Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn.
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Can you identify God's three
greatest gifts to humanity?
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If we recognize His
three greatest gifts of grace,
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we will recognize the
effects of God's grace.
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Please join us now as we look
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into the good news
from the word of God.
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Welcome to "The Grace Pipeline."
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This series is a
Bible study if you will.
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It's a journey through scripture
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and it follows the Bible
study that I was privileged
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to write on the topic
of grace by the same title.
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On our last
program, we considered
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how the love of God
is the compelling force
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behind the grace of God.
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Today we will identify
God's three greatest gifts.
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And that will help
us to define grace.
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If you are following
along in the companion book,
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we are beginning
in chapter 1 page 15.
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Now on the last program
I shared an illustration
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the Lord gave to me
that helps us understand
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his super system of grace
as explained in scripture.
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I want to do a
quick review with you.
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God's heart
wells with love for us.
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And from that well of love
flow all of God's blessings.
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Grace is the pipeline
through which all of these
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blessings come
from heaven to earth.
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Faith is the faucet.
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It's how we tap into
God's grace pipeline.
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And our faith regulates
the release of blessings
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from His great reservoir.
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Prayer is the handle
that opens the faith faucet,
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trust is the foundation
for the prayer of faith,
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and relationship is
the foundation for trust.
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So love is the
foundation for any relationship.
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The greater our understanding
of God's love for us,
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the greater our
love will be for Him.
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In 1 John 4:19 the Apostle says
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"We love him
because He first loved us."
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Greater love creates a more
intimate relationship with Him
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which creates more trust.
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And that trust
helps us to increase
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our persistence in praying.
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Prayer develops
actions of faith.
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And faith is how we tap
into God's grace pipeline
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and receive His
wonderful blessings.
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So what is grace?
How do we define it?
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If you've been a
Christian for any length of time
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I can almost hear you
muttering God's unmerited favor.
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Yes, yes, that's it, isn't it?
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For all the years that I
have shared this teaching,
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that is the standard
responses that audiences give
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when I pose this question.
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However I find fault
with this definition.
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It is not that it is untrue.
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It is just far
too narrow to express
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the spectacular scope of grace.
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And when I urge
people to elaborate
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on the definition of grace
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they will often
offer the explanation,
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meaning God's graciousness to us
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manifested in His undeserved
mercy that saves sinners.
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No, no, no. God's
graciousness is an attribute.
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It is an--His attitude and
attribute of His character.
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But grace is an act
of the divine donor.
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He expresses his
dynamic forces of His grace
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through specific acts and gifts.
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Let me illustrate
this important distinction.
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Our gracious God is merciful.
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That's His
attitude, His attribute.
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But by grace he extends
pardon, a specific act or gift.
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Before we unpack
the customary definition
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of God's unmerited favor,
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let's examine
something of interest
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from the
original Greek language.
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What I'd like to do
is just briefly consider
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four related Greek words.
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And those words are chairo,
charis, charisma, and charakter.
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So what is chairo?
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Chairo is the
root word for grace.
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And it means to rejoice.
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Charis, that is
actually the word for grace.
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And it represents
multiple but related concepts.
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It's used in
numerous senses in scripture.
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It can mean gracefulness,
loveliness, agreeableness,
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acceptableness,
gratitude or thankfulness.
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But by far, the most prominent
meaning is the act of favor,
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the goodwill gift,
freely bestowed by God.
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And when it comes to
charis, the word "grace,"
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I like what
Strong's Concordance offers.
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It's a most notable
definition of grace.
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Here is what
Strong's Concordance says.
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That grace is "the
divine influence upon the heart
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and its reflection in the life."
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So now let's
consider "charisma."
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That is a divine gift of grace.
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And charismata is the
plural form of this noun.
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And then there is "charakter."
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This is a related
word that has to do
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with a genuine
engraved work of art
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in which the
features of the created image
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perfectly match the instrument
or the person producing it.
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This word stresses complete
similarity, an exact image of,
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or the express representation
of something or someone.
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We derive the English word
character from this definition.
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And that's to define the
moral nature of a person.
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So these four
related Greek words paint--
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they come from
the New Testament.
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They're grouped together.
