The Grace of God

Rings we increase our ability to say no to sin. Dr. Tony Evans is God's offer to surround it with his grace. Grace is not only that was probably celebrating faithfulness.

This is the alternative Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker, senior pastor of Oakland Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the alternative. A lot of people think heaven is populated by those who somehow managed to be good enough to make the cut. But today Dr. Evans helps us understand how upside down that thinking is, as he explores the aspect of God's heart that saves us. Let's join today I want to talk to us remind us about the grace of God the grace of God. What makes Christianity unique among all the religions of the world can be summarized by the word grace uniqueness is but that word is a summary word of uniqueness.

Why, because all other religions tell you what you must do to make yourself acceptable to God, what things you must perform what action must accomplish what deed you must do Christianity however is sent in on what God has done to make us acceptable to him. Grace is the short definition would be merited favor on merited favor.

Granting kindness to an inferior form which the inferior cannot demand does not deserve and would never be able to repay. When you go to work and you get a check that's not grace you earned it and could possibly dating. If you are in a contest of competition and you win. That's not grace. You earned that through your performance that's earned. Grace is on merited favor definition is grace is the exhaustible supply of God's goodness whereby he does for us what we could never do for us is what God does for us independent of us, that's grace. If you look at Romans 11 six we read this phrase, but it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works otherwise grace is no longer grace as inscriptions want to keep in mind you can earn it. If you deserve. It is not grace back as you see the moment you can literally cancel the operation of grace by trying to earn the new look at Romans three verse 24 being justified as a gift by his grace. Grace is called a gift.

You don't pay for gift so it cannot be earned is separate from works now.

The first thing you need to understand is you are saying by grace.

Ephesians 2 is the premier chapter on salvation by grace. He starts off by telling us why we need to be saved by grace when you are dead in your trespasses and in your sin.

Sin has separated us from God and that is the price were unable to pay because God demands perfection. God is perfect. He demands perfection that is a price.

Nobody can pay because nobody is perfect. We've all seen.

He then goes in the verse four. God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved verse eight for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not as a result of works, so that no one should boast. So he says that you are saved by grace, not by works. This is very clear statement, in other words, you cannot earn your salvation. Many people who talk to are trying to earn their salvation. So we'll talk about how good they are with 10 Commandments they keep, they will they will try to make themselves acceptable to a God who only accepts perfection and is not possible. You can't work your way to perfection when you've already sinned, so them in order for perfection to be met and has to be given to you grace because you can earn it, and of course sacrilegious. 521 says he who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. When Romans says we are justified by the free gift of grace that means to be declared righteous. The legal term to be declared righteous. So in our salvation. When you accept Jesus Christ as your personal substitute. God credits you with the righteousness of Christ which is perfect righteousness. So you literally have a perfect credit score in heaven.

Once you accept Christ because you get his credit score on your account and he's perfect so you stand before God as though you've never sinned, even though we sin because of a credit anybody Amanda credit on your account get is a perfect credit, but it's given to you by Christ is not earned by you, so you cannot earn heaven. I want to spend the majority of my time on grace and sanctification that is our spiritual development of spiritual growth. The same grace that saves you is the grace that grows same grace that saves you is the grace that grows you. This is why second Peter 318 says grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. That is grow in your understanding of grace. So grace is not merely an event that saves you instant atmosphere that you operated.

Here is where we get into a problem because what many people do is they use grace to get to heaven. But law to live the Christian life, and so they flip they flip back to a earning mentality but he says in second Peter I want you to grow in grace.

The Bible is clear that grace is different than long look at Romans 614 for sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace now under another way of operating. So this force environment called grace is the way that you have grow in spiritual victory really should not be.

Grace is first Corinthians 9 verse eight and God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything you may have an abundance for every good deed notice he can make all grace abound for everything. So grace is huge because it affects everything he says. So grace is an environment in which we live. While grace period is now cannot be. We've already established it can't be earned. It must be accessed. Romans chapter 5 verse two through. We also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace. So how how do you access grace to access grace by faith. So you place faith in Christ access it for salvation, but now you place faith to access it for spiritual development spiritual growth spiritual victory so you access grace. You don't earn is a different way of thinking all of us have electricity in our homes. We have electricity that we access through flipping on switches and plugging things in.

We access it would not the source of electricity. We access electricity.

But how do we access it with access it through the vehicles set up through which it flows/electrical outlets, the wiring grace has wiring that is accessed by faith. One of the points of contact that access this huge environment called grace.

Now this is where work obedience comes in. We express our faith and our obedience are obedience that expresses faith access is grace. We don't work to earn grace. We work to show faith. Faith access is grace the following folks so you don't get into this only would I do enough of this, God will be gracious to me that's a earning it, and remember grace.

Grace cannot be heard, but it can be accessed in Ephesians 2. Notice how you flows from this, he says, by grace you say verse eight faith that not of yourselves is the gift of God not of works, so that no one should boast.

But notice verse 10 for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has prepared beforehand so that we should walk in them.

Please notice the works we are to walk in. He's already prepared. We are creating anything we are connecting with something so grace is access by faith. Faith is demonstrated by obedience but the obedience is not earn grace. The obedience is to demonstrate we trust God. Dr. Evans will continue our study of the grace of God, just a moment but first I want to tell you about prayers for knowing God is Tony's newest book and is designed to help you develop a healthy and ongoing communication with God leading you to experience greater grace and peace.

If you visit us right away and make a contribution will send you the prayers for knowing God book as well as all 12 full-length lessons from Tony's current teaching series God's heart revealed will be better able to recognize and appreciate God's motives, desires, and will for your life as you gain an understanding of his heart and move closer to him. This package is her way of showing appreciation for your faithful support of Tony's ministry get all the details and make your request online. Had Tony Evans.org or give us a call at one 800 832, 22 before the special offer runs out. I would keep that information for you after part two of today's message and this racial tension.

