufficient, it's
more than we could ever need. And we do, we cry, Lord is too
much. He just keeps on, He giveth more
grace. Every time we cry, it's too much,
He giveth more grace. That's good news, isn't it? Oh, if we ever see more and grow
more and learn more of His all-sufficient grace, we'll realize we don't
need our works. We don't need them. Everybody
thinks that, well, we better throw some works in there just
in case. We don't need them. What else could we possibly need?
Oh, I pray the Lord will give us grace. I pray he'll give us
grace and let us grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ. Thank you.