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They paint an
incredible word picture.
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Did you perceive it?
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God pours out His
charis, His grace from on high
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through his heavenly
pipeline to offer us charismata,
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His gifts of
grace, with divine power
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that will recreate within
us a charakter or character
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that is in harmony
with His divine nature.
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That's why the root word of
grace is chairo, to rejoice.
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You know we can rejoice.
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Grace results in
our rescue and renewal.
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God desires to fashion us
into His genuine work of art,
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recreating in us His very image.
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Our transformation is
a work of God within us
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accomplished by His grace.
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That's what the Apostle Paul
explained in Ephesians 2:10.
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And this is what it says,
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"For we are God's own
handiwork His workmanship,
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recreated in
Christ Jesus born anew
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that we may do those good works
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which God predestined
planned beforehand for us
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taking paths which He
prepared ahead of time,
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that we should walk in
them living the good life
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which He prearranged and
made ready for us to live."
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Now let's revisit the
standard definition of grace
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and see what we can uncover.
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Unmerited favor.
What does it mean?
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Well, unmerited means
that we don't deserve it.
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Not by self worth. There's
nothing we can do to earn it.
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And favor
represents a divine gift
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that bestows
blessing and benefit.
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So even within
conventional confines
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we see that grace
is a spontaneous action
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of love from God as
he bestows His free gifts
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on undeserving
people like me and like you
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who will accept His
generosity by faith.
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What is the single
most exceptional revelation,
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the greatest gift of God's love
to the rebellious human race?
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More accurately I
should say, who is.
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John 3:16 declares,
"For God so loved the world,
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He gave His only begotten Son
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that whosoever believes
in Him should not perish.
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But have everlasting life."
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And Paul takes note of
God's overwhelming generosity,
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saying in Romans 8:32, "He
who did not spare His own Son
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but delivered Him up for all,
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how shall He not with Him
also give us all good things."
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Nothing else can compare
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to the gift of God's
grace found in our Savior.
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And Romans 5:2 informs us
that it is through Christ Jesus
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that we have access
by faith into this grace
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in which we stand and can
rejoice of the glory of God.
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This hope-- hallelujah--
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God manifests His
matchless grace to us
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through three
specific and undeserved gifts.
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Number one of the
three greatest gifts of grace
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is Jesus Christ and His merits.
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Number 2 is the Holy Spirit
and His influencing assistance.
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And number 3 is
the Holy Scriptures
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that yield knowledge of our Lord
and the power of His promise.
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As we examine these
three greatest gifts of grace
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in upcoming programs,
we will begin to understand
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that grace is God's
divine power of salvation
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to rescue us from sin and death,
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to renew a right
spirit within us,
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and restore us to more purity.
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God desires that we come
to Him as little children,
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learning to be
absolutely depended upon Him.
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All things come to us through
His liberal acts of love.
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God calls. He saves, He
justifies, He sanctifies,
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and He establishes us by grace.
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Further we learn,
repent, love, pray,
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and even obey by grace.
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We could list the
affects of grace endlessly
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but I think the
point is becoming clear.
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Grace is dynamic.
And it is all sufficient.
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That's why Jesus
could say to Paul
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that His grace is sufficient,
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for His power is
made perfect in weakness.
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And it is through grace that
we reign in life victoriously.
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Look at this
wonderful scripture promise
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found in Romans 5:17.
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It says "For if by the one man's
offense," speaking of Adam.
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"If by the one man's offense
death reigned through the one,
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much more those who
receive abundance of grace
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and of the gift of righteousness
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will reign in life
through the one, Jesus Christ."
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On our last program
and so far in today's,
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we have considered
God's system of grace.
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We've given you the long answer
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to the
question, "What is grace?"
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So now let's
condense this explanation
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to a succinct definition.
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One that you
can easily remember.
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"Divine grace is the unearned,
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undeserved gifts bestowed
by a God of infinite love
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which provide
His divine assistance
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and supernatural
power unto salvation."
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Every good and
perfect gift comes from above.
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And it comes down from
our perfect heavenly Father
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through His grace pipeline.
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God is the source of life.
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So His grace is our
source for spiritual life.
