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The Persecuted Church

 

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May you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ

 From the beginning with Adam’s sin, God worked with man giving him grace and mercy when he only deserved judgment. Though it does not specifically mention the word grace, there was grace toward Adam and Eve with there judgment, by BEING REMOVED FROM THE GARDEN.

Later as mankind became more overtaken by their sin nature and evil became predominant, God still found a way to give grace. “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Gen. 6:8) and God had him preach, giving mankind a chance before the flood that would bring world wide destruction and death.

 =The Bible mentions 5 specific people grace was given to in the Old Testament, Noah (Gen. 6:8); Abraham (Gen. 18:3; 24:27); Lot (Gen. 19:19); Jacob (Gen. 32:10; 33:5); and Joseph (Gen. 39:21; 43:29). The Old Testament ends with a warning in Mal. 4:4 “Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.”

 Grace is mentioned approximately 20 times in the Old Testament, in the New Testament over 100 times directly. The most famous passage in the Old Testament is God and Moses in conversation,  Exod. 33:12-19: Then Moses said to the LORD, "See, You say to me, 'Bring up this people.' But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, 'I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.' "Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people." And He said, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Then he said to Him, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. "For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth." So the LORD said to Moses, "I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name." And he said, "Please, show me Your glory." Then He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."

 We find God showing himself strong on Moses behalf attributed to His grace and then tells Moses that He chooses whom he will put his favor toward. We find the principle explained in the New Testament "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble"(1 Peter 5:5).

 Israel promised to keep the laws, but they failed. Yet God still had grace; He became man, and for the first time in history God entered the human existence as a human.

From the beginning of Jesus’ life on earth God introduced grace - to Mary. The New Testament Introduces us to Jesus as a youth by saying “the grace of God was upon Him” (Luke 2:40) Later on we read 

John 1:14 it tells us He lived among his people “and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” The Greek word for full is pleres, it means, complete, filled up, permeating, lacking nothing, perfect in - Grace and truth. “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. ”(John 1:16)

 Jesus was the fullness of God (deity) in bodily form (Col.1:19, 2:9). He came to live under the law given through Moses to the people but now He is introduced as grace alongside the law. “The law came through Moses but GRACE and TRUTH came through Jesus Christ.” Here begins the distinction as God became incarnate and taught men the true intent of the law of Moses.

 As believers in the Messiah, and the new covenant everything we have is given to us by the grace of God - our salvation - our growth - and eventually our glorification.

Phil 1:6-7 “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.”

 It’s all worked by His unmerited favor toward those who believe, that have exercised faith in the one sent, who have become part of the new covenant through the gospel. Nothing is done because of law, the old covenant, which when man failed in keeping would be punished when he failed.  The new covenant is unconditional, and gives the recipient grace when they fail, so they can begin again.

 Throughout the letters of the New Testament grace always comes first before anything else. Notice the letters Paul writes grace and peace. Or Peter’s admonition “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). Grace must be first for one to receive knowledge correctly, accurately, to have peace.

 He begins to mention grace in his letter to the Corinthians: 1 Cor. 1:3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” and he ends with it “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you”(1 Cor. 16:23 also 2 Cor.1:2; 1Tim 6:1; 2 ti.4:22; Titus 3:15; Philemon 1:25; 1Peter 5:12; 2 Peter 3:18; Rev. 22:21)

Paul continued this format in the majority of his letters to both individuals and the church.1Thess 1:1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

1Thess 5:28: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”

The New Testament is about God’s grace toward us and our sharing this grace with each other.

Paul knew what gave him salvation “being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24). Grace was so important to Paul and to the Christian life that it is mentioned in nearly every letter Rom. 1:7Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”.

 (Gal.1:3, Eph.1:2, Phi.1:2; Col.1:2; 1Thess.1:1, 2 Thess. 1:2; 1 Tim.1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2; Titus 1:4; Philemon 1:3;1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 1:2; 2 Jn.1:3; Rev. 1:4)

 As the church began we read “And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33). When the Gentiles were saved the apostle Peter wrote Acts 15:11: “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” Through God’s grace they became recipients to God’s mercy, both Jews and Gentiles received it the same way.

 The apostles were called into their ministry by grace: Rom 1:5: “Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name”

As the apostles did miracles to those who believed it says:

“speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands” (Acts 14:3)

 GRACE IN THE GOSPEL

 The gospel contains both grace and mercy. Mercy is to be freely pardoned when one deserves judgment. Grace is a free gift, favor is given when one is non deserving. Grace finds its source in the giver, who is God, who is motivated by love and sent His only begotten Son to his death for mankind.

