MORE TIME AND MORE GRACE

August 16, 2013

MORE TIME AND MORE GRACE

In a speech made in 1863, Abraham Lincoln said, “We have been the receipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prospertiy; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.

Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.” Now Lets move the clock forward 150 years later to today and ask yourself HAS ANYTHING CHANGED? Not at all Peter says in 2 Peter 3:4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”

But lets move on to our subject today which is about Gods grace in Romans 5:20 Paul says Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, he also states in Romans 5:17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Florida mass Choir sings a song name more time more grace the words go something like this.

Grace more time and more grace even more to run this race I sit and come short of your glory is true but all the pardon I need I found it in you Lord I’ve made up my mind to ask for more grace and a little more time. often heard it said time belongs to no one clock can’t turn back all the wrong we’ve done but Lord I’m calling out your name as best I can and i’m asking for the blessings that comes from your name.

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia grace is defined as a theological term present in many religions. It has been defined as the divine influence which operates in humans to regenerate and sanctify, to inspire virtuous impulses, and to impart strength to endure trial and resist temptation and as an individual virtue or excellence of divine origin. I love the part that says to impart strength to endure trial and resist temptation.

Paul says in Ephesians 2:8-10. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Simply put, GRACE can be defined as unearned favor, A free gift and can never be earned no matter how many sick individuals we visit, or how much tithe we give or food we give to the homeless. No amount of work will ever earn Gods favor, It is God’s gift, A gift of salvation, granted to sinners for their salvation.

Common Christian teaching is that grace is unmerited mercy or favor that God gave to humanity by sending his son to die on a cruel cross, thus delivering eternal salvation God’s JUSTICE, MERCY and GRACE can be compared to the pardon that a governor of a state can give to a guilty prisoner who because of his crimes against humanity was sentence to death without a reasonable doubt by A jury of his peers, on all counts. JUSTICE will now be served and death is assured unless the Governor has MERCY and pardons or FORGIVES the prisoner.

But because the Governor is the final Judge. He, and only He, gives the prisoner not only a pardon, but also total freedom, and on top of that, a huge mansion to live in, and unlimited resources of things he could have never imagined he would ever have or be entitled to. Now you can say the Governor has given the guilty prisoner both MERCY & GRACE. If he had received the JUSTICE that he deserved than JUSTICE would have meant, the sentence be carried out and he dies for his crime.

The same with God’s grace, JUSTICE for our sins means death because that is what we deserve because we are guilty of our sins. Paul says in Romans 3:23, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So that means once again we all should die but Paul also says in Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. So now that tells me we have been given a stay of execution. And Right now God offers us a pardon (MERCY).

He also wants to forgive us and set us free from the results of sin. And He has the right to do this because He is our creator. And our creator, Jesus Christ, came from His beautiful home in heaven to this wicked universe and died on a cruel cross so that we would not have to die. But His death can only be our salvation if we accept it. The choice is up to us. The prisoner above could also have decided not to take the offer the judge gave him, and made the choice to be executed, and die, instead of life. To us that would seem like a stupid decision for him to make, especially since the Governor is willing to give him not only his life but treasures beyond anything he has ever imagined.

But my friends think about all the time, and grace, God has given you to get it right, and then think about all the time you spend in front of the TV or gossiping on the phone, or at the dinner table after church. Peter says it best in 1 Peter 2:21-25 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

So my friends today. Stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY