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Book: Ephesians
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Ephesians 1:8
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:
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