Chapter 2, verses 8 and 9. Let's
go to the Lord in prayer. Gracious Heavenly Father, We
come before you so thankful for your goodness and mercy to us
all the time. And with the little thing, with
the power that occurred, it makes us realize just how dependent
we are upon thee. And you give us our very breath
to breathe and everything that we have. And you provide not
only for us, but for the whole, everyone, and food and lights
and clothing. It's incredible, Lord. It's absolutely
incredible. And so we pray that you would
be glorified today and magnified as we look at what is important
to you, that we would prepare our hearts and minds for the
message coming up to you on Sunday morning, but also just prepare
our hearts and minds just to enter into your presence and
to realize how great you are and how good you are to us all
the time. And we love you and praise you
in Jesus' name. Amen. Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians
chapter 2. We'll continue our study on what
is important to God. And today we'll be looking at
what is important to God is His grace. His grace. Ephesians chapter
2 verses 8 and 9. Scripture declares, For by grace
are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It
is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. So
last week we looked at how the Word, both incarnate and written,
is important to God, and how He magnifies the Word above His
own name. In this book here, this book
is all about Christ. As we've said many times, it's
a hymn book. It's all about Him. It's all about Christ. It's the
unfolding of His goodness and His mercy and grace towards us.
Towards His people. And we'll look at today how God's
grace is important to him. God's grace is important. And
we often talk about grace. We talk about the free grace
of God in Christ and how grace is God's unmerited favor shown
towards sinners, which is absolutely true. That's what it is. And
that's what it is. And think on this, when God saw
the wickedness of the world and destroyed it in the flood, turn
if you would to Genesis chapter six. When God saw the wickedness
of the world, and destroyed it with a flood. What made Noah
to differ? What made Noah to differ from
all them people? Now, the religionists will tell
you it's his righteousness. Well, we know already from studying
Scripture that our righteousness gains us no merit and favor with
God, right? So we know from Scripture, from
studying Scripture, that it's not our righteousness. And as
a matter of fact, it's nothing in us, is it? Nothing in us would
cause God to have mercy and to show grace towards us. We know
that from studying scripture. That's why I say when we study
the real, we know the counterfeit. When someone comes along and
says, well, no, but this is, no, we know from scripture. We know
from studying scripture that there's nothing good in any of
this, right? Nothing. Look what makes Noah
to differ from all those people in the world. Genesis chapter
six. Genesis chapter 6, starting in verse 5. 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, verse 6, that he had made man on earth,
and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy
men 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. Now here's the difference. In verse 8, but Noah found grace
in the eyes of the Lord. That's the only reason. Think
of this, now let's bring it home. Let's bring it home, beloved. The only reason that I differ
from my brothers and from my family Brother Matt, same with
you, from your cousins and all, I know your dad saved and your
mom and one of your sisters, but the only reason it makes
us to differ, Sister Nancy, same, Brother Newell, Sister Gail,
the only thing that makes us to differ is we found grace in
the eyes of the Lord. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that amazing? The only
reason, Sister Barb, you and Sister Carolyn sit here and listen
to the gospel, love the gospel, and differing from all your family
members, Sister Carolyn, same thing, is that you found grace
in the eyes of the Lord. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that
something? Isn't that marvelous? Marvelous. Absolutely marvelous. Turn, if you would, to Genesis
19. There's a man named Lot. Now, Lot, some folks might look
at Lot and say, what? He's a Christian? What? Well, we know from the Hall of
Faith, right? In Hebrews 11, that Lot was a righteous man,
and we know it wasn't because of himself, because we know that
we who are righteous in the eyes of God are not righteous by our
doing either. It's only by the righteousness
of Christ. Genesis 19. Verse 19. Behold, now thy servant
hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy
which thou hast shown unto me in saving my life. And I cannot
escape to the mountain lest some evil take me, and I die. Behold,
now this city is near to me, or near to flee unto, and it
is a little one. Oh, let me escape thither. Is
it not a little one, and my soul shall live? And he saith unto
him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing, that I
will not overthrow this city for the which thou hast spoken.
Haste thee, escape thither. For I cannot do anything till
thou become thither, neither the name of the city. Therefore,
the name of the city was called Zor. But notice in verse 19,
Behold, now thy servant hath found grace in thy sight. The
only thing that made a lot to differ. Is God's grace. Turn, if you
would, to Exodus, Chapter 33, Moses and intercession for Israel. asking of the Lord that the Lord
would be with them. He might lead the people to Canaan,
Exodus 33, verses 12 to 19. And Moses said unto the Lord,
See thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people, and thou hast
not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said,
I know thee by name. and thou hast found grace in
my sight. What made Moses to differ? Who
made Moses to differ? Only God. Only the grace of God. Only the grace of God. Now, therefore,
I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now
thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy
sight and consider that consider that this nation is thy people.