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Grace imparts the
life source of our Savior
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who is willing to
become a ransom and substitute.
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Grace grants the life
source of the Holy Spirit
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who works in us to
willing to do God's pleasure.
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And grace supplies the
life source of the word of God
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which implanted in our
hearts is able to save our souls
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and make us
partakers of His divine nature.
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We truly have reason to rejoice.
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Grace is the remedy
for all that ails humanity.
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And it is ours for the asking.
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Allow me to share two
wonderful Bible's accounts
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that will help illustrate this.
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The first is one of my
favorites found in John 4:1-42.
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And to conserve time I'm
going to paraphrase for you.
00:13:25.20\00:13:29.34
If you're following
along in the companion book,
00:13:29.34\00:13:31.37
we're beginning
in the chapter 2.
00:13:31.37\00:13:35.38
What this story talks
about, scripture tells us
00:13:35.38\00:13:37.85
that heading North from
Judea to return to Galilee,
00:13:37.85\00:13:42.62
Jesus walked the
direct route through Samaria.
00:13:42.62\00:13:45.65
And just outside the village
of Sychar he became wearied
00:13:45.65\00:13:49.46
and stopped at Jacob's well
00:13:49.46\00:13:51.39
sending His
disciples ahead to buy food.
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So without a water
pot and a rope to retrieve
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the much needed
refreshment from the deep well,
00:13:57.87\00:14:00.74
He rested nearby. It was noon.
00:14:00.74\00:14:03.77
A local Samarian
woman approached,
00:14:03.77\00:14:06.01
surprised to see
another person there
00:14:06.01\00:14:08.68
because the usual
hours for villagers to draw
00:14:08.68\00:14:11.45
from the public well were
in the morning or the evening.
00:14:11.45\00:14:14.88
She, however, came at midday.
00:14:14.88\00:14:17.99
Perhaps, purposely to
avoid the critical glances
00:14:17.99\00:14:21.52
and the wagging tongues of those
00:14:21.52\00:14:23.19
who knew she lived in open sin.
00:14:23.19\00:14:25.99
Her intriguing
history included married
00:14:25.99\00:14:28.10
just to five different men.
00:14:28.10\00:14:30.10
And her sixth, with
whom she lived at that time,
00:14:30.10\00:14:33.34
was not her husband.
00:14:33.34\00:14:35.47
Little did she expect
the life altering encounter
00:14:35.47\00:14:39.27
she was about to
have with the seventh man,
00:14:39.27\00:14:42.84
Jesus, "the man of perfection."
00:14:42.84\00:14:45.71
Asking for a drink of water,
00:14:45.71\00:14:47.18
Christ startled
her by His request.
00:14:47.18\00:14:50.42
This stranger was a Jew.
00:14:50.42\00:14:52.09
That much she recognized.
00:14:52.09\00:14:54.06
And the adversarial
relationship between His people
00:14:54.06\00:14:57.56
and hers was one of
mutual racial contempt.
00:14:57.56\00:15:02.36
Jews considered
Samaritans half-breed mongrels
00:15:02.36\00:15:06.33
who practice a
combination of heathenism
00:15:06.33\00:15:09.07
and the
apostate Hebrew religion.
00:15:09.07\00:15:11.61
And Samaritans held
bitter hostility against those
00:15:11.61\00:15:15.04
who pass through their
land on the way to Jerusalem.
00:15:15.04\00:15:18.28
Moreover, it was not
customary for Jewish men
00:15:18.28\00:15:21.15
to speak publicly with a woman.
00:15:21.15\00:15:23.65
So she asked Jesus-- she said,
00:15:23.65\00:15:26.79
"How is it that you being a Jew
00:15:26.79\00:15:29.92
can ask a drink from
me, a Samaritan woman?"
00:15:29.92\00:15:33.40
You know, the Samaritans
knew of the expected Messiah,
00:15:33.40\00:15:36.33
the Savior of the world.
00:15:36.33\00:15:38.17
But this woman wasn't looking
for the coming Christ that day.
00:15:38.17\00:15:42.44
She had not come to
the well seeking grace.
00:15:42.44\00:15:45.71
Nonetheless, she
came face to face
00:15:45.71\00:15:48.74
with the Master of
grace who sought her.
