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THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
MAY 18, 1919 T H E G R A C E O F GO D Golden Text: “B u t we believe th a t th rough th e grace of th e Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.” Ac. 15:11. LESSON TEXT Eph. 2:4-19; T it. 2:11-14. (Read Gen. 6 :8 ; Ex. 34:6, 7; 2 Cor. 12 :9 ; Eph. 2:4-10; T it. 2:11-14.)
(E ph. 2:4) B u t God, w ho is rich In m ercy, fo r his g re a t love w herew ith h e loved us, (6) E ven w hen w e w ere dead in sins, h a th quickened' u s to g eth er w ith C hrist, b y g race y e are saved; (6) an d h a th raised us up to g eth er, a n d m ade us sit to g eth er in h eav en ly places, in C h rist Jesu s:- (7) T h a t in th e ages to com e he m ig h t show th e exceeding riches of his g race in h is kin d n ess tow ard u s th ro u g h C h rist Jesu s. (8) F o r by g race a re ye sav ed th ro u g h fa ith ; an d th a t n o t of yo u rselv es; it is th e g ift of God; (9) N o t of w orks, lest an y m an should boast. (10) F o r w e are his w o rkm an - A Definition. Grace is the free and unm erited favor of God. I. Why G race Is E ssential. The sinner’s need of grace is strik ingly set fo rth in Ephesians 2:1-3, the verses imm ediately preceding our lesson portion. By n a tu re he is: 1. D e a d in tres- LESSON passes and sins. EXPOSITION 2. Conformed to the 3 . H. H u n ter course of th is world. 3. Under th e con tro l of the prince of the power of the- air. 4. One of the children of disobedi ence. 5. Controlled by fleshly lu sts and desires. 6. A child of w rath. The p o rtra it if not flattering is never theless tru e, as every saved man will testify. Until assent, h earty assent, is given to th e description, grace is unap preciated and unsought because it is Grace of necessity is o f God. He is th e One ag ain st whom we all have sinned, whose law we have broken, whose love we have despised, whose w rath we have belittled, whose judg- supposed to be unnecessary. II. The Source of Grace.
ship, cre a te d in C h rist Je su s u n to good w orks, w hich God h a th ordained th a t w e should w alk in th em . (Tit. 2:11) F o r th e g race of God th a t b rin g - e th salv atio n h a th ap p eared to all m en, (12) T eaching u s th a t, denying ungodliness an d w orldly lu sts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in th is p re se n t w orld; (13) L ooking fo r th a t blessed hope an d th e glorious ap p earin g of th e g re a t God an d S aviour Je su s C h rist; (14) W ho gave him self fo r us, th a t he m ig h t r e deem us from all iniquity, an d p u rify u n to him self a p ecu liar people zealous of good w orks. m ent we bave spurned “The grace of God.” See T itus 2:11. I t could ori ginate in no one except Him, for He is “ the God of all grace,” 1 P ete r 5:10. See also Psalm 84:11. The death of Christ for our redemp tion came out of th e grace of God, Heb. 2:9. The very th rone of God, which will one day be a throne of judgm ent (Rev. 20 :11 -15 ), is now a throne of grace, Heb. 4:16. IH. The Channel of Grace. “ Grace and tru th came by Jesu s Christ,” John 1:17. He is th e ladder th a t Jacob saw affording communica tion between Heaven and earth . Only th rough Him can we become p arta k ers of the grace of God. Rejecting Christ is rejecting God’s free and unm erited favor. Accepting Christ is accepting all th e riches of grace th a t are bound up in Him, John 1:11-14; 1 Cor. 1:4. IV. The Communicator of Grace. The Holy Spirit in th is p resen t dis pensation, is th é active communicator of the grace of God. The F a th e r originated it, the Son supplied it, the Spirit communicates it. He is called th e Spirit of grace, Heb. 10 :29 ; Zech. 1 2 : 10 .
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