161016 The Gift of God's Grace

Ephesians 3:7-13 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. ⁸ To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, ¹⁰ so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. ¹³ So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

Paul’s ministry was begun on the road to Damascus when he was stopped in his tracks by the risen Lord Jesus (Acts 9). He could not have been persuaded by anything less. Paul, then known as Saul, was convinced he was serving God when he arrested the followers of Jesus and brought them to trial, and even execution. God had a different plan for his life. Saul’s attention was soon focused on Jesus as he was blinded so that he could think about the encounter.

Having been blessed with the grace of God being obedient to God became the most important goal in Paul’s life. When he was confronted by his fellow believers saying that he would be arrested and turned over to the Gentiles in Jerusalem if he went there he could say with confidence, “I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13). In his last meeting with the elders from Ephesus Paul poured out his heart of concern for them. He wanted them to know that he was ready to die for the one who has given him so much grace. For Paul, the gospel is not just four Spiritual laws, or three or four verses of Scripture, the gospel was a testimony of God’s grace. Paul wanted them to understand that…

Paul’s ministry was a gift from God. Look with me to Acts 20:24. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

His goal was to finish the course with honor. Later he would write to Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness…” (2 Timothy 4:7-8a). Clearly, having received the ministry of grace from Christ, Paul was willing to lay down his life in victory!

The gospel of God’s grace is not just a course of study. The gospel is, without question, “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,” (Romans 1:16). The gift of that grace, and the gospel that goes with it, depends upon God and not us! Apart from the power of God we are just clay pots without any strength. The gift that God gave to Paul, and to us, is secure because…

God’s power enabled that gift. Let’s look at 2 Corinthians 4:7-9. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. ⁸ We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;

Paul went on to say that even though we are persecuted we are never abandoned. We may be struck down but we will never be destroyed.

Remember Gideon? You can read his story in Judges Chapter 6. He had been hiding from the Midianites beating out grain in a winepress so that he could feed his family. Suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” This was an amazing thing for Gideon to hear. He could not believe that he would be used by God to defeat the Midianites. We don’t have time to look at the whole story today but suffice it to say that God gathered a large army around Gideon. And then God pointed out that the large army was too large! Any victory won would be attributed to the size of the army and not to God. So God went through a process of eliminating 32,000 men from the army.

This left Gideon with 300. And they were chosen because of the way they drank water! They did not have to be mighty men of valor! God was with them. In the same way, if God is for us who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

When the grace of God is released in us we are useful to God even though we are only clay pots. It doesn’t matter what our outside is it matters what is inside. It is very easy for us to fall into the same pattern Gideon was in — hiding from our enemy! When we really need to stand out and proclaim victory in Jesus!

Paul saw himself as the least likely tool. Look with me to 1 Corinthians 15:8-9. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. ⁹ For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Paul began the fifteenth chapter of the letter to the Corinthians by laying out the basic gospel! Christ had died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures. He was buried and raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He revealed Himself to His disciples and later to 500+ brothers at one time. Jesus appeared to James, His brother in the flesh. In the opinion of Paul all of these deserved being singled out by Christ. They had been faithful followers of Jesus. However, Paul was the least of the apostles! He was unworthy! He had persecuted the church! Now, Paul became a tool of God planting churches all over the Roman Empire. He was able to do this because God revealed to him the mystery, hidden for ages that the gospel was going to go out around the world and that…

Part of the mystery was the church. Let’s look at Colossians 1:26-27. The mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. ²⁷ To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Paul could rejoice in his suffering for the sake of the church. The mystery, as revealed to Paul, did not require Paul to be an eloquent speaker or a powerful champion of the church. Paul, like us, could be just a clay pot yet that pot is filled with Jesus. God’s wise plan, hidden as a mystery for hundreds of generations, was that He would save the Gentiles as well as the Jews. Without concern for race or culture God’s grace is, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27b)

We should remember daily — perhaps on an hourly basis — that there is a real dwelling of Christ in us. Not just that we agree with Christ about religion but instead we have a relationship with Christ who is IN US! The fact that we are only clay pots does away with all pride and arrogance. We are nothing until Christ comes to live in us and we become the children of God. We are totally dependent upon Him for any possibility of victorious living in this evil world.

The secret that God had kept was kept from all of his creation. When he established the church it became a tool through which…

Angels and demons both learned from the church. Look with me to 1 Corinthians 2:8. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

This was the secret hidden wisdom from God. Something that the principalities and powers did not understand. We need to remember that the “rulers of this age” only appear to be the humans. Their humanity is lost in the driving force of the prince of the power of the air the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience (1 John 5:19). Our real enemy is Satan, not people, and we can rejoice in the fact that he did not understand the significance of the cross, the tomb and Jesus’ resurrection!

When Jesus died for the sins of all those who would believe in Him He took these sins to the grave and left them there! On the third day after Jesus’ death on the cross when His body was renewed and restored He defeated death and took the evidence of His sacrifice into the throne room in heaven. Once for all, Jesus’ sacrifice became a victory over Satan!

