First the Question: The Gospel, which the Apostle Paul called MY GOSPEL, Romans 2:16, is called the Gospel of Glory. True or False?
Take a moment to respond at the LLM Question of the Day
And now the answer to the LLM Question of 3-20-2012
Question: There is no lack of Grace and no lack of spiritual blessings, the lack is on the part of the believer. True or False?
Answer: TRUE! Of Course!! There is no lack of Grace and no lack of spiritual blessings. The lack is on the part of the believer; and that is the lack of appropriating the Faith; and a lack of a real desire and willingness to CLAIM the Grace and blessings. Now, of course, and which is the case most of the time, there might be a lack of spiritual know how. Now, out of the 701 responses we received to this question, 94.4% of you got it right! Therefore, NOW, let us take a look at,
The Grace of God, part 3 of 9
THE ABOUNDING GRACE OF GOD:
FOR ABOUNDING SIN AND FOR ABOUNDING WORKS
Surely every rational, thinking person knows that sin is abounding. To be always conscious of this truth, God would have every member of the human race to think of Romans 5:20, and measure the faults and failures of the children of Adam by the commands of God in the ten commandments, knowing that sin is the transgression of the law. The law was given at Sinai, that the sin that entered by Adam in Eden might abound. “By the law is the knowledge of sin” and all the world is guilty before God. (Romans 3:19-20).
But again hear the good news in the last part of Romans 5:20, “Where sin abounded, Grace did ‘MUCH MORE’ ‘OVERABOUND’.” The guiltiest, vilest sinner can find God’s saving, redeeming, abounding Grace altogether sufficient to save him, to justify him and to keep him. The moral, upright, sincere, religious unsaved “church‑member” needs this same Grace.
While the redeemed, justified sinner is being kept by the Grace and power of God, he should be careful to maintain good works (Titus 3:8), he should always abound in the work of the LORD, by the Grace of God. “God is able to make all Grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency, in all things, may abound to every good work.” (2 Cor. 9:8).
As the best works of the most moral, religious, conscientious, sincere ‘Christ-rejecting’ person are not acceptable to God, even so with most of these respectable unbelievers God’s Divine Grace is not acceptable. Like Israel in Romans 10:1-4, they, being ignorant of God’s righteousness, go about trying to establish their own righteousness, refusing to submit themselves unto the righteousness of God which is by the Faith in Christ Jesus.
As we again ask the question concerning the ‘all Grace’ of 2 Cor. 9:8, which God is able to make abound, so that believers saved by that all sufficient Grace, might abound in good works, “how much Grace is all Grace,” let us try earnestly to comprehend the full meaning of Ephesians 1:3, that believers are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the Heavenlies.
There is no lack of Grace and no lack of spiritual blessings. The lack is on the believer’s part; lack of appropriating faith; lack of a real desire and willingness to claim the Grace and blessings. Of course, and which is the case most of the time, there might be a lack of spiritual ‘know-how’.
And then who can measure or calculate or even estimate the mighty power that God wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and placed Him far above all principality and power in the Heavenlies? We are told in Ephesians 1:19-23 that this same mighty Divine power is available for all believers who have been ‘Graced’ in Christ and have received redemption and forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of God’s Grace. (Ephesians 1:6-7). Who can measure or calculate or estimate ‘the riches of God’s Grace’? Read Ephesians 2:7 before you attempt to answer this question. While we are measuring and calculating and estimating, we might ask, “what about Ephesians 3:20?”, where we read, “now unto Him Who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us”
Thus we have learned that almighty God has made available for those who are His children, by the Faith in the LORD Jesus Christ, His unlimited power and His unlimited Grace, and that He has blessed them with all spiritual blessings in the Heavenlies.
Surely God, Who will have all men to be saved by faith in His Son Who gave Himself a ransom for all (1 Timothy 2:4-6), will have all of His saved children to take full advantage of His unlimited Grace, His unlimited power and His unlimited spiritual blessings in the Heavenlies. Moreover He would not have them, for one moment, forget the requirement of Colossians 3:17, “whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the LORD Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by Him.”
SO NOW, THE DISPENSATION OF GRACE FOR GENTILES
As we think of Romans 5:20, studied with Ephesians 3:1-3, very special Grace for Gentiles, let us prayerfully and carefully consider some other Scriptures describing the awful spiritual condition, the terrible, sinful state of the Gentiles from the time that the Apostle Paul said, in Acts 13:46, “lo, we turn to the Gentiles,” until he wrote in his farewell message concerning God’s eternal ‘GRACE’ purpose, and then added, “whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.” (2 Timothy 1:9-11). In this study and consideration, we shall certainly learn why those ruined Gentiles needed the ‘all sufficient’ Grace, the ‘over‑abounding’ Grace, the ‘much more’, ‘over‑abounding’ Grace of the God of all Grace. This is likewise the greatest need of every member of the human race in this year 2009 A.D.
Look again at Romans 5:20, “where sin abounded Grace did much more over‑abound.” Now Ephesians 3:1-3. “I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles; if ye have heard of the ‘DISPENSATION OF THE GRACE OF GOD’, which is given me to youward…by revelation.” Now look at Galatians 1:11-12, that the ‘GRACE’ Gospel was given to the Apostle Paul by the direct revelation of the RISEN LORD Jesus Christ; NOT in the great commissions of Matthew 28:19-20 and Mark 16:14-16.
“FOR YOU GENTILES.” According to 1 Corinthians 12:2, “ye were Gentiles carried away unto dumb idols, even as ye were led.” According to 1 Thessalonians 1:10, “how ye turned to God from idols.” According to 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, “fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, thieves, covetous, drunkards, extortioners”: “such were some of you; but ye are washed, sanctified and justified in the Name of the LORD Jesus.” According to Ephesians 2:1-6, Ephesians 2:11-12, and Ephesians 4:18, the Gentiles had been “dead in sins; by nature the children of wrath; atheists, without hope, afar off, alienated from the life of God.” According to Colossians 1:21 and Colossians 2:13, “alienated and enemies by wicked works”…“now reconciled.” “Dead in your sins, hath He made alive.”
Surely we see that those first century Gentiles needed the ‘much more’ ‘overabounding’ Grace of the God of all Grace. How about you? I needed it as much as they did! My testimony is Ephesians 1:6-7 and Galatians 6:14.
***
In Ephesians 1:13 the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul declares that men are saved and sealed by hearing and BELIEVING the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your Salvation. Therefore, here, now, is declared unto you the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your Salvation: "that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. BELIEVE today. The time is short.
So There You Have it!
Spread this message to everyone you know, far and wide.
Grace be to you and peace, from God: our Father, and The LORD Jesus Christ.
In The LORD Jesus Christ,
The Lion and Lamb Ministry
Pastor David Picos, D.D.
Minister and Ambassador for Christ in the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-20)
Subscribe Here to the LLM Newsletter , Follow LLM on Twitter , Subscribe to LLM on Youtube , LLM on MySpace , and FaceBook
No comments:
Post a Comment