By the Grace of God I Am What I Am

Q: What does the Bible say about grace and salvation?

The Bible teaches that salvation is solely by the grace of God, highlighting that no one is saved based on their merit but solely through God's sovereign choice. Scripture clearly communicates that salvation is a work of God's grace. Paul states in 1 Corinthians 15:10, 'But by the grace of God I am what I am.' This emphasizes that our standing before God is not based on our actions or worthiness but entirely on His unmerited favor. Romans 11:5 affirms this by describing a 'remnant according to the election of grace,' indicating that God's choice is not contingent upon any foreseen merit in us but is rooted in His sovereign will. Furthermore, Ephesians 2:8-9 echoes this truth, asserting that we are saved by grace through faith, and this not of ourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.

Q: How do we know election is true?

Election is affirmed in Scripture and is a foundational aspect of God’s grace, asserting that believers are chosen before the foundation of the world. The doctrine of election is firmly established in the Bible, particularly in passages such as Ephesians 1:4-5, where it states that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. This indicates that God's choice is not based on our actions or merits but solely according to His good pleasure and grace. In Romans 9:11-12, Paul discusses how God's purpose in election is based on His sovereign will and not on works. This reinforces the understanding that our election is rooted in God's character rather than any foreseen qualities in individuals. According to 2 Timothy 1:9, God has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to His own purpose and grace, further authenticating the truth of election.

Q: Why is humility important for Christians?

Humility is essential for Christians as it acknowledges our dependence on God's grace and helps maintain unity and love within the body of Christ. Humility is a profound virtue for Christians, as illustrated by Paul’s humility when he refers to himself as 'the least of the apostles' in 1 Corinthians 15:9. Recognizing our unworthiness before God leads to a more accurate understanding of our salvation, which is entirely of grace. As we embrace humility, it enables us to treat others with love and respect, reflecting the grace we've received. Philippians 2:3-4 encourages us to do nothing from selfish ambition but in humility consider others before ourselves. Furthermore, humility fosters a spirit of gratitude, helping us to appreciate the grace bestowed upon us without leading us to pride in our own accomplishments. In essence, humility allows us to honor God for what He has done in us, not what we have done ourselves.

Q: Why is grace essential in our Christian life?

Grace is essential in the Christian life as it is the foundation of our salvation and ongoing sanctification, enabling us to grow in faith. Grace is the unmerited favor of God that not only initiates our salvation but also sustains and empowers our Christian lives. Paul emphasizes this in 1 Corinthians 15:10, stating, 'By the grace of God, I am what I am,' indicating that our identity and progress in faith are due to divine grace. Furthermore, grace is the means through which sanctification occurs, as expressed in 2 Peter 3:18, which urges believers to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is through grace that we can persevere in faith, as Romans 5:2 indicates that we stand in grace and rejoice in the hope of God's glory. Therefore, grace is not merely a one-time act but an ongoing process that transforms us into the likeness of Christ.