He wants to know him. God's people who have found grace
in the eyes of the Lord, God reveals himself to them. They
know him because he knew them. And he knows them before he,
what's scripture say? He loves us before we love him. And he said, if thy presence
go not with me, carry us not up hence. So in other words,
don't let me go anywhere where you don't go before me. Please. For wherein shall it be known
here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight, is
it not that thou goest with us? So shall we be separated. I and
thy people from all the people that are upon the face of the
earth. Look at that. God's people are separated from all the people
on this earth. Why? Because we found grace in
the eyes of the Lord. And that's the only difference.
That's the only difference between us and anyone else, is the grace
of God in Christ. And the Lord said unto Moses,
I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken, for thou hast
found grace in my sight. Oh, precious words, beloved.
And I know thee by How long has the Lord known my
name? If you're one of his redeemed,
if you're one of his sheep, how long has he known your name? From eternity. From eternity,
beloved. His love was set upon us, even
when I was shaking my fist at him. Yet his love was set upon
me and he knew me by name. When I had no clue who he was.
I had no care in the world for him. It's humbling. But it's also
marvelous. It's marvelous. This grace of
God in Christ is absolutely marvelous. And he said, I beseech thee,
show me thy glory. And he said, I will make all
my goodness pass before thee. And I will proclaim the name
of the Lord before thee. And I will be gracious to whom
I'll be gracious and will show mercy on whom I'll show mercy.
That's only in Christ. He shows mercy to whomever he
shows mercy. So if you are a recipient, if
you have found a recipient of this grace, if you have found
grace in the eyes of the Lord, it's because God had mercy on
you. That's what he did for me. And now I now I pray that he'd
have mercy on my family members and my friends. I know you all
do, too. Don't stop till they breathe
their last breath. There's always hope. We don't know who the Lord
will have mercy upon, but he knows. He knows. He knows. Note in none of these situations
did they obtain or find this grace by their works. They were
recipients of it. They were recipients of it. It's
given to them based upon the free grace of God alone, and
our text even says that, right? For by grace are you saved through
faith and that not of yourselves. It's not of our works. It's not
of our doing. It's a gift of God. It's a gift
of God, not of works, lest any man should boast, because man
likes to boast. We like to boast, we do. But
this, we have, there's only one person who the believer can boast
in, and it's not us. We boast in Christ, don't we?
Look what the Lord's done for me. And like I say, that's what
witnessing is. Look what the Lord's done. Look what he's done. He's done marvelous things. Marvelous. And he said, grace, grace upon
me for absolutely nothing I've done. Now, grace finds the one
that it's going to be bestowed upon because we do not seek his
grace until God seeks us. Grace finds us lost and undone
and captive by sin. That's the situation that grace
finds us in. Captive. Captive by sin and by
God's grace and mercy, we turn to Christ. being taught by the
Holy Spirit of God, the things of Christ, his substitutionary
work for his people, how he purchased us and redeemed us upon the cross
by his own precious blood, and how we've been granted faith
to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit draws
us and gives us faith and repentance to turn to Christ. And again,
salvation's of the Lord. It's all his doing. And this
grace is, as Newton penned, this grace is truly amazing grace.