 What exactly is grace? Several words are used for grace, chesed means intense kindness and love which is related to God's covenant. ”For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son.” That’s grace. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:7).  The gospel is our new covenant, which has replaced the old covenant.  Grace is enacted by the death of Christ (Mt. 26:28),we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:7). It is grace that is essential to the New Covenant.

It is God’s grace that gives us the way to Him through faith (Eph. 2:8-9). The Gospel of grace is the only means to restore man to God’s original intent, enacted through faith in the Son of God.Our part is to continue in faith, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Phil. 1:6 Entering an unconditional covenant with God means that He is committed to you.

 God abounds in grace and is willing to give the believer his favor. What grace is not is power, the power to live the Christian life comes from the Holy Spirit.

Grace is unrelated to any deed we might do. It is not withheld from God - His grace is consistent. 

A simple example. If you gave someone hungry a meal and then they pulled out their wallet asking what can the pay for it? This would cease being a free gift. Grace is giving what someone needs when they do not deserve it. If they want to pay for it they forfeit the free gift. After speaking of Abraham who only believed and righteousness was accounted to him, Paul explains, “Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,” He then gives us another example v.6 “just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works’ (Rom. 4:4-6)

Rom. 4:16: “Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all”

 Titus 3:4-8: “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.”

We find one of the most comforting promises in the New Testament is Rom. 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

In other words the Devil cannot condemn us because we have been translated from darkness to light, and given the power to live a life in His Spirit, all glory to his grace.

 In Christ is a technical term Paul used for the believer - meaning, they are baptized in the Spirit into His body (1 Cor. 12:13) and when we walk in the power of the one that lives in us we cannot be condemned. Rom 6:14: “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” In other words, we are given power to live pleasingly to the lord.  

  Rom. 5:20: “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.

Paul understood our position toward God through the old covenant, it was hopeless.

 Gal. 2:21 "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."

Paul says “if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” We are explicitly told we are “Not under the law,” means you are under grace, the New Covenant,

 The law is not connected to grace, grace is superior and that is why we are to walk in it.

 Paul warned the Galatian church the result of turning to the law; it annuls your faith that is to be in God’s work of grace Gal. 1:6 “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel

 Col 1:6 which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth

 It is God’s grace that gives us the way to Him through faith (Eph. 2:8-9)

Eph. 2:4-6But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus

You can’t have the true faith without grace from God. And this can only happen when a person admits they are unable to do anything of themselves to be right with God and are willing to become dependent upon God’s work through Christ for them.

Paul said he was saved and justified by grace, he makes it clear it is the same for all:

Rom. 5:1-2:Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

We can understand that nothing can be accomplished for God without his grace working in us.

1 Cor. 15:10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” As Paul labored 2 Cor. 8:6So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well.

“who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began” (2 Tim. 1:9).

2 Cor. 8:7But as you abound in everything-- in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us-- see that you abound in this grace also.” Paul sees that grace must accompany everything we increase in, or we will focus on our own self effort.

Col 4:6Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.’ We are to be gracious whenever possible but not neglect the salt that is necessary.

We are promised 2 Cor. 9:8And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.’

James 4:6-7 “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Having pride stops God’s grace from working our lives, God opposes those who live by pride. We live in an age that is operated by pride and its influences stop so many from learning the truth. But we are also living in an age of grace, where God is holding his judgment for a certain time.

In writing to the 7 churches Rev. 1:4John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne.”

No one believes in an angry Christ! But it says when He comes back, he is not a meek lamb sacrificed, but the conquering king; as a lion to those who have willfully rejected him and chose the false Messiah.  A lion that will destroy his enemies, those who did evil, who opposed him, that did not believe that God would bring judgment as he did so many times before.

 John saw Jesus in heaven in His glory, holy and pure.

Rev 1:16:out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength” (Rev. 2:12). Rev 19:15Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”

His word will first judge the leader of this last rebellion, then his armies. Then the people will be separated (Mt.25) nothing will be hidden as we are told in Heb.4:12. II Thess 2:8 “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.”

The end of the book of Revelation,  it says - “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen (Rev. 22:21). The whole of the Bible is about Jesus Christ and the grace hw wants us to have from him.

The Bible ends with grace for the believer. Our Christian life began with grace, and will continue through eternity because of grace. We began in grace, we stand in grace, and we finish in grace.

1 Pt. 1:9-12: “receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls. Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you.”

As we know this day is approaching let us understand how we conduct ourselves until he comes for us.

 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.” (2 Cor. 13:14) we can have the confidence that "the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.” (Rom.16:20)

 

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