The title of my message tonight
is His Grace. His Grace. My text will be Ephesians
chapter 2, verses 4 through 9. Almost everyone who professes
Christianity in any denomination, in any church group, says that
salvation is by grace. Sadly, the grace they believe
The grace they teach is anything but His grace. The grace they
teach, the grace they believe, is the grace that somehow leaves
something in your hands. Somehow it leaves something in
your hands. Something dependent upon you. Something to be determined by
you. Not His grace. The grace that's
commonly believed and taught and preached by the vast majority
of religious people is grace that talks about God saving sinners. And yet, when the sinner hears
the message that's preached, he's fully convinced that somehow
he must do something to get God's salvation. He must do something
to complete God's salvation. He must do something to crown
God's salvation. He must muster something from
within that will cause God to save him. Nothing could be further
from the truth. So I want to talk to you this
evening, and I want to give clear, clear, clear instruction concerning
His grace. If you found Ephesians 2, read
with me beginning at verse 4. But God But God, two of the richest,
most blessed words in all of language, but God. I was running as fast as I could
to hell, but God stepped in. I was dead in trespasses and
in sins, but God intervened. I was lost. and glad to remain
lost, but God found me. I was dead, but God gave me life. But God, who is rich in mercy,
for his great love wherewith he loved us. Even when we were
dead in sin, He loved us not because we did something to win
his love. He loved us even when we were
dead in sins and hath quickened us together with Christ. Now that statement means much,
much more than most people imagine. Certainly it does tell us that
God gave us life in Christ in his sovereign work of regeneration.
But it tells us more than that. When Jesus Christ was quickened
from the dead, we were quickened from the dead with him in union
with him. We were quickened, hath quickened
us together with Christ. Now watch this, by grace ye are
saved. And hath raised us up together
and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. He raised us up from the dead.
caused us to ascend with our Savior in union with him and
sat us down in heaven itself even with Christ Jesus our Lord
the forerunner who will bring us at last in the fullness of
bodily resurrection into heavenly glory. And he did it for this
purpose that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches
of his grace in his kindness toward us Christ Jesus. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast. Not of works, lest any man should
brag about what he did, about what he is, about what he contributed,
about what he performed. Now this message is important
for four reasons. Paul says three times in our
text that God has saved us by his grace. And the message is
important because salvation by grace utterly destroys all room
for human boasting. Boasting excluded, pride I abase,
I am only a sinner saved by grace. Who maketh thee to differ from
another. And what hast thou that thou
didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it,
why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it? But I
have faith, who gave it to you? But I have repented, who gave
you repentance? But I have turned to God, who
turned you? But I have come to the Lord,
but who brought you? Well, that means Didn't do anything. That's it. That's it Salvation
is by his grace and leaves nothing for you to boast it if your idea
of salvation Allows you to a boast that somehow the difference between
you and other people The difference between you and the most vile
Reprobate walking on earth or the difference between you and
the most vile wretch in hell If you have the idea that somehow
the difference is because of you, your idea of grace is altogether
contrary to scripture. The gospel of the grace of God
doesn't teach such, and God's people, God's people, not those
who profess to be God's people, God's people, every saved sinner
knows and acknowledges that everything he possesses of grace is given
to him by grace. We believe because God gave us
faith to believe. We repent because Jesus Christ
is a prince and a savior, exalted to give repentance to his elect. We recognize that God uses men
to preach the gospel. And I appreciate and I encourage
the honor you give to men who preach the gospel of God's grace.