Jesus’ victory gave Paul boldness. Look with me at 2 Corinthians 3:11-12. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. ¹² Since we have such a hope, we are very bold

Paul picked up on the victory that Jesus gave and became very bold in the proclamation of that gospel. This same experience had occurred with Peter. On the night of Jesus’ trial Peter, along with the others, hid from the authorities and even denied that he knew Jesus! Then Peter and the other disciples barred the doors locked the gates and trembled in fear until Mary came and told them that Jesus had risen from the dead. Still they did not believe until Jesus actually entered their presence. However, after he proved to them that he had conquered death they came out of their fear and boldly proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, they were so bold that it was said that they turned the world upside down from the perspective of the Roman authorities (Acts 17:6).

Peter, who denied his Lord in front of a serving girl, later went boldly into Jerusalem after the resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit and preached Jesus, crucified and resurrected. He willingly endured imprisonment and ultimately was crucified upside down in Rome.

Paul, being convinced of what he had seen on the road to Damascus, went on to face many trials. By his own testimony he was imprisoned, beaten so many times he lost count. Five times he said that the Jews had beaten him with 40 lashes less one. Three times he was beaten with rods and once he was stoned! Three times he was shipwrecked and he constantly faced danger for his Lord Jesus! Paul’s full account can be found in 2 Corinthians 11:16-29.

Paul’s faith strengthened his confidence. Look with me to 2 Corinthians 3:4-6. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. ⁵ Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, ⁶ who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Paul did not have confidence because of his great education he had confidence because Christ had come to live in him providing him with all the strength he needed. Paul realized that he did not have anything in himself that made him able to live a godly life. He had to have the ability given by God.

Today, the situation remains the same. We do not have sufficient strength to face all the confusion going on in the world today. We simply do the best we can, as far as we understand it and God makes up the difference.

It is the gift of God’s grace that sustains us and enables us to love others into the kingdom of God.

The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the greatest message that has ever been released on earth. When Adam and Eve sinned God would have been perfectly right in destroying them along with the rest of the creation. However, God had prepared a way to deal with man’s freedom which led to mankind’s rebellion. God’s grace was revealed in that first sin. God made a way to cover their sin. The substitutes that died in the Garden of Eden provided their bloody skin to cover the nakedness of our first ancestors. From that time forward mankind’s sin was covered by the blood of innocent sacrifices. Until finally God Himself provided the sacrifice in Jesus’ death on the cross. And therefore, by God’s grace, we are privileged to be able to confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, believing in our heart that God raised Him from the dead and therefore we are saved!

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

161009 The Mystery of God’s Grace

Ephesians 3:1-6 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— ² assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, ³ how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. ⁴ When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵ which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. ⁶ This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Grace is defined by some as God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense! Certainly that is too narrow a definition for us to truly understand what grace is all about. Part of the mystery of God’s grace is the truth that He gives people innumerable blessings aside from salvation. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said about His Father, “For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). The goodness of God is seen in His grace. That common grace for all people is different from “saving grace”. God’s saving grace brings about salvation for those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul wrote to the Ephesians about a “mystery” that God had revealed to him.

It is my hope and prayer that you will grasp the concept of grace that is shaped by God’s love for the people that He has called to Himself. For many generations the grace of God was kept from most people. During that time God developed His relationship to mankind step-by-step. I believe that there has never been a time that God was left without a witness on earth. During the days of Noah it seems that the lineage of belief was thinned to the point that only one man, and his family, were faithful to God. With the worldwide flood God gave mankind a new beginning. God did not spare the ancient world its punishment but he preserved Noah (2 Peter 2:5). Now let’s look at Paul’s testimony regarding the grace of God…

That grace was a stewardship given to Paul. Look with me to Colossians 1:24-27. Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, ²⁵ of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, ²⁶ the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. ²⁷ To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

About 700 years before Christ’s birth God revealed to Isaiah that He intended all nations to come to Him. In Isaiah 49:6 God said, “I will make you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Later, in Isaiah 66:18 God said, “the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory,”.

This truth of the grace of God was revealed by Jesus to the apostle Paul on the road to Damascus and in the days immediately after his vision. This truth was hidden away in the Old Testament waiting to be understood at the right time.

The very design of the Temple told of God’s coming grace. As a part of the teaching and worship around the temple there were different courtyards for different people. There was a women’s court, a men’s court and the court of the Gentiles. This latter court was put there so the nations could come to worship God. When Jesus came onto the scene He found that courtyard being used by the moneychangers and the con artists selling sheep, cattle and birds. Matthew tells us that Jesus said to them, “It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.” (Matthew 21:13)

In the process of God preparing people to hear the gospel…

This mystery was hidden for ages. Let’s look at Acts 17:30-31. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, ³¹ because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

The King James Version tells us that God winked at the ignorance of saving grace for many ages. I like the ESV’s translation that it was a time of ignorance that God allowed until he was ready to reveal the mystery. Paul would write to the Galatians telling them that God sent His Son at the right time (Galatians 4:4). Throughout all generations there were some — like Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18-20) — who knew God and worshiped Him. With the coming of Jesus into the world it was time for all people everywhere to repent of their sin and turn to the Christ as Lord and Savior. Jesus Himself will judge the world in righteousness at the end of the age.

