Intro. The forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace wherein He has abounded toward us.
I. THE ABUNDANCE OF HIS GRACE.
A. In the previous verse Paul speaks of the riches of His grace, and now in verse 8 he mentions the abundance of His grace.
B. Let it be noted that the grace of God is sufficient to cover all our sins, or any other difficulty that we might be having.
1. When Paul was asking the Lord to remove his thorn in the flesh, that minister of satan that was buffeting him, the response of the Lord was not to remove it, but to assure him of the sufficiency of God's grace. "My grace is sufficient for you, My strength will be made perfect in your weakness."
a. As the result of Paul receiving the all sufficient grace, he came to the place where he gloried in his weaknesses that the power of God might be revealed in Him.
b. He now thanked God for the very thing that He was asking God to remove.
c. It is often in our weaknesses that we discover His strength.
d. The net result is that we are now stronger than we ever were or could be because our strength is now in the Lord and not in our weak flesh that loves to boast itself of how strong it is.
e. The man who thinks that he has the strength in his own flesh to resist the power and temptations of the enemy is self-deluded and is headed toward a great fall. "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."
f. To the Philippians Paul said, "We are those who worship Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh."
2. When Satan is buffeting us for our weakness or failure, how beautiful and comforting it is to hear God declare, "My grace is sufficient for you."
3. In Romans Paul declared, "Where sin did abound, grace did much more abound."
a. Are there limits to the grace of God?
EPH 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
b. If there are limits to His grace I do not want to seek to find them or know them. The grace of God is not a license to do as I please or to sin.
c. One that has been blessed by the grace of God is not apt to probe the limits of His grace.
d. I am satisfied to say that it was sufficient for me and my sin.
D. As Paul speaks of the forgiveness of our sins according to the riches of His grace, it is also according to the abundance of His grace.
1. Paul said, "He is able to make all grace abound toward you."
II. THIS GRACE ABOUNDS TOWARD US IN WISDOM.
A. The bestowal of the grace of God is not indiscriminate but in wisdom.
1. If God bestowed grace indiscriminately the world would soon become total chaos.
2. The Lord provides mercy toward those that fear or reverence Him.
3. The Lord forgives those who repent.
4. The Lord gives grace to the lowly.
PRO 3:34 Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.
a. In James this verse is translated as saying,
JAM 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
b. In
Ephesians 6:24 Paul tells us that grace is to all that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.
5. It is through Jesus Christ that we have access into this grace.
ROM 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
ROM 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
ROM 5:15 But not as the offense, so also [is] the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, [which is] by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
ROM 5:16 And not as [it was] by one that sinned, [so is] the gift: for the judgment [was] by one to condemnation, but the free gift [is] of many offenses unto justification.
ROM 5:17 For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
6. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord but the rest of the world in which he lived experienced the wrath and judgment of God.
a. How is it that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord while the rest of his generation perished in the flood?
b. The scriptures tell us that Noah was a just man, and he walked with God.
B. Jude warns of the false teachers who turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness.
1. It is absolutely wrong to go out and sin willfully declaring that God's grace will cover it.
2. Paul says of those who would say, "Let us do evil that good may come." That their damnation is just.
III. GOD'S GRACE ALSO ABOUNDS TOWARD US IN PRUDENCE. THAT IS IN ALL
DISCRETION AND REASONABLENESS.
A. As we have pointed out, all men have not and do not receive the grace of God. For those who reject the grace of God which is equivalent to saying reject His gift of grace, Jesus Christ our Lord, they will experience and know the judgment of God.
ROM 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
ROM 2:2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
ROM 2:3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
ROM 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
ROM 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
ROM 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
ROM 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
ROM 2:8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
ROM 2:9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
ROM 2:10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
Verse-Reference
Square — [Jhn 1:1 KJV]
Abbreviate Books
Use SBL Abbrev.
