Grace—what a sweet fragrance.
It is the greatest theme in the Bible.
Abounding grace, wondrous
grace, boundless grace, fountain of grace, unfailing
grace, unmeasurable grace, electing grace, matchless
grace, overflowing grace, redeeming grace, pardoning
grace, plenteous grace, unfailing grace, fullness of
grace, efficacious grace, magnified grace,
refreshing grace, sovereign grace, and salvation by
grace, grace rich and free!
“Oh to grace, how great a
debtor.”
God is exceedingly gracious to
sinful man. Grace is the unmerited and undeserved
favor of a holy God upon sinful depraved human
beings. It is His kindness, love and nature to be
gracious to humanity.
Grace is the very opposite of
merit. It is totally undeserved favor of God toward
the sinner. However, it is more than that, it is
favor shown to the one who has deserved the very
opposite.
What better definition of grace
can you find than that expressed by the apostle Paul
in Romans 5:8? “But God demonstrates His own love
toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us.”
In contrast to contemporary
man’s thinking, God does not owe sinful man
anything. Every blessing humanity enjoys is the
result of God’s “common grace.”
Every person is a recipient of
God’s “common grace” whether he acknowledges it or
not. However, “common grace” saves no one, and it
never has. We need “special grace” to be saved.
“Saving grace,” on the other
hand, redeems sinful man for time and eternity.
The apostle Paul tells us that
no matter how great our sin, the grace of God is
proven greater. “The Law came in so that the
transgression would increase; but where sin
increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as
sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign
through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord” (Rom. 5:20-21).
“Sin increased,” actual
transgressions increased, but “grace abounded all
the more.” More grace added to this super abundance
of grace. Grace was added to more grace, over and
above the grace that super abounded, with even more
grace added to that!
“Oh, to grace how great a
debtor”!
Do you need grace? Come to the
fountain of super abounding, flooding grace!
All the Law can do is point its
finger and say, “You are guilty!” It condemns sinful
man. It shows sin for what it is in the eyes of God.
However, God has more than an
abundant supply of grace. There was plenty of sin,
but much, much more grace in superabundance. There
is victory for the sinner in grace.
This superabundant grace
replaces the reign of sin. We do not have the power
to break free from sin, therefore it reigns and we
cannot escape the penalty of death. "The wages of
sin is death" (Rom. 6:23).
However, God’s grace reigns
through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Yes,
grace triumphs when God imputes His righteousness
and gives eternal life to the sinner who believes on
the saving death of Jesus Christ to save him (Jn.
3:16; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Rom. 5:6, 8; 10:9-10, 13; 8:1;
5:1-2; 2 Cor. 5:21).
God is gracious.
What is your response to God’s
saving grace? Your eternal destiny depends upon your
response to His saving grace. Christ died for you so
that “whoever believes in Him shall not perish but
have eternal life.”
Wil is a graduate of William
Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist
Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific
University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador
and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as
missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily
expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100
countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek
opportunities to be personally involved in world
missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown
daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor
and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
Bible
word studies for sermon preparation, messages,
devotions and personal Bible studies with abiding
principles and practical applications.
Reports on what God is doing through Bible
believing evangelical Christians in
Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru,
India
and Ecuador. Jesus said, "If you abide in
Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever
you wish, and it shall be done for you"
(John 15:7).