Wednesday: Sinners In Need of Grace
For
God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him
(John 3:17 NIV). What great hope is found in this verse for all humanity? How can we take this crucial truth, and first, make it our own? How can we use it to motivate us to reach out to others.
According to the Bible, we are all sinners (Rom. 3:23), and God wishes for all to repent (Acts 17:30; Acts 26:20; 2 Pet. 3:9) and be saved (1 Tim. 2:4).
Image © Rolf Jansson from GoodSalt.com
From the Fall in Eden onward, God’s purpose has been to save humanity from the devastation and ultimate eternal death that sin and rebellion have brought to humanity. What more proof do we need than the Cross to show God’s love for us and His desire to save us?
However, Scripture is clear that God will not save those who openly rebel against Him.
Read Genesis 6:11-13, Romans 1:18, 2 Thessalonians 2:12, Revelation 21:8, Revelation 22:15. What powerful warning is found in these verses?
God loves all people, but all people are sinners in need of grace, and this grace has been revealed in Jesus. He has called His church to spread the good news of this grace to the world.
The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world. From the beginning it has been God’s plan that through His church shall be reflected to the world His fullness and His sufficiency. The members of the church, those whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light, are to show forth His glory. The church is the repository of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made manifest, even to
—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 9.the principalities and powers in heavenly places,
the final and full display of the love of God. Ephesians 3:10.
In what ways can you personally (not the pastor, not the elder, not the deacon, but you) better learn to show forth His glory
to a dying world? What must you change in your life in order to do this?
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I would suggest that the more we understand "Grace", and the more we understand what it means to be STEWARDS of that Grace, the more we will "show forth His glory."
Of course Grace is unearned, undeserved, favour. To be stewards of that Divine quality means that we must employ it. As Christians we are called, therefore, to actively show favour to those that we feel do not deserve it. The more we can truly love our enemies, the more "perfect" (mature) we will become -- the more we will reflect Christ's image.
God wants all people to come to his knowledge. The church has a duty of reflecting this divine intention. We are the salt. This metaphor bears a strong message that we just like salt should mingle with the people for the gospel to difuse into the world. Salt may also kill. What are we doing?
I Have regret on my first evangelism out of ministry and I just went on to expose explicitly the Mother of Harlots of Revelation 18 and her offspring that I lost in the first week 300 attending. Then on the next tent of mine I changed the series into Basics of Salavation and it was a success, then my elders took over my series and were having baptism in this new church every bi-monthly. Yes just preach Grace of God and people out of love too will respond in love for their Saviour. I am seeing all the comments now given to the Pope on his visit to the States and I am really sorry on the hype and attitude we are projecting as head beaters and judgmental, Could we please preach and lift up Christ rather than Prophecy's negatives. I believe the Devil is grinning when we try to expose the First Beast meeting the second beast with scorn for people will view us with disdain and reservations for we are more proactive on the negatives then the Eternal Gospel Jesus Christ. I hope that the Grace of Christ saturates us so that we preach Christ only, don't get me wrong, the prophecy negatives has its own place in series and very minor according to the holistic Eternal Gospel series, after-all this is the worst approach and marketing of our message and who we are a GRACE ORIENTED CHURCH AND MISSION, May common sense and tactfulness prevail over our zeal to preach the Grace of God, not the negatives the enemy of Grace. May God help all our PR and Missionaries in their endeavor to preach the Grace of God.
The special message of the 3 angels of Rev 14 for the time of the end is:
1) the everlasting gospel linked to the judgement
2) don't be deceived by the coalition of the dragon, the beast & the false prophet
3) be sure you are worshipping the true God and not the counterfeit
The LORD wants us to share the truth with loving kindness, it is not kind to leave them in darkness.
Absolutely gospel first but we need to give the complete message in love.