But Paul said, who is Paul? And who is Apollos? These famed
preachers, but ministers. The word is servants. Who is
Don Fortner or Henry Mahan or Todd Niebuhr? Just servants. Instruments in the hand of God
by whom God brings the gospel to you and by whom you believe. Yes, thank God for faithful men. Pray for them. But don't ever
get the idea that somehow the preacher, if he was just more
talented, if he just had greater abilities, if it had been this
fellow preaching, things would be different. No, no, no. The
preacher is just an instrument by whom God carries the gospel
to chosen sinners. And all believers recognize,
confess, and give thanks for this fact. Salvation is altogether
the gift of God's grace. To you, it is given in the behalf
of Christ. to believe on His name and to
suffer for His sake. Not only that, but all the graces
of God's Spirit that we possess are nothing but the fruit of
the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit, Paul
tells us, is love, joy, peace. Long-suffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law. Not the fruits of the Spirit,
the fruit of the Spirit. So that wherever the Spirit of
God is found, these things are found. Wherever the Spirit of
God is found, nature has been given us that it brings forth
fruit unto God. And this too is God's gift of
grace. This message is important. Secondly,
because salvation by grace alone means that God alone, gets all
the praise, all the honor, and all the glory for it. Look back
in chapter one of Ephesians. Paul has told us about God's
election, God's adoption, God's predestination, Christ's precious
accepting of us, or us being accepted in him, the beloved,
according to the good pleasure of his will. And he says he did
this to the praise of the glory of His grace. And then in verse
6, down through the next section here, down to verse 12, he tells
us about Christ's redemption and God's providence and God's
revelation of grace and God working out His purpose of grace. And
he says in verse 12 that we should be to the praise of His glory
who first trusted in Christ. And then in verse 13, And 14,
he talks about the seal, the call of God the Holy Spirit.
And he tells us that this is done unto the praise of His glory. So that God the Father has all
the praise for His purpose of grace. God the Son has all the
praise for His purchase of grace. And God the Holy Spirit, all
the praise for His performance of grace in us by His omnipotent
power. Now here's a litmus test for
all doctrine. For all doctrine. Doesn't matter
whether you're talking about church doctrine or baptism or
the Lord's Supper or salvation or the second coming of Christ.
Here's a litmus test for all doctrine. Doesn't matter whether
you're talking about the believer living for God's glory in this
world or living by God's grace in salvation. Here's a litmus
test for all doctrine. if it smooths your feathers just
the right way, causes you to leave looking at yourself, and
causes your chest to swell with pride, and you look at yourself
and say, now there, that's the thing that gives me joy. You
can mark it down. It is not the doctrine of God,
but the doctrine of devils. If, on the other hand, it leaves
you bowing before the throne of God, crying, not unto us,
O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, then you
can bank on it. It is the doctrine of God. Any
doctrine, any religion, any notion of religion, any experience of
religion that leaves you looking to yourself rather than looking
away from yourself to Christ the Lord is false doctrine. Third,
this message is important because any mixture of grace and works,
any mixture of merit and mercy, any mixture of what you do with
what God does is not just terribly evil, it is absolutely damning. Mix grace and works and you'll
go to hell. Mix merit and mercy and you'll
go to hell. Turn over to Galatians just back
a couple of pages, chapter 5. We're saved by grace alone through
faith alone in Christ alone. Grace plus anything is not salvation
but damnation. Faith plus anything is not salvation
but damnation. Christ plus anything is not salvation,
but damnation. If it be by grace, then it is
no more of works. Otherwise, grace is no more grace. If it be of works, then it's
no more grace. Otherwise, work is no more work. Look at Galatians chapter 5,
verse 2. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you, that if you be circumcised,
Christ shall profit you Nothing If you be circumcised, what's
he saying? What's he saying? He's not just
talking about folks going back to Jewish services and Gentiles
deciding that they need to be circumcised be saved He's saying
this if you Seek to do anything I'm not looking for something
to say, I want you to hear me. If you seek to do anything by which
to win God's favor, by which to improve your standing in God's
favor, by which to make yourself acceptable to God, Jesus Christ
is nothing to you. His obedience, His death profits
you nothing. Absolutely nothing. You receive
no benefit from Him. Look at chapter 5 again, verse
4. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are
justified by the law. You've fallen from grace. That
doesn't mean that you once had grace and then you lost it. No,
no. It means you never had it. You've
missed it altogether. You've fallen away from the gospel
of God. This is the very thing Paul was
concerned about with these Galatians. He said, I marvel that you're
so soon removed from the gospel of Christ to another gospel.