Let's open our Bibles again,
if you will, to 1 Corinthians 15. And there's some things to
learn here tonight. I hope you'll take your Bibles
and turn to 1 Corinthians 15, and let's see what God will show
you that will be a means used by His Holy Spirit to strengthen
you in the faith of Christ, and to strengthen you in the fruit
of the Spirit, and to strengthen you in the love of Christ Jesus,
Strengthen you in the hope of eternal life and to strengthen
you for daily tasks and daily trials Now first Corinthians
10 or 15 10 fought by the grace of God. I am what I am Now I
know that first and foremost When this scripture is read and
when people preach on it Generally, we are impressed and we have
it impressed upon us that The deep humility of the Apostle
Paul. And that's true. Look back at
verse 9. He says in verse 9, I am the
least of the Apostles. Now he said these Apostles were
all with the Lord during his earthly ministry. They were with
him. I wasn't. He said these Apostles were by
his side. I wasn't. These Apostles saw
his death. And they were persecuted. because
of their relationship with Christ. And these apostles saw him when
he rose from the grave. Paul said, I saw him too now.
Don't misunderstand me. An apostle has to be one who
has seen the Lord and who got his commission and message directly
from the Lord. And Paul said, I saw him. Now
read on. He said, I'm the least of the apostles. I'm not fit
to be called an apostle. But back at verse 8, he said
he was seen of James and all the apostles, verse 8, and last
of all, he was seen of me also, as one born out of due time. Paul said, I saw him, and I received
my message from him. But I was like an abortive birth. And that's what this is here.
In other words, I was taken in an unnatural manner. Not like
the others. The others were called, and they
were taught, and they were prepared in the normal fashion by the
hand of the Lord himself. They were called, and they were
taught, and they were prepared. Well, he called me, too, and
he taught me, too. You know, Paul said he went into
Arabia, and there he stayed, what, three years, and was taught
the gospel, not by man, but by the Lord himself. And he said,
I saw him. He saw him on the road to Damascus.
But he said, I was called, and I saw the Lord, and I was taught
the gospel by the Lord himself, but not in the normal fashion. You see what he's saying there?
I was as one born out of due time. I was as one that had an
abortive birth. It wasn't like the normal procedure,
the fulfillment of certain times. That's where normal birth is.
It comes in the fulfillment of so many months, and then the
child comes forth, but Paul was snatched away. Paul was one who
was abruptly brought to knowledge of Christ, saw the Lord, was
taken into Arabia and taught the gospel and put out as an
apostle. He is an apostle, he says, but
not in the same fashion as the others, not in the normal procedure
that the Lord used for the other eleven. But I was like an abortive
birth. I was like an unnatural birth in my apostleship. And
he said in verse 9, I'm not worthy to be called an apostle because
I persecuted the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. I did all
that I could to destroy the name of Christ and his church. Then in another place he calls
himself less than the least of all the saints. In another place
he calls himself the chief of saints. And what I am, he said,
what I am an apostle, a preacher of the gospel, a believer in
Christ. What I am, I am by the grace of God alone, not because
of any merit, not because of any righteousness in me, although
I labored more abundantly than they all. Yet it wasn't I, but
the grace of God in me. And that shows his humility.
That shows his strong humility. But I see more than that in this
statement, and this is what I want to emphasize tonight. As I say,
first and foremost, when we read this scripture, we think of the
humility of Paul, and that's about as far as we take it. By
the grace of God, I am what I am. And we speak that in a humble
vein, and that's the way we're supposed to speak, and that's
what he's setting forth here in one area. But here are three
other things, and this is what I want us to look at tonight.
First of all, I see in this statement the doctrine of salvation. The
doctrine of salvation. I see, secondly, in this statement,
a living experience. And then I see, thirdly, in this
statement, a motto for future days. Now let's look at those
three things briefly. First of all, we see the doctrine
of salvation. Paul says in verse 10, but by
the grace of I am what I am. What am I? What am I? What are you? Well, first of
all, I'm one of God's elect. I'm one of God's elect. By the
grace of God, I'm one of God's elect. Turn back to Romans 11,
verse 5. I am one of God's elect. And
it's by the grace of God that I'm one of God's elect. In Romans
