Charles Spurgeon and Joseph Parker both had churches in London in the 19th century. On one occasion, Parker commented on the poor condition of children admitted to Spurgeon's orphanage. It was reported to Spurgeon however, that Parker had criticized the orphanage itself. Spurgeon blasted Parker the next week from the pulpit. The attack was printed in the newspapers and became the talk of the town. People flocked to Parker's church the next Sunday to hear his rebuttal, instead they heard these words from Parker, "I understand Dr. Spurgeon is not in his pulpit today, and this is the Sunday they use to take an offering for the orphanage. I suggest we take a love offering here instead." The crowd was delighted. The ushers had to empty the collection plates 3 times. Later that week there was a knock at Parker's study. It was Spurgeon. "You know Parker, you have practiced grace on me. You have given me not what I deserved; you have given me what I needed.”[1] Isn’t that amazing, that is precisely what grace is all about. It is not giving what we deserve but something better. It’s the unmerited favor.
The title of my message “God’s Amazing Grace” is borrowed from a well beloved Hymn "Amazing Grace" written by John Newton in 1779. John Newton grew up without any particular religious conviction. As a young adult he was pressed into the Royal Navy and became a sailor, eventually participating in the slave trade. One night a terrible storm battered his vessel so severely that he became frightened enough to call out to God for mercy, a moment that marked the beginning of his spiritual conversion.”[2]
The message of this Hymn is that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the grace of God. Not only John Newton was saved by grace, if it was not for the grace of God I wouldn’t be standing here today. I am sure many of you have similar stories to tell. Fast forward two hundred years since John Newton wrote that hymn. Times have changed the world we are living is not as innocent as it used to be. Open the news paper there is crime and violence everywhere but there are still some people left who extends grace.
Recently I watched a documentary on CNN about serial killers. Over fifty innocent girls became victims of one man’s lust and gruesome brutality. Gary Ridgway was convicted of killing those young girls. For the first time one of the fathers of one victim was facing Ridgway in the court. I was moved by what this father had to say, “Mr. Ridgway, I had prayed for about two or three weeks before as to what to say. There are people here that hate you. I'm not one of them. I forgive you for what you have done. It's a commandment that you forgive thy enemy. - God doesn't say to forgive just one, you've got to forgive all. So you are forgiven, sir.” Upon hearing that profound statement every one in the court room was shocked. I could see Ridgway, was visibly shaken and tears flowing down his face.
What a powerful demonstration of forgiveness. I do not know whether Mr. Ridgway has repented of his sins or not but I do know one thing that the father extended grace beyond words to an undeserving sinner, in doing so this father has reflected the heart of our heavenly father”[3] Like Ridgway we too do not deserve God’s grace.
All we deserve is to be burning in hell forever. But because of God’s Amazing Grace you and I can escape eternal punishment. How did God demonstrate this grace in the Bible? Can God forgive any and every sin? What should be our response to Amazing Grace? Let’s go back to where everything began; the Garden of Eden.
I. GRACE IN THE GARDEN
The Garden of Eden was a perfect and safe place to live. There was harmony, peace everywhere. But when Adam and Eve sinned, everything changed. They rejected God’s commandment instead chose to follow Satan. In a sense they rejected God’s love for a moment of pleasure. Were they happy with that decision? No! Instead they were ashamed and afraid and ran away from God. Isn’t that what sin typically does to us? It may give you a moment of happiness but robs the joy out of your relationship with God and with others.
Max Lucado writes about God’s unconditional love towards his people in his book “Just like Jesus” “The Love of people often increases with performance and decreases with mistakes. Not so with God’s love. He loves you right where you are. God’s love never ceases. Never! Thought we spurn him. Ignore him. Reject him. Despise him. Disobey him. He will not change. Our evil cannot diminish his love. Our goodness can not increase it. Our faith doesn’t earn it anymore than our stupidity jeopardizes it. God doesn’t love us less if we fail or more if we succeed. God’s love never ceases.”[4] That is giving grace. For the first time we see a grace encounter in the Garden. Though Adam and Eve rejected God, he loved them so much therefore he came right to where they were. He called out to Adam saying where are you? He didn’t say why you did this. That was a call of grace which leads to repentance.
Had Adam and Eve repented of what they have done the story of mankind would have been different, instead of admitting their wrong and asking for forgiveness they blamed each other. Now God had all the reason to wipe them out and do everything all over again instead he wanted to work with the fallen man. That is nothing but absolute grace. How did that grace play out in the Garden? After cursing the serpent, Eve and Adam God made a few provisions for them. He covered their nakedness with leather garments. He pronounced the way of salvation to mankind through Christ. He sealed the destiny of Satan forever.