He said, if you seek to be justified by what you do, if you seek to
be made righteous by what you do, you've missed the gospel
altogether. Now, once more, as I said at
the beginning, this message is very important because very few
people, very few professing Christians, Very few of your friends and
neighbors and relatives, very few preachers, conservative or
liberal, Calvinistic or Arminian, have any idea what the grace
of God is. Most people have the idea that
somehow grace is a deep, sincere passion in God's heart to save
sinners. Or that grace is something God
offers to sinners? Or even worse, that grace is
an instrument God gives to sinners by which they can save themselves? Or grace is just God giving sinners
a chance to be saved? I recall years ago, I'd finished
preaching one Sunday morning. A lady was visiting with us,
assisted one of the ladies in the congregation at lookout.
This had been a long time ago. I was just a young man. And I
got done preaching. Didn't give an altar call didn't
give what they call an invitation what folks called an invitation
And she came out the door and she said brother Don that was
such a good sermon But said you didn't give any anybody a chance
to be saved. I said do what? You didn't give
anybody a chance to be safe. I said people aren't saved by
chance people are saved by purpose by the grace of God and Nothing,
nothing could be further from the truth that somehow grace
is just a passion in God, an opportunity God gives to men,
something God offers men. Oh, no. Grace is an attribute
of God, and grace is the work and operation of God by which
He saves sinners. Grace, God's grace, is this marvelous,
marvelous work of His mighty hand. I'm talking to you now
about His grace. His grace. Here are some things
that distinguish God's grace from what men commonly have in
their heads when they think about grace. Turn to 2 Timothy chapter
1. 2 Timothy chapter 1. His grace, God's grace, is eternal. It's eternal. It has no beginning. It has no commencement. It has
no end. 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 9. The Apostle Paul, I've chosen
this passage because here Paul is writing his last inspired
epistle. And he's writing to his young
son in the faith, this man who was saved under his ministry
and taught to preach the gospel under his ministry, Timothy. And he's describing the gospel
that he had taught him. He says, this is the gospel God
sent me to preach. This is the gospel I preach to
you. God, verse 9, hath saved us and
called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us
in Christ Jesus before the world began. but is now made manifest
by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ. This grace, this
salvation, given to us in Christ before the world began, by which
we were saved from eternity, is made manifest in the experience
of grace by the experience of grace when Christ is manifest,
revealed in us. This one who has abolished death
and brought life and immortality to light by the gospel. God's
grace, His grace is eternal. And His grace is immutable. The fact is, anything that's
eternal is immutable. It can't be changed. It can't
be altered. It can't be violated. It can't
be added to. It can't be taken from. It is
immutable. The Lord God speaks these words
and how we ought to rejoice in them. I am the Lord, I change
not. Therefore, Don Renneri, in spite of all
you are and in spite of all you do, God doesn't change. Therefore, you sons of Jacob
are not consumed. Don Fortner, In spite of all
you are, in spite of all you do, God doesn't change. Therefore, you sons of Jacob
are not consumed. Have you got that? The gifts
and callings of God are without repentance. And third, turn to
Romans chapter nine, Romans the ninth chapter. God's grace, his
grace is eternal. It's immutable. It's sovereign. Look at verse 11. 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? Because he loved Jacob and hated
Esau? People everywhere say, that's just not right. That's
just not right. Who are you to say that what
God does is not right? Who am I to even question what
God does? Oh no. If God does it, it's right. It's right because God does it.
You understand that? If God does it, it's right. It's
right because God does it. Whether you understand it or
don't, whether you like it or don't, if God does it, it's right. He said, Jacob have I loved,
but Esau have I hated. And he said that while those
baby boys were still in their mother's womb, And he specifically
tells us, he said, Jacob have I loved before he ever did anything
good. And Esau have I hated before
he ever did anything evil. In fact, if you read the character
of those men as they walked in this world from childhood to
death, If you looked at one and looked at the other, you'd say,
well, Jacob was Esau's brother, but Esau's the fellow I choose. He's the one his daddy chose,
too. Esau's a much more impressive man, but not God. God said before they were born,
Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. Look at verse 15.