At the right time…

This mystery was revealed by the Spirit. Let’s look at the words of Jesus found in John 16:12-14.  “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³ When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

The Holy Spirit has always been with the creation and mankind. In the very beginning “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2). From that time forward even until today the Holy Spirit has been God with us! Jesus spoke of the situation when He said that the Father “will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, ¹⁷ even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17) During the ministry of Jesus on earth the Spirit of God was with Him because God cannot be divided into parts. The Holy Spirit conceived Christ in Mary’s womb and protected Him throughout His early years and came to visibly settle on Him at His baptism. The Holy Spirit was present wherever Jesus was. In the upper room, after His resurrection, Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). With this action Jesus protected them until the day of Pentecost when the Spirit was poured out on them — and in them! From that point forward the Holy Spirit has been the enlightener and interpreter concerning all the things Jesus’ disciples need to know.

A part of what the Holy Spirit revealed is the fact that…

This mystery relates to the Gentiles. Look at the record in Acts 13:46-47. And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. ⁴⁷ For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”

Paul had been invited to speak to the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia and had been allowed to present the gospel clearly to them. When they returned the next Saturday a huge crowd gathered. When the Jews saw the crowds they were filled with jealousy and begin to argue with Paul. With their rejection of the gospel Paul now announces, “we are turning to the Gentiles.” This was no surprise to Paul because he had been told at the very beginning of his ministry what to expect. Jesus told Ananias to go to Paul and pray for him to be healed because he had been blinded by the light that was Jesus on the road to Damascus. Part of the message Paul would have received from Ananias were the words of Jesus about Paul, “he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.” (Acts 9:15) So Paul knew that he would be going before the Gentiles with a message. But his habit had been to go to the Jews first and then, when rejected by them, to turn to the Gentiles.

The segregation that had been practiced by the Jews over the centuries since they received the Law from Moses and settled in Canaan was now to come to an end in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The mystery that God had held back for generations was…

They are fellow heirs. Look with me at Romans 8:16-17. The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

In writing to the mostly Gentile church in Rome Paul wanted the believers there to know that we are children of God! “We” represents all believers — Jew and Gentile — throughout history! Since we are all children of God we are also heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. This truth brings about an equality in the church that had never been known in the synagogue. Having been born of God…

They are members of the same body. Let’s turn to 1 Corinthians 12:13.  For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

Whether Jews or Greeks? Slaves or free? Yes we are all baptized into one body! And we are all made to drink of one Spirit! This mystery, now unveiled, was amazing to Paul and should be breathtaking to us. Throughout history God has chosen people to represent Him on earth. With the ministry, execution and resurrection of Jesus and the beginning of the church the revealing of God’s mystery is that…

They are partakers of the promise. Look with me at Galatians 3:27-29. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

Having been baptized into Christ by the Holy Spirit — symbolized in water baptism — believers are dressed up in Jesus! So far as spiritual life is concerned there is equality! Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, emphasizes the fact that there is no class of people or social standing that can claim any special status or privilege in the church. So far as relationship to God is concerned there are no inferior or superior people. We all have equal membership in Christ’s body for all eternity.

Let me quote from Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, page 459. “This equality is an amazing and wonderful element of the Christian faith and sets Christianity apart from almost all religions and societies and cultures. The true dignity of godly manhood and womanhood can be fully realized only in obedience to God’s redeeming wisdom as found in Scripture.”

Spiritually we have equal standing with differences in roles. Just as God the Father speaks creation into being, God the Son carries out the work of creation and the creation is sustained by the presence of the Holy Spirit. In a similar manner the body of Christ has many members and the members do not all have the same function (Romans 12:4). For us today…

This promise was delivered through the gospel. Let’s look at Paul’s writing in Romans 1:16-17. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹⁷ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

God’s grace is delivered to all mankind through the gospel, the good news that Jesus took our sins to the cross. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is Lord and believes with all their being that God has raised Him from the dead will be saved. In the gospel Jesus becomes our peace who breaks down the dividing wall of prejudice and hostility.

God shows His righteousness in the gospel and gives that righteousness to us. The way it works is Jesus became our substitute. Since He had no sin of His own He could pay the price for our sin and we could become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). That is a wonderful exchange since we have no righteousness of our own we can become the righteousness of God.

We now see in the first few verses of Ephesians chapter 3 that God has released the mystery of His grace. I praise God that that mystery includes the possibility of my being saved and made a part of the family of God. Apart from God’s grace there would be no hope for us in this world or the world to come. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God! The wages of sin is death! But God demonstrates His love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! And therefore, by God’s grace, we are privileged to be able to confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, believing in our heart that God raised Him from the dead and therefore we are saved!

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.