The Gift Of God's Amazing Grace
By Pastor Paul Klusewicz
February 3, 2008

John 1:14 “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.”

Are we missing out on God’s Grace because we are so caught up in religious or church activities? Are we failing to see Jesus and the absolute truth of God’s gift of amazing grace? As we seek the Lord we are reminded that the truth can be scary! In fact, do we really want to know the truth? And if we do want to know Jesus fully and completely do we then feel the freedom to proclaim the gospel truth to others? Preaching and teaching the truth can be an offense to those who are perishing. Even as Christians rebellion and darkness will sneak on in and we need to be reminded the words of Jesus from John 14:6 (NIV) “Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Grace is radical! Grace should lead to the praise and glorification of God. Instead it sometimes causes us to run from God in fear and shame, just like Adam and Eve did. However, since God knows everything, instead of running away from God we should run towards God and allow the Lord’s grace to deepen our relationship with Him.

Many religious institutions have lost sight of God’s grace. At times they focus more on the economy, education or politics. Is it that we would rather concentrate on issues then on our Holy God? Do we feel uncomfortable in the presence of God? Do we fail to recognize our need for Jesus and our need to surrender our whole selves to the Lord?

Many of us would like to be healed physically, emotionally, financially and spiritually. But how many of us come to the complete realization it’s by grace alone we are saved? Grace comes from God; faith comes from God-there are no works involved! Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
2 Peter 3:18 (NIV) “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”

Peter was a salty, crusty rambunctious fisherman, yet the Lord called him to be a “fisher of men.” Peter was continually growing in the “grace and knowledge” of the Lord; even in his struggles Peter was striving to walk in the Lord. This is how we Christians should be. We should have no frets; we should have no fears; we should have “contentment in Christ.” We are called to be content and we should allow God to work on those places in our lives which need construction.

We are called to be “be imitators of Christ”; to know that every Christian has room for improvement. We seek the Lord first; we spend time in prayer; we do what He is calling us to do; we pray with other believers; we attend Bible studies and learn as much as we can about the Word of God. And on the day set apart for the Lord, Sunday, we come to Church with other believers, to worship, to praise, to pray and to hear sermons from the Pastor which have been imparted to him from the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter1:3-9 (NIV) “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.”

Growth for Christians is essential. From Ephesians 6:10 (NIV) we need to “put on the full armor of God” in order to overcome the wiles of the enemy. We need to wear “the belt of truth” and “the breastplate of righteousness” to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are born again believers, so let us reach others for Christ! Let us be effective for Christ! Let us be productive for Christ!

2 Timothy 2:1 (NIV) “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”

1 John 4:4 (NIV) “Because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

Matthew 19:26 (NIV) “Jesus looked at them and said, with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Grace is needed to strengthen us to become the leaders God is calling us to be. These verses help us recognize that we must allow God’s grace, flowing through us by the power of the Holy Spirit to become leaders for Christ. Ask for the grace, receive the grace, and use the grace for God. Let God “fan into flame” the gifts He has given you and let His power send you out to do His work-to fulfill the great commission. Indeed with God’s grace comes responsibility.

Grace is also needed to endure suffering: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NIV) “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

God will use the suffering, the torment, the frustrations and the “thorns” we face in our lives to purge us and purify us and bring us in line with His will for our lives. We need to be completely sufficient on God and God alone. We need to absolutely know “His grace is sufficient for us and His power is made perfect in weakness.”

Grace helps us be givers of ourselves; our talents; our time; and our money to God’s work-for the furtherance of His kingdom. Grace helps us to have the knowledge of our eternal reward. Grace helps us to “live lives worthy of the calling” Colossians 1:9-14 “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

1 Corinthians 2:9 (NIV) "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"

AMEN!