11, verse 5, Paul wrote here, speaking about Believers he said
even so Romans 11 5 even so then at this present time Also, there
is a remnant according to the election of grace According to
the election of grace now all that I was All that I was my
sin my guilt my death was all my own all that I am I owe to
thee my gracious God alone. Grace first inscribed my name
in God's eternal book was grace that gave me to the Lamb who
all my sorrows took. I'm one of God's elect, but I'm
one of God's elect by the grace of God. I'm not one of God's
elect because of something God saw in me. There never was, there
is not now, and never will be any good in me or in you. The
scripture says, in the flesh dwelleth no good thing. In the
flesh no man can please God. That which is flesh is flesh,
Christ said. That which is born of the flesh
is flesh, and it never can have anything good in it. There's
nothing God saw good in us, not then, not now, nor ever will
there be. I'm not one of God's elect because
of something good God saw in me, and I'm not one of God's
elect because of something God saw that I would do. In fact,
if God had left me alone, I would have continued in my darkness
and in my rebellion. If God had left me to my own
will, I would never have come to Him. I would never have believed
on Him. I would never have trusted Him.
I would never have received Him, and neither would you. I'm not
one of God's elect because God needed me. And brethren, it greatly
disturbs me when we leave the impression with anybody, I don't
care whether it be our loved ones, our families, our friends,
influential people or uninfluential people. It disturbs me when we
leave the slightest impression with any son of Adam that God
or the kingdom of God or the church of God can profit in any
measure by that person's presence. We are recipients, not givers. We are receivers, not contributors. What hast thou, he said, that
thou didst not receive? Who makest thee to differ? Now,
if you received it, why do you boast as if you didn't receive
it? We should not ever leave the impression with any individual
that the kingdom of God needs that person in any way, or the
church of God, or our Lord himself. God didn't choose us and elect
us because he needed us, but he did it for the glory of his
grace. and the praise of his grace.
I'm one of God's elect. By the grace of God, I'm one
of God's elect. T'was grace that set me apart
in covenant mercy. T'was grace that made me an object
of distinguishing love. T'was grace that separated me
from the mass of mankind. T'was grace that sent Christ
to bear my guilt. T'was grace that laid hold of
me in the pit. Grace decreed my election, decreed
what I am, and decreed what I shall be. By the grace of God, I am what
I am. What am I? Well, I'm one of God's
elect. Not because God saw what I would
do. Not because God saw any good
in me. Not because God needed me. But
it seemed good in his sight. And it pleased him. And he did
it for the glory of his grace. What am I? Well, secondly, I'm
justified. Turn to Romans chapter 3. That's
what Scripture says. I'm justified. In Romans chapter
3, verse 24. Now listen to this. By the grace
of God, I am what I am. What am I? One of God's elect.
By the grace of God. By the grace of God. Secondly,
I'm justified. Listen to this. In verse 23,
Romans 3, it says, We've all sinned, and we've all come short
of the glory of God, but being freely justified, or justified
freely by His grace, by His grace. Turn to Romans again, chapter
5. It says here in verse 6, When
we were without strength, In due time, Christ died for the
ungodly. Verse 8, But God commended his
love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us. Verse 10, For if, when we were
enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.
My friends, redemption is the masterpiece of grace. Being fully
worked out, being freely given by the grace of God. There is
nothing in any way that we contribute to the redemption of our souls.
Before the law of God, we're without sin. But that's not because
of us, it's because of the active obedience of our Lord. And by
that active obedience, he hath imputed unto us and charged to
our account a perfect righteousness. Before the law of God, I am holy. And before the justice of God,
I'm innocent. And this legal standing is not
by any deeds which I have done, but by the passive obedience
of my living Lord. In active obedience, he imputed
unto me a perfect righteousness. In passive obedience, he imputed
unto me a perfect holy standing before his Father. I'm redeemed
by the grace of God. By the grace of God I am what
I am. I'm one of God's elect by His
grace. I am redeemed by His grace. Now
turn to Jude 24. What am I? I am preserved. I am preserved. I am sealed. Old brother Johnny Hilliard who
lives over in North Carolina in a little town