I mentioned spreading like wildfire. Dr. Tony Evans talks about his book oneness embraced I wanted to keep God's view on race and racism is not started on the seven wonders of grace explains why unity isn't just about getting along with getting things successful reconciliation to serve together to get to know each other along the way. Oneness embraced. Get yours today@tonyevans.org. One of the great passages on grace is Titus two verse 11 for the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men. Talks about the introduction of Jesus Christ. We told it with Jesus Christ came grace and truth. In John chapter 1.

So with the coming of Christ comes. This atmosphere of grace.

He brought it with him. He brought this new environment like when a person with a new person is elected, they bring in the new administration. The Old Testament administration was law the board about law law.

The laws were good. The laws were not bad. The laws showed you God righteous standard. The problem was the ability to keep Paul says in Romans chapter 7 he said I was fine until I saw the law was also a law that is show me how bad I was with less than a policeman pulls you over for driving the speed limit when you going 80s they pull you over, could you break the speed limits the law is good, but it condemns it doesn't congratulate Jay networks the law doesn't make you better. It condemns when you're wrong I give you a standard to be measured by and what does Grace do when it's being operated properly instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age. That is something the law does not offer the law will continue, but it won't help you. Romans seven.

Paul goes in there that is his own struggle with his own flesh. He says the Lord is good bits but some wrong with me.

Not able to live up to the things I know delivered to. That's because he had not yet discovered life in grace and his illustration of the distinction between the washing board and the washing machine. The washing board and the washing machine had the same goal is to closely our grandmothers great-grandmother there that washboard out there is a lot of work. That's a lot of human effort to clean the close with a washing board that the inventor of the washing machine still does not mean you do nothing you got together. The close with the closing machine put the detergent in you put the bleach in you know you you do something, but you're doing something with faith, not in your pal. To do this, but in the power that comes with the object that was created so you participate but you participating by faith in that power, not by faith in your pal by faith in your power is law driven by flesh by faith in the wash machines, I'm going to exercise my faith that I believe he can clean it by bringing my close to it to do it so you looking to the machine. In this case, you look grace. He says in verse 13.

Looking to the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, please go to Jesus is called what God NC as part of the Trinity is Windows versus when Jesus is called God grace is not merely a theory or a theology. It is a person when you're in trouble with the law, you will need a logbook you need a Lord, your somebody is trying to rob you will needed penal code book you need a policeman if you're sick, you don't need a medical book.

You need a doctor now. The doctor in the book should agree the policeman of the Penal Code should agree, but you leave the personification of what's written in the book. So while we want the word we want the word personified. So what's this member I quoted second Peter 318 grow in grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. How do you grow in grace by getting closer to Jesus. So the administration and the person connected intimately. That's why John 15 talks about abiding that is intimacy with Christ will grow your experience of grace in your experience of grace will grow your your experience of spiritual victory rather than spiritual defeat. So many people try to cost and fuss and fight their way to victory and not grace their way there.

So you look at the challenge whether you like it was the arch of the light of the challenges have you like them that are wrong, wrong things and bad temper. You know, addictions of the thing that is for because you want victory you want to get what is to be made right so you may promises you made resolutions 11 for a while but instead when you have dirty dishes that have been there for a while you soak them you can, scrubber, but the easier thing to do is to soak them what you just did by soaking them is changed in environment soap and hot water with sides if you soak it long enough.

What you would try to scrub off you know can slide off the same dirt, but being handled in a different environment out of his grace final point will make should come service first Peter chapter 4 verse 10 as one has received a special gift employed in serving one another as a good steward of the manifold grace of God you know are so hard to get people to serve because they either do not understand or do not appreciate grace. If you really knew what God was offering and really were taking advantage of it. You would have to be big to serve baked again. To do this do that it would be an overflow of gratitude because you see grace. If you been listening to our broadcast and you have not personally trusted Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins so that he can give you the gift of eternal life right now I want you to go to God and transfer your trust from any and everything else except the son of God, who died on the cross for your sins and rose from the dead impeccable say little prayer and you can repeat after me. You just have to mean it for yourself. Heavenly father, I know I'm a sinner and that I can't save myself. I believe Jesus Christ your son died on the cross in my place four months in and I know trusting him alone to forgive me and to give me the gift of eternal life that he promised to give to anyone who came to him for it. Thank you for saving me and help me from this day forward to live a life pleasing to you. Congratulations welcome to the family. God bless you and that goes for all of us here at the alternative, we encourage you to connect with a good Bible teaching church so you can grow. We also invite you to visit us at Tony Avenue and start org and click on the link that says Jesus there. Dr. Evans has further words of encouragement to share and plenty of downloadable resources to help you learn more now.

Today's message was all about the grace of God and if you'd like to get a copy of this lesson to review again share with a friend. It's available in its entirety on both CD and digital download. Better yet, get it is a part of that special, limited time package I mentioned earlier, including all 12 full-length messages in the God's heart revealed series along with Tony's brand-new book prayers for knowing God. All these are our gift to you way of saying thanks when you make a contribution to help support Tony's ministry. Just contact us at 1-800-800-3222 to make the arrangements resource team members are standing by to assist you again the number 1-800-800-3222, or make your request online@tonyevans.org again that's Tony and.org these days you can access all sorts of knowledge with a quick web search. Dr. Evans has wisdom is knowing what to do with that knowledge and true wisdom doesn't come from an Internet download happens when you listen to and connect with God. I hope you come back to that discussion right here. The alternative with Dr. Tony Avenue is brought to you by the urban alternative celebrating 40 years of faithfulness, thanks to the generous contributions of listeners like you