Finally, he banished them from the Garden, how could that be an act of grace? Think for a moment. Had they reached out and eaten the fruit of life won’t they have remained in their miserable sinful state forever? Then what hope would you and I have? These are all acts of grace in the Garden. In the same way God loves you the way you are. He will come to you where you are, but won’t leave you the way you are. He wants to transform you into the likeness of His Son Jesus Christ. John Newton has experienced the power of God’s grace when he wrote these heart wrenching words, “Amazing Grace (How sweet the sound) that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.”
II. GRACE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:
Since the Garden of Eden God has shown his grace (unmerited favor) in numerous occasions not only to his Children but also to those who did not acknowledge him as God. The following scriptures indicate God’s graciousness.
Genesis 21:1 “Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised.”
Exodus 34:6 “And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,”
Psalm 145:8 “The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.” God extended his grace to a generation which continued to rebel against Him.
Isaiah 30:15-18, “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it…. Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion.” God has shown his grace not only to his children but also to the wicked.
Isaiah 26:10 “Though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and regard not the majesty of the LORD.”
The gracious God who showed his mighty acts of grace to the willing and the un-willing in the Old Testament has personified his grace when he sent his Son Jesus Christ into this world.
III. CHRIST: THE MANIFESTATION OF GRACE.
In the Life in Christ series we have seen Christ being, the King, the redeemer, healer, deliverer, prince of peace and the savior of the world however this series would be incomplete if we overlook Christ being the manifestation of grace. He not only came to give us grace but he himself was full of grace. In other words grace is no longer an abstract distant nature of God but now it has a human body so that we can feel and receive his grace. This aspect of God’s grace was largely overlooked and misunderstood by the Pharisees and Sadducees of his time.
Christ did some radical things while demonstrating grace that did not sit well with the experts of the Mosaic law. Matthew 11:19, “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." 'But wisdom is proved right by her actions." In John 1:14 we read, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the father, full of grace and truth.”
Christ came to show us, his grace first and his truth next. How often do we get this wrong? Are we quick to point people their faults by telling them the truth but seldom extending grace to them? Christ was called the friend of sinners, in other words sinners were attracted to him they liked to hang around with him, why don’t sinners like being around us? What scares them away? Philips Yancey in his book the “Jesus I never knew” recalls a story told him by a friend who works with the down and out in Chicago. A prostitute came to him in wretched straits, homeless, her health failing, unable to buy food for her two year old daughter.
Her eyes awash with tears, she confessed that she had been renting out her daughter- two years old! To men interested in weird sex, in order to support her own drug habit. His friend could hardly bear hearing the sordid details of her story. He sat in silence, not knowing what to say. At last he asked if she had ever thought of going to a church for help. With a pure look of astonishment on her face the woman cried, “Church! Why would I ever go there? They’d just make me feel even worse than I already do![5]
What a sad picture of a Church in the eyes of this hurting single mother? A Church should be a place where the hurting, and lonely are attracted to, accepted and comforted by the love of God which will be manifested by its members through acts of random kindness. If they are living in sin they will be convicted by the Holy Spirit as they worship, and listen to the word of God being preached. How about our church? Is it a safe environment for sinners? Or is it a place where people feel condemned and judged?
I believe and pray that our church will truly become a loving and healing place where lives are refreshed, restored and transformed. That’s what Christ came to demonstrate. Remember the story of the prostitute in the Bible who had received grace from Jesus (Luke 7:36-50). One of the Pharisees asked him over a meal. He went to the Pharisee’s house and sat down at the dinner table. Just then a woman of the village, the town harlot, having learned that Jesus was a guest in the home of the Pharisee, came with a bottle of every expensive perfume and stood at his feet, raining tears on his feet. Letting down her hair she dried his feet, kissed them and anointed them with the perfume.” What a powerful lesson can we learn from that? Some of us who want to live decent lives try very hard to do it in our own strength in the process we become faultfinders and judgmental. Instead of love, criticism and irritation flows from our life, then we are not operating in grace. We forget that we too were sinners once and only saved by grace.
Here is a woman whose life was exploited by the lust of men, but when she received God’s grace all has changed. She showed her love by pouring expensive perfume on the feet of her savior. That was worship. Jesus commended this woman for it much to the annoyance of the host of the party who labeled her “a sinner.” The astonishing bottom line of that story is that those who are forgiven more, love more. How are you expressing your love for God and for people? Or have you become self righteous like that Pharisee who could not pass beyond his own “Holier than thou attitude?
May be some of you are like that woman in the story wondering whether God can forgive your sin. Yes he can and he will, if you repent of it. May be others are sitting on the saddle like the Pharisee riding on self-righteousness and being irritated by the expression of worship of those who were saved by His grace. Thank God that whether you are in need to receive God’s grace today or whether you are in need of becoming a grace giver the Lord is here to meet you. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen!