called Fuquay Verena, North Carolina. I heard him preach several years
ago, and he was preaching on the sealing of the Holy Spirit.
And he told us about how his mother used to can vegetables,
and how the stove was hot, and she would cook them and all these
things. I don't know a great deal about canning. We freeze
everything now, you know, but she used to put them in jars.
and heat the jars some way, and then put the lid on them, had
a rubber seal on the lid, and she'd take them out of the hot
water and set them over there on the sink, and after a while
you'd hear them begin to pop. Like that, you know. And when
she heard them pop, she knew that they were sealed, that they
were preserved, that they wouldn't spoil, but if they didn't pop,
something was wrong. And they weren't sealed and they
wouldn't be preserved. Now we are kept and we are sealed
and we are preserved. Those are all scriptural terms.
Kept by the power of God. Sealed by the Holy Spirit. And
here in Jude 24 it says, Now unto him that is able to keep
you from falling. And to present you faultless
before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only
wise God our Savior be glory and majesty, dominion and power,
both now and forever. Amen. I hope, I sincerely hope
to continue in the faith of Christ. I sincerely hope to. Not departing
from his love, don't you? Well if I do, it'll be by the
grace of God. I hear people always say, well,
I hope you'll keep on keeping on. There's no slightest possibility
of it without his grace. I hope he'll keep on keeping
on. I hope to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. That
is my ambition and my desire. I hope it's yours. But there's
not the slightest, there's not the slightest hope that I'll
do any growing in grace except by his grace. I hope one day
to die and to be raised from the grave by the power of God.
I hope one day to be perfectly conformed to the image of Jesus
Christ. If this is my lot, it will totally
from beginning to end be by the grace of God and not because
of anything I have ever done or ever shall do. By the grace
of God I am what I am. I like the words of that song,
Here I raise mine Ebenezer. hitherto, hither by thy help
I am come." And that's what it means, Ebenezer. And I hope by
thy good pleasure safely to arrive at home. Now you can label this
doctrine antinomianism, you can label it Calvinism, you can label
it fatalism, you label it anything you want to. But this is the
Word of God. By the grace of God, I am what
I am. I think we label things because
we don't like them. We label them because we have
some aversion to them. This is just God's Word. What
am I? I'm one of God's elect. And for
no reason whatsoever except it seemed good in His sight, His
grace. I'm redeemed. And I made no contribution
before, I make no contribution now, I'll never make any contribution
to the redemption of my soul. I am redeemed by the blood of
Christ. And I am kept, I am preserved, not because I pray, not because
I preach, not because I live for God, not because I keep the
faith. I am preserved by the grace of
God. I am kept by his power." Now anything, this is what Paul
said, look back at 1 Corinthians 15, this is what Paul is saying,
I labored, he said, I labored, I labored more than you all,
yet not I, but the grace of God, which was with me. It wasn't
my labor at all, it was God in me. I live, yet not I. Christ liveth in me. Let's don't
take the credit for what the Lord does. Let's don't try to
share his glory. He said he'll not share his glory
with any man. That's why he chose the foolish.
That's why he chose the base. That's why he chose the things
that are not. That's why he chose these things, that he might get
all the glory. So that's the doctrine of salvation.
Then second, the second thing I see here now, I want I want
your attention carefully. This is something that is very
important, very important. I see here a living experience. I don't miss this. By the grace
of God, I am what I am. What am I? Well, I gave it to
you. I'm one of God's elect. I'm redeemed.
I'm kept. It's all by his grace. All right? That's the doctrine. Now here's
the experience by the grace of God. I am what I am. Grace as a doctrine is true. No question about it. That's
true. This Bible is true. Salvation is of the Lord. If
any man is lifted from the pit of sin, God will have to lift
him. That's true. If any man is ever redeemed,
God will redeem him. If any man is ever called, God
will call him. can come to me that my father draw. That's so. Not only a true doctrine, but
it must be preached. Whether men appreciate it, whether
they like it, or whether they believe it. It must be preached. Paul said, woe is unto me if
I don't preach the gospel. He said, Timothy, preach the
word. Be instant, in season, out of season. There's no season
to preach the truth, you just preach it. Preach God as he is,
