1 Where the Grace of God Will Not Reach! His Grace Reaches Me – #596 - Hymns for Worship (revised)

2 Introduction Salvation involves both God and man!  Grace is God’s part! God’s attitude toward man! Jn. 3:16  Faith is man’s part! Man’s response to God’s spiritual provisions! Rom. 10:17; 5:1-2, Cor. 5:7 Gal. 3:11, Heb. 10:38 Heb. 11 – Heroes hall of the faithful of old!

Errors of the Grace-Unity Movement Unity in Diversity: Proponents argue we can no more think alike than we can look alike. The say we have unity with the Christian Church by recognizing that we are different in our beliefs about using mechanical instruments of music in worship and by accepting each other in spite of this difference. Who Is A Christian:  Leroy Garret recognizes Christians in all denominations  Rubel Shelly says that one is a Christian so long as he is baptized in order to obey God 3

4 “One taught, ‘we are hypocrites when we look down our noses at the denominations, they are Christians…all come to Christ through the cross’ …They taught ‘we are NOT saved because we are right, BUT because Jesus was right. It is just the PERSON, not the doctrine’ …They constantly said ‘we are saved by GRACE, not by being united in doctrine,’ making fun of unity in doctrine and practice.” Comments by brother David D. Bonner in his article entitled, “ACU Lecturship-2006,” Gospel Truths, April 2006, p ACU Annual Lectureship

Is The Grace Of God Limited? 5

God’s grace will not reach those will not obey His commandments! We must obey His commands!  Jude 4-5  John 14:15; 23; 15:10  1 Samuel 15:22 Let us heed the examples of old given for our learning!  1 Corinthians 10:1-12  Romans 15:4 6

God’s grace will not reach those who seek salvation by the law of Moses! Justification by the Law of Moses demands perfection!  Galatians 3:10-12 Trying to be justified by the Law of Moses is “a yoke upon the neck”!  Acts 15:10 Following the Law of Moses severs one from the grace of God!  Galatians 5:1-4 7

God’s grace will not reach those who will not believe! The Jews were saved by faith and grace just like the Gentiles!  Acts 15:11 The jailor and his house were saved by an obedient faith!  Acts 16:30-32 Faith is man’s part and grace is God’s!  Ephesians 2:8  Mark 16:16 8

God’s grace will not reach those who refuse His teaching! The gospel must be learned!  John 6:44-45 The grace of God teaches us how to live!  Titus 2:11-12 A perverted “gospel” condemns!  Galatians 1:6-9 We must obey the gospel of Christ!  2 Thess. 1:7-9 9

God’s grace will not reach those who view grace as a license to sin! We cannot practice sin just because we are “not under law, but under grace”  Romans 6:15-18 Continued sin insults the Spirit of grace!  Hebrews 10:26-29 We cannot practice sin lest we “fall short” of God’s grace  Hebrews 12:

11 1 John 3:4 ~ Romans 3:23 “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” If there is no law, there can be no sin, and therefore, no need of grace! “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed” (James 1:25; cf. Gal. 6:2)

God’s grace will not reach those who refuse to repent! Cannot continue in sin that grace may abound!  Romans 6:1-2 God demands repentance!  Luke 24:46-47  Luke 13:3 & 5 True repentance equals regret + change of action or direction!  Acts 26:20 12

God’s grace will not reach those who are not humble! God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble  James 4:6-10 God wants people who possess a contrite and humble spirit!  Isaiah 57:15; Psalms 51:16-17 As the elect of God, we must “put on” humility throughout our lives  Colossians 3:12 13

God’s grace will not reach those who are not baptized into Christ! Jesus commanded baptism!  Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16 All spiritual blessing are “in Christ”!  Ephesians 1:1-3 Galatians were “baptized into Christ.”  Galatians 3:23-29 Before the faith came, shut up under the law Law a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ No longer the schoolmaster after the faith came Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus Baptized into Christ Put on Christ All (Jews & Gentiles) one in Christ Spiritual seed of Abraham Saved by grace through faith! Ephesians 2:5-9 14

Conclusion We cannot be presumptuous and creative with the grace of God! We must learn, believe, repent, and humbly obey! We cannot earn salvation by perfection!  1 John 7-10 We need God’s grace!  But, we have to accept the reality of God’s revelation concerning His grace 15

16 The Bible Plan of Salvation The Alien Sinner must…  Hear - Romans 10:17  Believe the Gospel - Romans 10:14  Confess Christ - Romans 10:9, 10  Repent of your sins - Acts 2:38  Be baptized into Christ - Acts 2:38 An erring child of God must…  Repent and Pray - Acts 8:22-24