00:15:48.74\00:15:52.58
I'm moved by
what Jesus said next.
00:15:52.58\00:15:57.12
He didn't respond with a sermon
00:15:57.12\00:15:59.39
to explain their culture
and doctrinal differences.
00:15:59.39\00:16:03.16
He didn't launch into
scriptural apologetics
00:16:03.16\00:16:06.86
or chastise her for her sin.
00:16:06.86\00:16:09.30
He tenderly aroused
her desire for grace
00:16:09.30\00:16:13.47
and stimulated a deep spiritual
thirst within her soul.
00:16:13.47\00:16:18.64
Jesus answered and said to her,
00:16:18.64\00:16:22.11
"If you knew the gift of God
and who it is that says to you,
00:16:22.11\00:16:28.78
'give me a drink'
you would have asked him
00:16:28.78\00:16:32.82
and He would have
given you living water.
00:16:32.82\00:16:36.62
Whoever drinks of the water
00:16:36.62\00:16:38.69
that I shall give
him will never thirst,
00:16:38.69\00:16:42.33
but the water
that I shall give him
00:16:42.33\00:16:45.07
will become in him
a fountain of water
00:16:45.07\00:16:48.94
springing up to
everlasting life."
00:16:48.94\00:16:53.17
Oh, if only you knew.
00:16:53.17\00:16:55.54
If only you knew, he announced
00:16:55.54\00:16:57.55
that I am the gift of God
00:16:57.55\00:17:00.28
or as Revelation
13:8 describes Him,
00:17:00.28\00:17:02.95
"The lamb that was slain
00:17:02.95\00:17:04.45
from the
foundation of the earth.
00:17:04.45\00:17:06.65
And as John, the Baptist
described Him in John 1:29,
00:17:06.65\00:17:11.19
"The lamb of God who takes
away the sins of the world."
00:17:11.19\00:17:16.77
Oh, dear woman, if only you knew
00:17:16.77\00:17:20.07
that I am the gift of God to you
00:17:20.07\00:17:22.34
and I can give you living water
00:17:22.34\00:17:24.84
that springs
into everlasting life.
00:17:24.84\00:17:28.24
I vividly imagine Christ,
spreading his arms widely
00:17:28.24\00:17:32.88
as he presented
these words of grace
00:17:32.88\00:17:35.18
in a gesture of the posture
He would assume on the cross
00:17:35.18\00:17:39.29
and equally a sign
of a welcoming embrace.
00:17:39.29\00:17:42.96
Separated from God by her sin,
00:17:42.96\00:17:45.69
the woman's parched and
withered heart desired more.
00:17:45.69\00:17:51.17
You know, that
was a natural longing
00:17:51.17\00:17:53.27
because when God
created humanity,
00:17:53.27\00:17:55.80
He implanted
eternity in our hearts,
00:17:55.80\00:17:59.07
a divine sense of
the purpose of life
00:17:59.07\00:18:02.18
that He alone can satisfy.
00:18:02.18\00:18:04.88
After further time
and conversation with Him
00:18:04.88\00:18:07.48
the woman finally
drew from the well
00:18:07.48\00:18:09.65
but not from the well of Jacob.
00:18:09.65\00:18:12.15
For she dropped her water pot
00:18:12.15\00:18:13.86
and she ran to the city
00:18:13.86\00:18:15.56
to share the
testimony of her experience.
00:18:15.56\00:18:18.96
Many returned
with her to meet Jesus,
00:18:18.96\00:18:22.30
joining in the journey of grace
00:18:22.30\00:18:24.50
and believed
because of His word.
00:18:24.50\00:18:27.07
With joy that day
there was thirsting souls
00:18:27.07\00:18:30.67
who believed true living water
from the well of salvation.
00:18:30.67\00:18:36.91
This summary of
the gospel of grace
00:18:36.91\00:18:39.68
is found in Ephesians
2:8, where Paul writes
00:18:39.68\00:18:43.75
"For by grace
you have been saved
00:18:43.75\00:18:46.49
through faith and
that not of your selves.
00:18:46.49\00:18:49.62
It is the gift of God."