and men as they are, and Christ as he is, and salvation for what
it is. And it ought to be believed,
salvations of the Lord. We're in the same shape, this
world's in the same shape Jonah's in, we've been swallowed by the
whale of sin, and the only way out is by his grace. But this doctrine, like the doctrine
of the existence of God, will be of no effect at all. Unless it's experienced. Now
listen to James. James said in James 2.19, Thou
believest there's one God. That's true doctrine isn't it?
There is one God. Paul wrote that. There's one
God and one mediator between God and me and the man Christ
Jesus. There's one God. You believe that? He said you
do well. The devil believes that and trembles.
In other words, a lot of good it'll do you just to believe
that. A lot of good it'll do you, he said. You believe there's
one God? A lot of good it'll do you to
believe there's one God. The devil believes there's one
God. You believe that salvation's of the Lord? Well, hallelujah. What good's it gonna do you?
You believe that a man cannot save himself, only God can save
him? Well, good for you. What good
it'll do you? Here's what he's saying. I'll
never get across a river by believing a bridge is the only way across.
Now listen to this important. I may stand on this side of the
river and believe that's the only bridge, as any fool can
plainly see, there's no other bridges around. That's the only
bridge. I was over in St. Louis last
week and they had four bridges. You can take your choice. But
you stand down here in Ashton, you've got one bridge. And that's
all. Just one bridge. But it's not
going I'm not going to get across the river by believing that.
I'm not going to get across the river by believing it'll hold
me. Why, that's a good bridge. That's a strong bridge. Well,
fine. I'm not going to get across the
river by believing that others have crossed on that bridge.
You follow me? You with me? Well, how in the
world am I going to get across that river? By committing myself
to that bridge. by casting myself upon that bridge. As Paul said, I know whom I have
believed and I am persuaded. He's able, he's able to keep
that which I've committed to him. It must be experienced. Doctrine is as dead as the words
on the paper without experience. Have I been made to see and to
feel and to own the blackness of my sin? Depravity to the believer
is not a doctrine, it's an experience. Brethren, I'm just as troubled
over what we call the Calvinist as I am the Arminian. They just
have two different kind of errors. One is, I'm afraid, many are
trusting their works And some of the others are trusting their
doctrine and their confidence in that doctrine and their faith
in that doctrine. Has the Holy Spirit ever broken up the cesspool
of my iniquity and made it to smell to me like it smells to
heaven? Have I ever fallen in my guilt
and mourned and wept over my sin as the publican in the temple
and sued heaven for mercy? Have I ever cried like the thief
on the cross to the sovereign Lord and said, save me, redeem
me, remember me? Have I ever, sinking beneath
the waves of my corruption, cried Christ, like Peter, save me or
I'll perish? Have I experienced it? You see
what I'm trying to say? By the grace of God, I am what
I am. By the grace of God, I am what
I am. I am something. I am a sinner
saved by grace. I am a sinner seeking the Lord.
I am a sinner trusting Christ. I am a sinner believing on the
Son. I am one resting on the Lord.
I am building on Christ the foundation. I am. You follow me? We experience this truth. It's
a living experience. It's not just a doctrine, it's
just not a belief. You're no better off. You're
no better off being a believer in sovereign grace than you are
a believer in human works if you've not experienced that grace. Really now, you're no better
off. You can perish trusting your
works and you can perish trusting your doctrine. You know this
is so and I know it's so. Well, I believe God's sovereign.
I believe in depravity. I believe in election. I believe
in particular redemption. I do too. But it's more than
just a doctrine. It's experience. I feel my guilt. I feel my need of his elective
grace. He had to choose me. I'd have
never chosen him. Christ's atonement is not a theory.
It's a person. It's a fact. It's a sacrifice. It's an offering. It's my redemption.
God preserving me and calling me and keeping me. He's real. By the grace of God, I am what
I am. And we experience this truth when we see the fall of
other people, other professors. I want you to listen to something
here. Sometimes I Somebody comes to me and said,
did you hear about so-and-so, they used to go to church every
Sunday and used to be a leader, used to be a preacher, used to
be this, that, and the other. Did you hear where they don't go
to church anymore and don't preach and don't worship the Lord? Isn't