We can't comprehend that. God has grace upon his enemies,
whom he's loved though, but we were enemies in our mind. Scripture
tells us that, doesn't it? We were. That's how we were born,
dead in trespasses and sins. And yet His people, He's loved
them with an everlasting love. And even though we are enemies
in our minds towards Him, His love is set upon us. God's grace
is so important to Him that any who seek to be saved by their
own works or their own ways or any other basis but Christ and
God's free grace in Him will perish in their sins. So that means you can't add a
pinprick of works. God is jealous. Jealous of His
glory. Jealous of His glory. Protects
His grace. Grace is bestowed upon undeserving
sinners. Turn if you would to Hebrews
chapter 8. Grace is bestowed upon undeserving sinners in and
only through the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the one mediator between
God and man. Scripture declares for there's
one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus
who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. And in Hebrews chapter eight,
verses six and seven, it says this, but now hath he obtained a more
excellent ministry by how much also he is the mediator of a
better covenant, of a better covenant, of an eternal covenant. which was established upon better
promises, because it's in Christ. For if that first covenant had
been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the
second. So there's only one mediator
between God and man, and that's Christ. Now religion tells you
that you go to a man, a priest, and confess your sins, but beloved,
this is nothing but priestcraft. That's all that is. It's been
going on for years and years and years. But that man can't,
that man can't help me with my sins because God condemns that
kind of practice. Now, think of that. There's billions
of people who belong to the Catholic Church who are thinking, oh,
I'm fine. My goodness. And they go to this
man and they confess their sins and he tells them to say so many
prayers. And then and then he says they're OK. Right. I lived
in that. I know what it's like. But think
of this. Turn, if you would, to Titus
chapter three. And let's keep Titus chapter three in mind with
that. So they tell them to go and pray some prayers and that
all of a sudden they're good. Right. And my mom, please pray
for her. My mom still spins beads and
does all this stuff. She's just lost. She has no idea. She has no idea. But think of
this. If if if after that priest tells
you to go and pray those prayers and then they say you're good,
right? Would that not be your own works? Because you're praying a prayer
and then you're supposedly OK, right? But that man can't even
pay for his own sins that I'm talking to, let alone tell me
what to do for mine, right? But if my prayers could make
me clean, then it would only make sense that that would be
my works. But what does Scripture say?
And this was the awakening for me as a Catholic when I found
out that I was lost, and I didn't know I was lost. until God revealed
that. And then when he reveals it,
it's just incredible. You're just your your whole world
crumbles right before your eyes because you you realize you you
you have a refuge alliance. Now, look at what Scripture says
in Titus, Chapter three. Think of this. And this this
is not just Catholicism, this is all religions that that base
salvation upon works. OK, it's I'm not picking on one
one group. It's just that they're the largest
group that way. But this includes the Muslims, this includes all
of them. Church of Christ believes that
it's baptismal regeneration, that your baptism saves. Well,
that's work by man. And let's see what scripture
says about works that way. Titus chapter three, right? With
that in mind, not by works of righteousness, which we have
done. Now that's pretty clear, isn't
it? That means that we cannot be saved by our own works. no
matter how good they are, no matter how good our intentions
are. Scripture declares right here, not by works of righteousness,
which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us because
we found grace in the eyes of the Lord. That's the only reason. You see how plain scripture is.
It brings it right to the forefront for us by the washing of regeneration. You must be born again. Our Lord
said that in John chapter three, you must be born again of the
Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ,
our Savior, that being justified by. By his grace, scripture declares. By his grace. We should be made
heirs according to the hope of eternal life. You see how it's
all His grace? It's all His doing. It's not
our works. If we could be saved by our works,
why did Christ come to this earth? Well, He came because we can't
be saved by our works. Not by works of righteousness,
which we have done, but according to His mercy. God's people are
recipients of His mercy and His grace. And it leaves us in absolute
awe. Absolute awe. Notice in verse 7 of Titus 3,
we're justified by His grace. The Lord says no unjustified
ones. No unjustified ones will enter
into the kingdom of heaven. And all God's people are justified
by the grace of God in Christ. Because God has shown us grace
and mercy, we found grace in the eyes of the Lord. God's people are clothed in the
wedding garment, which is the robe of Christ's righteousness.
And without the wedding garment, we'd be cast into outer darkness. And the justification spoken
of here is how we are declared righteous. John Gill says this,
that being justified, regeneration does not justify any, but makes
the justified to appear to be such. Justification is an act
of God's gracious will conceived in his mind from eternity by
which he wills not to impute sin to his people, but to Christ
their surety. Isn't that amazing? We've had grace shown to us from
eternity. In Christ, who's our surety? Did we know that when we were
born in this world? Did I know that when I was running
around as a little tyke? No. Did I know that as a teenager
when I was living in rebellion and doing all kinds of stuff,
and even as a young man? I had no idea. I had no idea. Is it so for you? No idea, did we, brother, no. But we found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. Ain't it wonderful? That's the thing when we think
about that. We found grace in the eyes of
the Lord. We are accounted righteous through the righteousness of
God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And remember that Christ was
raised for what? Our justification, right? Our justification. We've been acquitted for all
our sins. All our sins are discharged in Christ. Paid in full. Stamp, like a stamp. Paid in
full. That's why the Lord says, that's
why God says, I'll remember your sins no more. Now we remember them, don't we? Lord, don't remember them. And
this is wonderful news for sinners. The question is, are you a sinner?