00:18:49.62\00:18:52.99
Salvation is God's free gift,
00:18:52.99\00:18:56.03
born of His commitment
of love for all of humanity
00:18:56.03\00:18:59.90
and His covenant of grace.
00:18:59.90\00:19:02.37
Now strangely the concept
of His great hearted gift
00:19:02.37\00:19:06.88
is difficult for
many to comprehend.
00:19:06.88\00:19:11.48
Because they feel
unworthy of salvation,
00:19:11.48\00:19:15.02
some people
avoid God all together
00:19:15.02\00:19:17.72
and others sit in
church with a furrowed brow
00:19:17.72\00:19:20.72
and a frown having no
assurance of salvation,
00:19:20.72\00:19:23.79
languishing in their labors,
00:19:23.79\00:19:25.83
wearied from their self effort
to measure up to His standards.
00:19:25.83\00:19:30.50
In startling
contrast to these are those
00:19:30.50\00:19:33.60
who claim God's grace,
but live like the devil
00:19:33.60\00:19:37.24
and cry foul at any
mention of obedience.
00:19:37.24\00:19:40.28
Now naturally
there are categories
00:19:40.28\00:19:42.61
of better informed Christians
00:19:42.61\00:19:44.48
that exist
between these extremes.
00:19:44.48\00:19:47.65
But the point is, often people
00:19:47.65\00:19:50.39
miss the joy of
relationship with God
00:19:50.39\00:19:53.39
because they do not
understand His grace.
00:19:53.39\00:19:58.06
In Acts 16, we find
the conversion story
00:19:58.06\00:20:02.06
of a Philippian jailer
and in verse 30 he asks,
00:20:02.06\00:20:06.17
"Sirs, what must
I do to be saved?"
00:20:06.17\00:20:09.54
This question that was
posed to Paul and Silas
00:20:09.54\00:20:13.34
by this
trembling Philippian jailer
00:20:13.34\00:20:16.28
echoes within all
hearts that are awakened
00:20:16.28\00:20:19.65
to the sense of
their spiritual need.
00:20:19.65\00:20:22.58
Respondents to Peter's
sermon asked at Pentecost
00:20:22.58\00:20:26.99
that an astonished
Paul uttered similar words
00:20:26.99\00:20:30.76
on the road to
Damascus when he saw the light.
00:20:30.76\00:20:35.03
The jailer's cry for salvation
was legitimately born of fear.
00:20:35.03\00:20:40.47
He had been
assigned to guard Silas
00:20:40.47\00:20:43.61
and the Apostle
Paul who were accused
00:20:43.61\00:20:46.37
of being servants
of the most high God
00:20:46.37\00:20:48.84
and whose backs had been plowed
00:20:48.84\00:20:51.28
by the rod of injustice.
00:20:51.28\00:20:53.48
The heathen jailer had listened
with callous indifference
00:20:53.48\00:20:58.25
to their prayers
and songs of praise
00:20:58.25\00:21:00.66
coming from their inner cell
00:21:00.66\00:21:02.69
and awakened at
midnight by a mighty earthquake.
00:21:02.69\00:21:05.86
He witnessed the divine
deliverance of an Almighty God
00:21:05.86\00:21:09.46
who broke their
chains and shackles,
00:21:09.46\00:21:11.63
who loosed the
bars of the prison doors
00:21:11.63\00:21:14.64
and opened their way of release.
00:21:14.64\00:21:17.41
You know by Roman law,
00:21:17.41\00:21:19.37
the jailer would have
to answer with his own life
00:21:19.37\00:21:22.58
for the loss of those prisoners
00:21:22.58\00:21:24.31
whom he assumed had fled.
00:21:24.31\00:21:26.72
And so as he drew his
sword to kill himself,
00:21:26.72\00:21:30.42
the men of God intervened
to stop his act of his suicide.
00:21:30.42\00:21:34.12
And he realized that they
made no attempt to escape.
00:21:34.12\00:21:38.89
But rather they demonstrated
personal concern toward him.
00:21:38.89\00:21:43.10
Can't you just
hear the jailer asking,
00:21:43.10\00:21:46.63
"Oh, you who
proclaim the way of salvation,
00:21:46.63\00:21:50.47
tell me about your powerful God.
