God’s grace for man’s sins 11 February 2017

Notes: Psalm 51 is David’s Psalm of contrition after he committed adultery with Batsheba Two topics we will look at today

1. ‘all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God’ (Ro 3:23) 2. ‘He will save His people from their sins’ (Mat 1:21)

Notes: You may ask: why preach to the converted, why talk to Christians about sin, we who already know what we have been saved from sin through Christ? The answer is, so that, as we continue in our daily Christian endeavours, we don’t become too self-assured

Resist the temptation to pat ourselves on the back or seek validation for our ‘goodness’ i.e. to have a continuous awareness of our sinfulness Ps 52:3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me’ If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8) Psalm 51: Surely you desire truth in the inner parts

Notes: Let us see a few examples of people who considered themselves pious, good and Godly, who fell into this temptations of self-assured goodness and superiority

Jesus told this parable of the Pharisee (the learned, strictly religiously observant Jewish man) and the tax collector Luke 18:9-14 – the Pharisee: ‘God I thank you that I am not like other men, I fast twice a week and a give a tenth of all I get’

Luke 18:18-22 (also Mat 19: 16-26) - the rich young ruler: I obey all commandments, I give to the poor, look at me, I am so good!

Notes: The first followers of Christ in Rome, were the colony of Jews who had lived there (traders, merchants, who had contact with Jerusalem on an off and knew of Jesus and His death, some of whom were also there on the day of Pentecost). From these ‘converted Jews’, the first Christian church would have been built However, they were kicked out by the emperor Claudius, who was anti- Jewish. Emperor Nero then invited the Jews back as he found them economically useful. When the Christian Jews returned thus to Rome, they found the church now was primarily made up of Gentiles…non-Jews who had become Christ-followers.

Admonishing the Jews not to think themselves better than the Gentiles Romans chapters 2 - 7 Admonishing the Jews not to think themselves better than the Gentiles as all are followers of Christ – Gal 3:28: ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ‘

Notes: The question then is, how are we to be, what are we to do in order that because of our very Christianity we don’t become tempted to see ourselves as better than others?

Rather (like the tax collector): God, have mercy on me, a sinner’ Note: Jesus said, this man, unlike the pious, religious Pharisee is justified before God

and follow Him (as he asked of the rich young ruler) succumb to Him, we must give in to Christ What we learn from the Pharisee parable and the story of the rich young ruler Don’t be defined by what you have Or what you don’t have and what good you do, or don’t do; but be defined by WHOM YOU FOLLOW

We are ALL sinners Ro 3:23 – we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God Nothing special about me in relation any one else, Christian or not What makes a Christian different, is someone God grants us: Righteousness is granted to us by God if we have faith in Jesus Christ. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.… (I John 1:9) We cannot boast of any righteousness in and of ourselves

Notes: This is who we are: sinful people, made righteous by God, by His grace, through His Son Jesus Christ Paul says of himself: I am the least of the apostles, I don’t even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church but…

1 Cor 15:10 ‘But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me’

Notes: But, back to the matter of the temptations Christians can fall into: One is to feel too selfrighteous or superior, like the Pharisee or the Roman Jewish Christians The other, is to tip to the other side: ‘well, if God gives grace for sin, then sin is ok, more sin, more grace’! The Jews were well versed in the salvation by observing the law, now, as Christ-followers, they have to acclamatise to the idea of salvation by grace, yet, Jesus said: I’m not here to abandon the law, only to fulfil it. Rome, under the emperors was also a licentious and hedonistic place and this is the context under which Paul addresses the issue of grace and sin

are we therefore to continue with sin, so that grace can increase? Ro 5: 20 – Ro 6: 2 If God grants grace because of our sinfulness (to save us from our sin), are we therefore to continue with sin, so that grace can increase?

No: Alive in Christ, dead to sin – we are no longer slaves to sin (Ro 6) It does not mean that we don’t sin But by His grace we can resist, and overcome and moreover, we can ask for and receive forgiveness

When we follow Christ (succumb to Him), ‘we who have been set free from sin, become slaves to God’ (Ro 6:22) Ro 6:16: ‘slaves of righteousness’ i.e. servants of righteousness of Him who grants us His righteousness

in the face of our sinfulness: The grace He grants in the face of our sinfulness: God’s kindness leads us to repentance Ro2:4 He considers even our burnt offerings Ps 20:3 (‘may He remember all you sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings’) He allows us into His presence, He even commissions us for His service, even though we are ‘people of unclean lips’ Is 6:5

in the face of our sinfulness: The grace He grants in the face of our sinfulness: ‘Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow, though they are red as crimson, they shall be as wool’ Is 1 :18 (Imagine God saying: ‘Let’s find a way I can restore you to something good and positive out of your negative behaviour’ and you can bring to me as a gift, your apology showing your humility and contrition’) ‘What is man that You should consider him? Yes, He allows us to be crowned with honour and glory Ps 8:5

Notes: And so, as we ponder during the days ahead His grace and love for us, despite our sin and burnt offerings, let us pray the prayers of the tax collector in Jesus’ parable and David’s prayer of contrition in Psalm 51:

A prayer from Ps 51 Have mercy on me, I am a sinner Cleanse me and I will be clean Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. Amen.