Have you fled the Christ? Have you fled the Christ who
is the refuge, the only refuge for sinners, not by works of
righteousness, which we have done? Well, that means that none
of us can justify ourselves or or make ourselves righteous before
God. But according to his mercy. Yes. Mercy. We know from scriptures that
no man can be justified in the sight of God except in and through
Christ So those who are promoting the workspace salvation are promoting
justification by man's works and by man's ways Because scripture
declares how then can a man or how yeah, how then can a man
be justified with God? Or how can he be clean that is
born of a woman? Well, the answer is found in
Romans chapter 3 turn there if you would So Job asks, how can
a how then can a man be justified with God or how can he be clean
that is born of a woman? Because we're all born dead in
trespasses and sins, right? Every one of us. Look at Romans, Chapter three.
Excuse me. Romans, Chapter three, verses
19 to 28. Now we know that whatsoever things
the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law." Who's
under the law, beloved? Everyone. Everyone. Everyone who's ever lived and
everyone who's ever died. Now Christ is the only one who
lived. And and well, he he was living before the law for us. He was perfect and sinless. He
is the seed of the woman. Everyone who's born of the seed
of Adam is under this law is under this law. Look at this. Now we know there that whatsoever
things the law say, it say to them who are under the law that
every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become what
guilty before God. That's the sentence on man. Guilty
before God. Therefore by the deeds of the
law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by the law
is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of
God without the law is manifested, be it witnessed by the law and
the prophets. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus
Christ unto all and upon all them that believe. for there
is no difference. For all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God. Being justified freely by His
grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom
God 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 we might be just, that he
might be just and justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? Is it
excluded by what law of works? Nay, but by the law of faith. Therefore, we conclude that a
man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. That's
good news because none of us can fulfill the law, but Christ
fulfilled the law in our place. in our place. But look at verse
24, being justified freely by His grace. God's people find
grace in the eyes of the Lord. How? Through the redemption,
there's the purchase price that is in Christ Jesus. He purchased
us, our eternal souls. There was a cost. It was a great
cost. A great cost. So we see that
we're justified by the pure, free and sovereign grace of God
in Christ and him alone. Now, grace and peace come in
and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace, we often see
that in the writers in the New Testament, they write grace and
peace. But notice, grace always precedes peace. Always. Why is that? Because there's
no peace with God unless we receive the grace of God. Grace always precedes peace. Look in the worst chronological
error. Look in Romans chapter one. We
won't go through them all, but we'll go through a few here.
Paul wrote to the Church of Rome. Church at Rome, Romans chapter
one, verse seven. To all that be in Rome, beloved
of God, called to be saints. Beloved, you're saints. I said
that the one time to my mom, who's a Catholic. I told her
I was a saint. Boy, she almost lost it. But I said, I am. And it's not a derogatory thing. It's not a pride thing. It's
true. All God's people are saints.
And man didn't make me this way. It's God who makes the saints,
not man. God's people are called saints,
called to be saints. Grace to you, there it is, and
peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. So grace
always precedes peace. Turn, if you would, to 1 Corinthians
1. Now there's, I could have went
through many, I'm just going to give us four or five here,
but you see it constantly. 1 Corinthians 1, verse 3. Grace
be unto you, and peace from God our Father. So if we don't receive
grace, we have no peace with the Father. And from the Lord
Jesus Christ. And then in Galatians chapter
1, verse 3, Paul pens again. Grace be to you, and peace from
God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ. And in Ephesians
chapter 1 verses 2, verse 2, grace be to you and peace from
God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. And in Philippians
1, 2, grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from
the Lord Jesus Christ. And then Peter writes this, grace
and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of
God. and of Jesus our Lord. So it's, we always see, but if
you notice, in all those texts, grace always precedes peace.
Always, always. Now, grace is defined in the
Greek as this. In our text it said, for by grace
are you saved through faith, and not in all yourselves. It
is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Grace
in the Greek is defined as this. Goodwill, loving kindness, favor. You have been showing you who
believe have been showing God's loving kindness. God's unmerited
favor. Based upon absolutely nothing
in us. All by his free and sovereign
grace, it also means this of the merciful kindness of which
God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ. Keeps, strengthens, increases
them in Christian faith. Know who's doing all the work.
Knowledge, affection, and kindles them to exercise of the Christian
virtues. So he keeps us, he constrains
us. The love of Christ constrains us. And he keeps us. He keeps
his sheep. Remember that sheep went wandering
off? Did the sheep seek the shepherd?