00:21:50.47\00:21:52.94
What must I do to be saved?
00:21:52.94\00:21:56.18
What steps are
necessary?" he asked.
00:21:56.18\00:21:59.08
And striking
while the iron was hot,
00:21:59.08\00:22:01.78
Paul and Silas summarize
the gospel of God's grace
00:22:01.78\00:22:06.12
with these words in Acts 16:30.
00:22:06.12\00:22:11.89
Excuse me, this is verse 31.
00:22:11.89\00:22:14.46
It says "Believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ,
00:22:14.46\00:22:18.93
and you will be saved,
you and your household."
00:22:18.93\00:22:25.14
The jailer hurried
the disciples to his home.
00:22:25.14\00:22:28.18
He awakened
everyone in his household,
00:22:28.18\00:22:30.51
giving Paul and
Silas the opportunity
00:22:30.51\00:22:33.18
to deliver the
gospel of God's grace,
00:22:33.18\00:22:36.18
including without doubt
00:22:36.18\00:22:37.59
the message of
repentance and baptism.
00:22:37.59\00:22:41.39
He and his whole household
accepted Christ as their Savior
00:22:41.39\00:22:46.03
and were baptized immediately.
00:22:46.03\00:22:48.90
Now in Acts 10 we
find the narrative
00:22:48.90\00:22:52.33
of the very first mission
of grace to the Gentiles.
00:22:52.33\00:22:55.57
And it was when Cornelius,
a centurion of the Roman army,
00:22:55.57\00:23:00.21
he lived in Caesarea.
00:23:00.21\00:23:02.18
And he had learned
of the one true God.
00:23:02.18\00:23:05.08
And he became a devout believer.
00:23:05.08\00:23:07.78
As he was
earnestly praying one day,
00:23:07.78\00:23:09.92
an angel appeared to
him and instructed him
00:23:09.92\00:23:13.36
to send for the Apostle Peter
to receive a message from God.
00:23:13.36\00:23:18.29
And meanwhile,
grace was in action
00:23:18.29\00:23:20.73
in the city of Joppa preparing
00:23:20.73\00:23:22.43
Peter's heart for
this mission of mercy.
00:23:22.43\00:23:26.60
God gave Peter a
vision of a great sheet,
00:23:26.60\00:23:30.61
one that was filled with
common and unclean animals.
00:23:30.61\00:23:34.38
And then he told
Peter, "Rise, eat
00:23:34.38\00:23:37.88
and don't consider common
that which he had cleansed."
00:23:37.88\00:23:43.45
Peter was perplexed.
00:23:43.45\00:23:45.29
He was struggling spiritually
to gain understanding.
00:23:45.29\00:23:50.13
And he would eventually
realize that God's purpose
00:23:50.13\00:23:54.10
was to purge
prejudice from his maturing
00:23:54.10\00:23:59.73
but imperfect Christian heart.
00:23:59.73\00:24:02.30
You see, orthodox Jews did not
share fellowship with Gentiles.
00:24:02.30\00:24:07.74
They considered them unclean.
00:24:07.74\00:24:09.68
And Peter and the
other Jewish Christians
00:24:09.68\00:24:12.01
still practiced this
prideful prohibition.
00:24:12.01\00:24:16.48
So Peter prepared for
the potential backlash
00:24:16.48\00:24:21.19
against his own ministry
that would surely result
00:24:21.19\00:24:24.39
from his visit to
the Gentiles' home.
00:24:24.39\00:24:27.13
He enlisted six
Jewish Christians
00:24:27.13\00:24:30.07
to accompany him on the mission.
00:24:30.07\00:24:32.47
When Peter and his
company arrived in Caesarea,
00:24:32.47\00:24:36.30
Cornelius and his
household were eager to hear
00:24:36.30\00:24:40.38
all things commanded by God.
00:24:40.38\00:24:43.35
Finally the
puzzled Apostle perceived
00:24:43.35\00:24:47.22
the meaning of the vision.
00:24:47.22\00:24:48.98
And he said it was
that God shows no partiality
00:24:48.98\00:24:53.46
but accepts whoever fears
him and works righteousness.
