"We then, as workers together with Him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in VAIN. For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
Today's Epistle reading is a call to receive God's Grace.
Unfortunately, most people have a hard time understanding what God's Grace truly is, OR how they can receive it.
- That's because Grace is much more than a theological idea that Christians should come to understand.
- It is more than a spiritual principle that can be learned.
- Grace is more than a onetime event that takes place when an individual is 'born again' into the Kingdom of God at their Baptism.
- It is more than something we inherit in the afterlife.
- GOD'S GRACE IS A CENTRAL THEME IN THE BIBLE.
The work of God's Grace in our lives is meant to do much more than simply grant us access into heaven.
Grace is - God reaching down from heaven to bring mankind back into a relationship with him. NOT based on good works, BUT ON HIS LOVE. (Ephesians 2:8)
We are saved by GRACE through faith.
In his letter, Paul was dealing with believers who were no longer fulfilling the purpose of their calling.
Paul wanted them to be complete in the One who had created them. He wanted his hearers to "become the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ.”
Paul was trying to teach them that Salvation consists of wholeness and fullness in THIS LIFE.
And that God pours out His grace that we might have that wholeness and fullness.
So, if you are frustrated with your failures - if you have become disgusted with your sins - if you tired of falling short of what is God's purpose is for your life. Paul says there is a GRACE that is sufficient for all our needs and it is present NOW. “Today is the day of salvation”. NOW is the acceptable time for us to begin fulfilling our potential in Christ.
It is God's will to restore humanity to its' God-given purpose.
And His plan for that restoration is revealed in the verses of the first chapter of John's Gospel.
John 1:1-3 states, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.”
And, in verses 10 & 11, John says,
"He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not."
These verses are a description of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
He came to earth – the earth that He created. And yet, they who were created by Him did not receive Him. Nevertheless,
Verse 12 states that we have Hope:
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”
The hope being offered is that when a person confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and believes in their heart that He rose from the dead they will enter into a
NEW RELATIONSHIP with God.
Then in verse 14 we find where true grace is found.
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH.”
Here John is saying that in Jesus we see the glory of God, of which, we have fallen short.
In Jesus – the very Son of God – dwells all the fullness of grace and truth.
What does this mean? It simply means that Jesus is the only Name whereby we must be saved.
It simply means that there is NO other way of Salvation – NO other way to receive the fullness of God's Grace.
And
verse 16 says,
“And of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.”
This verse basically says that if we are NOT living a life of abundance, it is because we are not properly using the fullness of God's grace and truth.
The reason why we have broken lives is because we are NOT living our lives - ACCORDING TO THE FULLNESS WE HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED IN CHRIST.
But we can! And the Lenten Season is a great time to begin.
During Lent we should take a sincere look at our lives. What principles have we been living by which have blocked God's Grace in our lives?
What ways of the world have we been following that have kept us out of the fullness of God's glory?
What temptations have we submitted to that are keeping us from God's true purpose for our life?
Now is the acceptable time of God's favor! Today is the day of salvation!
God's Grace was given more than 2000 years ago in the person of Jesus Christ.
And grace is what
Romans 5:1 says gives us power to stand.
Paul told Titus that grace teaches us to say, NO to ungodliness.
But it is important for us to understand to whom God gives this grace.
There are two passages of Scripture that make it clear.
1 Peter 5, verse 5: “
Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”
James 4:6“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
These two passages tell us that if we want to walk in the fullness of God’s grace and truth, we must come to terms with the reality of our situation.
Many times, we are cheated because we live in a society that is anti-humility and anti-dependence upon any one else but self. We live in a society of, fast food restaurants, microwaves, instant emails, Facebook, and Twitter. People have medicine cabinets stocked full with pills for any ailment that may come along.
We live in a culture of independence FROM God, instead of DEPENDENCE ON GOD.
And these “world views” and behaviors can rob us of a true sense of our need for God. Therefore, if we truly want to benefit from God's grace – we must first humble ourselves to His Care and Authority!
We will be full only by humbling ourselves at the feet of Jesus.
Grace is power from above provided to meet the needs of our lives here below.
Grace is power with purpose. When God disperses His Grace, it is for the glory of His Kingdom. God desires to make us whole that we might truly fulfill OUR purpose. What is that purpose - to bring glory and honor to the Name of the Jesus Christ.
I Peter 4:10, 11 “
As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
Paul's invitation is for us to live our lives with Grace from above.
Do we want to see someone’s life change? Or more-so do we want to see our own lives change?
If so - then Grace is the answer!!!!
As Paul told his readers: “
receive NOT the grace of God in vain. For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of Salvation.”
In other words, we ought not to waste God’s grace.
He said behold NOW is the accepted time; behold NOW is the day of Salvation.
He’s saying don’t waste this opportunity to be reconciled with God.
Now is the accepted time for God to do FOR us - what we can’t do for ourselves. We must allow God’s grace to be applied to every aspect of our lives.
- Today let’s begin to listen to God.
- Today let’s begin to depend on God.
- Today let’s not waste God’s precious Grace.
Ephesians 4:1 says: we should “
Walk worthy of the calling wherewith we are called.”
Romans 12:1 says: “
Therefore present your bodies a living sacrifice...”
Titus says: “
The grace of God has appeared teaching us to deny un-godliness....”
Therefore brethren, this Lenten Season, let us all accept the gift of Grace offered through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
AMEN
