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HIS INEXHAUSTIBLE GRACE
Titus 2:11
The grace of God is the unmerited favour of
God to the undeserving. It is the infinite mercy of God to the world, a favour
of infinite worth in itself. From the beginning of the Bible to the end
(Genesis 6:8; Revelation 22:21), we owe everything to the grace of God. From
our creation to our redemption, it is all of grace. From our conversion to our
preservation, it is God’s grace, His free gift, undeserved mercy and goodness
revealed. From our salvation to our glorification, God’s grace shines forth as
the divine force that makes everything happen.
As can be expected, the gift of grace, God’s
infinite mercy, “hath appeared to all men” to
accomplish many things for us. Limited understanding keeps believers
spiritually poor and impoverished. Proper, scriptural understanding of the
many-sided or “the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10)
makes us spiritually strong, maintaining vital spiritual energy. Trusting in
God to be saved by grace and relying on ourselves to live righteously merely by
self-effort, without recourse to the grace of God is like being brought into
the kingdom of God by the effectual power of the Spirit of God and striving to
remain in the kingdom in the energy of the flesh. How can we be so unwise and
foolish? (Galatians 3:3).
1. GOD’S
INCONCEIVABLE GRACE FOR SINNERS’ SALVATION
Titus 2:11; 1 Timothy 1:12-16; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:
23,24; 5:6-21; Ephesians 2:1-10; 1:7,12; Titus 3:5-7; Acts 13:43.
No sinner could have paid the infinite penalty of sinning against
the almighty God and still live. Only God could have conceived the plan of
salvation for sinful humanity. Every sin committed against God is a great debt
owed. Innumerable sins have been committed against the eternal God (Psalm
40:12). How can man pay his debt and become free? Was he to stop sinning and
start living righteously and perfectly (which is not possible in his own
strength), that would not pay his past debts. It would only mean that the great
past debts are not increasing but still must be paid. The only solution is for
God to forgive, but a righteous and holy God cannot forgive without the
satisfaction of His just demand! Someone has to pay the penalty. No man can pay
for another because each man has his own debts to pay. Christ, God’s own Son,
had to become Man, take our place, pay the penalty and release us from our
debts. That is love undeserved, mercy unmerited, favour which none of us
qualifies for. That is grace – the free gift of salvation – bestowed at the
incalculable, immeasurable price of the blood and life of Christ. Grace, God’s
grace, marvelous, infinite, matchless grace.
2. GOD’S
INCOMPREHENSIBLE GRACE FOR SAINTS’ SANCTIFICATION
Titus 2:11,14; Hebrews 2:9-11; Ephesians 5:25-27; Hebrews 8:6,10;
10:10-14; 13:9,12-14; 10:19-23,29; 12:1,2,14,15; Acts 20:32.
Salvation, full salvation, is by grace – the grace of God.
Salvation, salvation from the penalty of sin, salvation from the pollution of
sin, salvation from presumptuous sins, salvation from the power of sin,
salvation from propensity to sin, salvation from the presence of sin, salvation
from the prince of sinners, is all by grace, God’s incredible, incalculable
grace. God saves and He sanctifies by His grace.
For a sinful man who has struggled with the many sins in his life
without any victory, he thinks it is impossible to be saved from sin. Then “the
grace of God that bringeth salvation” appears and says “thou
shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins”
(Matthew 1:21). For the believer who is conscious of inward depravity and the
propensity to sin, he wonders whether entire sanctification, unblemished
holiness and transparent purity will ever be possible until the Spirit of God
comes forth “crying, Grace, grace” (Zechariah 4:6,7). And the
angel assures him, “for with God nothing shall be impossible”
(Luke 1:37). Then God in His infinite love, mercy and grace reminds him, “behold,
I am the LORD, the God of all flesh, and there is nothing too hard for me”
(Jeremiah 32:27,17). Then does he pray: ‘Purge me from every evil blot; my
idols all be cast aside; cleanse me from every sinful thought, from all the
filth of self and pride. Give me a new, a perfect heart, from doubt, and fear,
and sorrow free; the mind which was in Christ impart, and let my spirit cleave
to thee’. Faith pleads and asks. Grace says it is done.
3. GOD’S
INCOMPARABLE GRACE FOR SACRIFICIAL SERVICE
1 Corinthians 3:10; 15:10; 2 Corinthians 12:9,1-10; 1 Peter 4:10-16;
Acts 4:29-33; 20:19-24; Hebrews 12:28; 4:16.
Great things are spoken of the grace of God – strengthening grace,
sustaining grace, surpassing grace, superlative grace, supernatural grace,
super-abounding grace, sufficient grace. “As thy days, so shall thy
strength be” (Deuteronomy 33:25,27). As the challenges and demands of
the ministry increase, so the grace to serve and minister will increase. God
gives sufficient grace to accomplish whatever task or duty He has assigned for
each of us. Paul, the apostle, did much, following through the divine
appointment in ministry. He laboured more abundantly than all the other
apostles; he laboured under the most oppressive, most difficult, most
dangerous, most challenging conditions, all by the grace of God. Grace, grace;
so deep, so high, so broad, so wide, infinite and inexhaustible, wonderful
grace! - From bible study outline
The bible study message can accessed HERE.
"Your Grace Finds Me"-Matt Redman
I pray that the great grace of God that gives us full, free and fruitful salvation will reach to you wherever you are in Jesus' name.
-Charity
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