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. What on earth does that mean?
It's of God that showeth mercy. It's of God that showeth mercy.
That's not all he said. He said, it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. Sitting here a few minutes ago,
preparing to preach, and as you came in and sat down, looking
at you, praying that God would speak to you, and for you who
yet know him not, I want you to understand this.
I want you to hear me. Hear God. If God leaves you alone,
you're going to hell. If God leaves you to yourself,
you're going to hell. There's no hope for your soul
except God's sovereign grace. Except God step in. except God intervene, except
God stop you in your mad rush to hell. So then, it is not of
him that willeth, nor of him that runneth. It's not by your
will and it's not by your works, but of God that showeth mercy.
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh. What's this got to do
with us then? Everything. Everything. This is not talking about salvation
and damnation. Oh, yes it is. This is talking
about everything. The Scripture saith unto Pharaoh,
even for this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might
show my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout
all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom
he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth. Go back to
our text in Ephesians chapter two. God's grace, God's grace,
it's eternal. It's immutable and it's sovereign. And the grace of God, his grace,
is effectual. Always effectual. God never tries. God never tries. Years ago, I said to my friend,
Brother Harry Graham, I said, Harry, I believe the Lord's trying
to teach me something here. We were referring to some passage
of scripture. He said, oh, no, son. He said, Brother Don, God
doesn't try. God teaches. God never tries
anything. God never makes an effort at
anything. God does. God performs. God's grace doesn't try to save
sinners. God's grace doesn't offer salvation
to sinners. God's grace doesn't give an opportunity
for salvation. God's grace effectually saves
sinners by His own mighty operations. Look at verse 8, Ephesians 2.
For by grace are you saved through faith, And that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Salvation is by sovereign, free,
effectual grace. I may have told you this just
recently, but it'll bear repetition. When I was in college, Winston-Salem,
North Carolina used to sell shoes. down on Trade Street, and about
75% of our customers were black folks, and they'd come in and
lay shoes away. And they'd put a little bit of
money down and come in and pay on them week by week, a couple
of dollars every week or so, until they paid for their shoes.
And when we'd lay the shoes away, we had to fill out a receipt
and put their name and address, telephone number and everything
on there, and every time they'd come in, we'd get a receipt book
out and mark it down and mark off until they had the shoes
paid for. And I had a customer who came in, Older lady, I had
no idea what her age was, but she was an older lady. And she
got a pair of shoes she liked real well, skinny as a rail. I can picture her right now.
And I went and got the receipt pad and sat down to get her name
and address, telephone number. I said, could I have your name,
please? And she said, Grace Grabs. And I said, do what? She said,
Grace Grabs. I said, ma'am, I don't know whether
you know it or not, but that's exactly what grace does. She said, sure
do, honey. Oh, my God. By His omnipotent
grace, grab you from the path of hell and destruction and set
you in the path of life. Oh, Spirit of God, Grab sinners
by omnipotent mercy and give them life and faith in Jesus
Christ our Lord. This is his grace. It is eternal grace. It is immutable
grace. He which hath begun a good work
in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. His
immutable grace is sovereign grace. Why did God save me? Why did God save you? Just because He would. That's all. That's all. And this
grace of God is effectual grace. effectual grace. It always gets
the job done. I don't try to manipulate folks into
making a profession of faith. I don't try to manipulate you
into having some kind of religious experience. I don't depend on
singing just the right way and telling just the right stories.
And I certainly don't depend on my abilities as a preacher
to get you to know God. I do beg God for you that he
would by the hand of omnipotent mercy may hold on your hearts
and give you life and faith in Jesus Christ by his omnipotent
effectual grace to the praise of His glory. And I wait for
Him to do so. Amen.