that something? That doesn't surprise me. It's no surprise that professors
of faith should fail. That's no surprise. There's no
surprise that professors of religion should fall. You know what surprises
me? that all of us don't fall. I'm not surprised when people
fall. It's a miracle of grace that
people stand. That's the miracle. Paul said, by the grace of God
I am what I am. It's by the grace of God that
I stand. It's by the grace of God that
I continue. It's by the grace of God that
I walk in faith. It's a miracle of his grace that
I don't fall. That's the miracle. Have you
ever had anybody come to you and whisper to you and say, Did
you know that so-and-so has been a Christian 30 years? Isn't that
amazing? Aren't you surprised? Yeah, I
really am. I'm amazed. I'm amazed. But they don't say
that. They say, you know, so-and-so used to go to church and they
quit. Now that's what they're surprised about. I'm not surprised
about that. I'm surprised that really and truly. Here's an old
songwriter said this, when any turn from the Lord's way, alas,
what numbers do, I think I hear my Savior say, will you go away
too? Ah, Lord, with such a heart as
mine, unless you hold me fast, I feel I must, I shall decline
and prove like them at last. Amazing grace, how sweet the
sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost. But now I'm found. I was blind,
but now I see. It was grace that taught my heart
to fear, and grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed. Through many dangers, toils,
and snares, I have already come. It was grace that brought me
safe thus far, and grace will lead me home. If I'm here next
Sunday, it'll be by the grace of God. That's right. Paul W., if you're here next
Sunday, be with the grace of God. It won't be because of anything
in you. That's right. If you're here
next Sunday, be with the grace of God. It won't be because you're
a good man. No way. If word comes that that preacher
has quit preaching, you say, well, I'm not surprised. I'm
not surprised. I'm not surprised at all. But
what surprises me is that any of us should continue in grace.
This truth, by the grace of God, I am what I am, comes to us when
we're called, when we're kept. Now listen to me just a minute,
hear this, this is important. And in the time of great mercy, I wrote a little article for
the Bulletin Sunday, and this is the way I began. Unregenerate
men are surprised at adversity. and they take mercy for granted.
The regenerate heart takes adversity for granted and is surprised
at mercy. What am I saying? I'm saying
this, that the unregenerate man, when something happens in his
life, something dreadful, something unhappy, something sorrowful,
he says, why me, Lord? Why me? He's surprised at adversity. He's surprised at this time of
failure. But the believer, something good
comes in his life, and he says, why me, Lord? Huh? Is that correct? You say, no, it's not what it
ought to be. We deserve adversity. We're sinful creatures. We have
no claim on God. God said, Adam, when you eat
that fruit, you'll die. and thorns will come up, we're
surprised at the thorns. We don't thank God for the roses,
we take them for granted. I believe that. Jacob said, listen
to in Genesis 32, 10, Jacob said, I'm not worthy of the least of
your mercy. Peter said, old Peter was out
there fishing one day, and he hadn't caught a thing, not a
thing, he had an empty boat. And that's like, that's airing
like you coming in with an empty truck. That's like you, Jack,
having an empty garage. That was his livelihood. He had
an empty boat. And the Lord Jesus told him,
said, throw your net over there. He threw it over and got a whole
lot of fish. He said, fill the boat up. The
boat started sinking. He said, Lord, depart from me.
I'm a sinful man. When his boat was full of fish,
he said, Lord, I'm a sinful man. The more his grace and mercy
is revealed to a regenerate heart, the more humble that man lies
at his feet. The regenerate man, David said,
when I consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers and thy
hands, what is man that art mindful of him? Now, I don't know what
you call this, pessimism, or call it what you want to. But
brethren, I tell you, in a world of sin, in a world of unbelief,
in a world of rebellion, I expect the best. I'm not surprised. I take it for granted. And when God shows us a little
mercy, I'm amazed, aren't you? I thank God for a little mercy.
It's the way it ought to be, I think. By the grace of God,
I am what I am. By the grace of God. But don't
we so often fall into this terrible condition. We take the mercy
for granted and we find fault and we're surprised at this verse. Now thirdly, this, by the grace
of God, I am what I am, is a doctrine, it's a living experience, and
thirdly, it's a motto for future days. Turn the Philippians forward.