Absolutely not. He's off wandering around probably
bleating in the middle of the night. And there goes that shepherd. Seeking that lost sheep. Well,
that's just a picture of how Christ does for every one of
his people. What a great God we have. So
let us always remember that grace is is from the free favor of
God to what salvation is given to his people who were chosen
in Christ. It includes our election. redemption,
justification, pardon, adoption, regeneration, and eternal glory.
We are saved by the free grace of God which proceeds from the
whole Trinity. It proceeds from the whole Trinity.
And the whole Trinity is in action in the salvation of a sinner.
We are saved by the grace of the Father who drew the plan
of salvation. And He appointed man to it and
made a covenant with His Son in eternity. He chose whom He
would give to the Son. And it's not that He looked down
through time and saw who would choose Him. I know I've said
this many times. I'm going to say it again. It's that He looked
down through time and we're all dead in trespasses and sins and
lost. And that's how we know that Scripture,
when it says we found grace in His sight, think of that. And He chose us. In that state, do you remember, he transcends
time. He's outside of time and space. This is constraining for
us. But he's outside of all that.
He controls it all. My little finite mind just makes
it want to explode thinking about that. But it's incredible. He chose us in our sin. He chose
us dead in trespasses and sins. My. And it is the grace of the
Son. God the Son. Jesus Christ is
in Him. This grace is provided and secured.
He ascended into the world to obtain salvation for the very
people the Father gave Him. He is the believers all in all.
And it is by the grace of the Son who became our surety to
effect it that this grace is given to us. It's all through
Him. It's in and through Christ. It is also that He assumed human
nature, obeyed and suffered in our place. The sinless One. The
sinless One. that we might be recipients of
this grace, and he has obtained eternal salvation for us, redeeming
us by his precious blood. It is also by the grace of the
Spirit who makes men to see and feel their need of salvation
in Christ, in him alone. And it is by his grace that he
draws us, he lovingly draws us to the Son, and he regenerates
us by his power, not by anything we do. But by His power, He grants
us faith and repentance to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Gives
us hope. I have a hope that I didn't have
before. Is it so with you? A hope now
in Christ, which is grounded and settled in Him, not in me. It's settled in Him. And sinners
are saved by the pure, free, and sovereign grace of God in
and through the Lord Jesus Christ. God can be a just God and a Savior
because of Christ. Christ is God incarnated in the
flesh. Do you know the word grace is
used in 159 different verses and it's used 170 times through
the scripture. It's important. It's important. So let us ponder these things.
God's grace made an everlasting covenant. God's grace chose out
of surety and chose out of people from out of the sea of humanity
who would be showing grace. Who would be showing grace in
Christ? Who is the lamb slain from the
foundation of the world, and they are the remnant, according
to the election of grace, turn, if you would, the Romans chapter
11, Romans chapter 11. And I'll read you 2 Corinthians
8, 9, which says this. For ye know the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes
he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. And
we are rich in Christ. Look at this, Romans 11, 5. Even
so then, at this present time also, there is a remnant according
to the election of grace. God, by his grace, sent his son,
the Lord Jesus Christ, to die as our surety, to redeem the
remnant according to the election of grace. He was on a mission. And he's successful. And you
know that now we are kept by the power of God. And if you
would, the first Peter one, we are kept by the power of God
through his grace and his mercy towards his people in Christ
Jesus. In grace. Grace will keep his
people blessed be first Peter one three to five. Blessed be
the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which, according
to his abundant mercy, has begotten us again to a lively hope by
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance
incorruptible and undefiled. And that fate is not a way reserved
in heaven for you. It's reserved in heaven for his
people who are kept. Who are kept. by the power of
God, through faith and salvation, ready to be revealed in the last
time. And grace always completes what it has begun. Being confident
of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you
will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. The grace of
God is free, like the light or the dew of heaven. And let us
remember that this grace acts from itself to itself. from itself
to itself, nothing of human power, nothing of human merit. It flows
from the pure, free and sovereign mercy of God in and through the
Lord Jesus Christ to his people and God's people say amen. Heavenly Father, we are just
in awe of your grace, which has been shown. We who believe we
are recipients of your grace. We found grace in your eyes where
we marvel at that because we know what we are. We're sinners
by birth, nature and choice. But oh, Lord, your mercy and
your grace towards us in Christ Jesus. May we think upon these
things this week in Jesus name. Amen.