I think this is a relevant [and interesting] statement from Mrs. White. It concerns the presentation of the Sabbath and the State of the dead, but in my view the principle can easily include other things that might be seen as challenging or "objectionable". From Evangelism p.246 -
"I have been shown that our ministers go too rapidly through their subjects and bring the most objectionable features of our faith TOO EARLY into their effort. There are truths that will not involve so great a cross, that should be kept before their minds, day after day and even weeks before the Sabbath and immortality [i.e. state of the dead] questions are entered upon. Then you gain the confidence of the people as being men who have clear, forcible arguments, and they think you understand the Scriptures."
"When once the confidence of the people is gained, then it is time enough to introduce publicly the Sabbath and immortality questions."
This is not to say that the Sabbath, the State of the Dead, and the identity of the Mother of Harlots, should be doctrines we "hide away", [quite the opposite!], but we should employ discretion in terms of WHEN these things are presented.
People are already living a lie so to draw them out from this lie only Grace can draw them away and that Grace is Jesus Christ the manifestation of God to Fallen Human Race living a lie, not exposing their lie for it only makes them angry, let us be grace filled to not touch the sore but heal the sore we are to give balm to the sore not pricking it. Therefore lie only can be conquered by Grace not by exposing the weakness for it only creates hatred and reservation to our message or worse taints the holistic message we have
We should be a beacon light for the Lord by living a Christian life that is not judgemental of others; be able to lead them to the Lord through a life that is pleasing to our Lord.
The Bible mentions law, commandments and sin far more often than grace, in part because grace means little without law. Sinners need sustaining grace because of law and saving grace because of sin.
More than being saved “from the devastation and ultimate eternal death that sin and rebellion have brought to humanity,” grace is to bring sinners in conformity to God’s law. This is consistent with the restoration of the moral image of God in mankind, the purpose of salvation.
In assigning to believers the work of preaching “this Gospel of the kingdom” in all the world it is more about making the believers Christ-like than saving others, which the Holy Spirit is already working to do. Cooperating with the Savior to hasten His coming the saints are counseled to guard the avenues to the soul (2 Peter 3:10-18).
To this end believers need to be conscious of what is fed to the mind, including resisting the appeal of television sitcoms (comedy) which in a context of laughter, fun, and relaxing pleasure glorify sin (Romans 1:24-32). The same shows which encourage lawlessness hold a power to corrupt the mind and imperceptibly shape the character without advance notice (1 Corinthians 13:6).
By persistent viewing one may cultivate a taste for evil which leads to a disinterest in the word of God (Amos 8:11). Truth is then rejected and character retarded (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12). And grace is undermined (Romans 6:1-7).
The faithful draw on grace to shun all known hereditary tendencies to ungodliness and consciously act to cultivate habits which tend to Christlikeness (2 John 1:4).
True! Only grace can save us..our GOD is holy and so should we.but we know that our carnal mind is more bended to wickedness than to righteousness.if we be in Christ and Christ in us,this is grace.let us not be holier than thou and see how many Christ will pull to himself.as we show Jesus love to others may his grace shine upon us.
After reading today's lession and comments, one verse of one song comes to mind. In fact I have put it to memory. I often use it in my prayers. "Bless me oh my Saviour bless me, as I sit low at Thy feet. Oh look down in love up on me, as I see Thy face so sweet. Give me Lord the mind of Jesus, make me holy as He is. May I prove I've been with Jesus, who is all my righteousness."
Now we get up from our chair, or knees to give the Glory of His Grace to others. It does help to have learned the wounderful lessons we have studied this quarter and other quarters.
Unmerited favour is how we receive grace. Grace is defined on page 271, Christ Object Lessons. “To learn of Christ means to receive His grace, which is His character. This is a wonderful promise to claim.
I really like the illustration of leaven. Matthew 13:33. It illistrates the grace of God in a powerful way. I believe in this verse the reference of The Kingdom of Heaven illistrates the grace of God working in us. It illistrates the power of the grace of God to show signs of Christlike life in us, no longer dead, but alive. The leaven also, illistrates the power of the grace of God to transform us to be receptive, sponges if you will, instead of repellant of His love, character, and merits. Read chapter 7 of Christ Object Lessons, it so wounderfully illumintes Matthew 13:33.