Philippians chapter 4. Here at verse 11, Paul said,
Not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned. And whatsoever state I am therewith
to be content. I know how to be abased. I know
how to abound. It's by God's grace that I'm
saved and kept, and by God's grace that I shall attain the
resurrection of the dead. I am his child, led by his hand. My life is directed by his providence,
and therefore, when I know that, by the grace of God, I am what
I am. If I know that, number one, he'll
keep me humble. What have I got to be proud of,
if by the grace of God I am what I am? Secondly, it'll make me
charitable toward other people. Now listen to me. If by the grace
of God I am what I am, why should I be harsh toward those who are
not as I am? If by the grace of God I am what
I am, then why should I sit in judgment on those who are not
what I am? I would be what they are, except
by His grace. If for the grace of God I believe
what I believe, why should I be uncharitable toward those who
do not believe what I believe? If it weren't for God's grace,
I'd believe what they believe. If for the grace of God I have
been lifted from a life of blasphemy and rebellion and drunkenness,
if it's for the grace of God I am what I am, why should I
be uncharitable toward those who are still in that particular
condition. Whereas if it weren't for his
grace, I'd be there with him. I think sometimes religious people who are strong
in doctrine, I hope we are, but I think sometimes that we give
the impression that we learned it by ourselves. I think we give
the impression sometimes that where we are, we got there, and
we expect everybody else to be there too, whereas it was by
the grace of God that I got there. It was by the grace of God that
I was brought there. And it's only an absence of His
grace that keeps them from coming there. That's right. I'll tell you the third thing,
if by the grace of God I am what I am, it gives me hope for other
people. give me a lot of hope. One time,
these names will mean something to some of you, to most of you,
or some of you it won't mean anything, but William Jay came
into John Newton's study one day, they were contemporaries,
and William Jay said to, Mr. Newton said to Mr. Jay, have
you heard that Mr. So-and-so of Bath wherever that
was in England, has been converted. And Jay said, no, do you mean
it? He said, that's right. Well,
William Jay said, I'll never despair of anybody else then,
since God saved that man. And wise, wonderful John Newton
replied, Mr. Jay, since God saved me, I've
never despaired of anybody else. You really feel that way? By
the grace of God. This is what I'm talking about
now. This doctrine won't get it. Any more than you believing
in one God. The devil believes that. But
if I can actually be brought to the place where by living
experience and a daily walk and attitude that I really believe
by the grace of God I am what I am, by the grace of God I know
what I know, by the grace of God I have what I have, by the
grace of God I believe what I believe, by the grace of God we have this
congregation. It's by the grace of God. It
ought to make me thankful. One old Puritan said this, All
who breathe in grace, breathe out praise. Think about that. All who breathe
in grace, breathe out praise. All that
I am here on earth, all that I hope to be, when the Lord Jesus
comes and glory dawns, I'll say I owe it, Lord, to thee. It'd change us. It would literally,
actually change us by God's grace, day by day. If we would learn
these things that God has given to us in his word, like that
statement right there, by the grace of God, I am what I am. By the grace of God, I am what
I am. And out of his grace, Paul said,
was not in vain. God doesn't give his grace in
vain. He accomplishes what he sets out to accomplish. Ronnie, you'd come lead us in
a hill if you would.

By the Grace of God I Am What I Am

What does the Bible say about grace and salvation?

How do we know election is true?

Why is humility important for Christians?

Why is grace essential in our Christian life?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

Joshua

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Music

Recent Comments

About

Legal

Subscribe

Account

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Recent Comments

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Collections

Music

About

Legal

Subscribe

By the Grace of God I Am What I Am

What does the Bible say about grace and salvation?

How do we know election is true?

Why is humility important for Christians?

Why is grace essential in our Christian life?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

More from Henry Mahan

Related Sermons

Articles by Henry Mahan

Books by Henry Mahan

Joshua

Where this book stands in the tradition

Plato

Augustine

The Western Christian Tradition

This Book