00:24:53.46\00:24:57.76
So Peter
preached a simple message
00:24:57.76\00:25:00.06
explaining how God had anointed
Jesus with the Holy Spirit
00:25:00.06\00:25:04.13
and power to heal
those oppressed by the devil.
00:25:04.13\00:25:08.04
He shared the cruelty
of Christ's crucifixion
00:25:08.04\00:25:12.17
and the glory of
His resurrection.
00:25:12.17\00:25:14.91
And he told how
God ordained Christ
00:25:14.91\00:25:18.48
to be judge of the
living and the dead.
00:25:18.48\00:25:21.58
And he concluded by
saying in Acts 10:43,
00:25:21.58\00:25:26.15
"To him all the
prophets witness that,
00:25:26.15\00:25:29.39
through his name,
whoever believes in Him
00:25:29.39\00:25:32.39
will receive remission of sins."
00:25:32.39\00:25:36.83
While Peter was still speaking,
00:25:36.83\00:25:39.00
God poured out the
gift of the Holy Spirit
00:25:39.00\00:25:42.00
on Cornelius and his household.
00:25:42.00\00:25:44.47
They tapped into the
grace pipeline by faith
00:25:44.47\00:25:47.74
and receiving the
spirit began to magnify God.
00:25:47.74\00:25:51.85
So Peter asked his
uncircumcised, excuse me,
00:25:51.85\00:25:55.32
his circumcised
traveling companions.
00:25:55.32\00:25:58.49
He said can anyone forbid water
that they should not be baptized
00:25:58.49\00:26:03.12
who received the Holy
Spirit just as we have.
00:26:03.12\00:26:07.60
And they recognized
the household of Cornelius
00:26:07.60\00:26:12.33
as brothers in the Lord.
00:26:12.33\00:26:14.10
And they baptized them
in the name of the Lord.
00:26:14.10\00:26:16.91
And the Jerusalem Christians
stayed on several days,
00:26:16.91\00:26:20.78
certainly providing
further instruction.
00:26:20.78\00:26:24.51
Can it possibly be true?
00:26:24.51\00:26:26.78
Is belief the only
requirement for salvation? Yes.
00:26:26.78\00:26:30.92
But we must recognize this word
"believe" used in Acts 10:43
00:26:30.92\00:26:36.02
in reference to
Cornelius' household,
00:26:36.02\00:26:38.33
in Acts 16:31 in reference
00:26:38.33\00:26:40.70
to the Philippian
jailer's household.
00:26:40.70\00:26:42.96
It meant more in
the original language
00:26:42.96\00:26:45.50
than simply
accepting something as truth.
00:26:45.50\00:26:48.87
To believe in
Christ, meant to acknowledge
00:26:48.87\00:26:51.27
His divinity and power,
to rely on Him as Savior
00:26:51.27\00:26:56.18
and to commit to make
him Lord of your life.
00:26:56.18\00:26:59.58
For those who relayed on Him
expectations of dramatic changes
00:26:59.58\00:27:05.12
accompanied
their act of believing.
00:27:05.12\00:27:07.89
In other words when
they accepted Jesus Christ
00:27:07.89\00:27:12.19
as the greatest
gift of God's grace,
00:27:12.19\00:27:15.30
the effect that He had
on them was life changing.
00:27:15.30\00:27:19.83
Well, our time has
gone by quickly today.
00:27:19.83\00:27:24.37
We hope that you
will join us next time
00:27:24.37\00:27:27.04
and tune in each time
with your Bible in hands
00:27:27.04\00:27:30.48
and a pen and paper
so that you can take note
00:27:30.48\00:27:33.92
of this scriptures and use
them for your further study.
00:27:33.92\00:27:38.75
My prayer for you, for me,
for people around the world
00:27:38.75\00:27:43.96
who call up on
the name of the Lord
00:27:43.96\00:27:45.86
is that we will grow in grace
00:27:45.86\00:27:49.33
and in the knowledge of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
00:27:49.33\00:27:53.94
To Him be all the
glory forever and ever.
00:27:53.94\00:27:58.14
Amen. Thank you.
00:27:58.14\00:28:00.04