How Grace Works

What Gods Grace Can Still Do!

Romans 5
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
19 Dec, 2010 AM
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
www.biblebc.com

I. Introduction (Heb 12:28)

A. Some gifts that you can give this Christmas are beyond monetary value! Yet, what could be more
valuable than a brand new 2011 Ferrari? Or a top-of-the-line 100 million luxury Yacht?!
B. It could only be one thing the gift of GRACE!
C. It is something that costs the giver EVERYTHING, and the receiver NOTHING!
D. God in Heb 12 says plainly, Lets have GRACE!
E. If there is one thing to get and receive this Christmas, it has to be GRACE!
F. Grace is what Christmas is all about
1. We have changed Christmas to just giving and receiving expensive gifts
2. But Christmas is supposed to be about giving and receiving priceless gifts
3. And you cant begin to give without grace
II. Message
A. Grace is Undeserved (Romans 5:6-8)
1. That is what a GIFT is undeserved unearned
a. Given to people who have no strength, or ability to live good, perfect, godly lives
b. It is given to the UNGODLY the wicked
c. It is freely given to sinners! Not to good people, or to decent and moral people but sinful
people
d. Freely given to people who have messed-up, failed big time, and fallen, over and over and over
again!
2. Who is a candidate for GRACE?
a. Grace is offered to everyone (Eph 3:7,8)
b. The person that is a candidate for grace is not the sinless, or the perfect, or the good, or the
spiritual, but the guilty, the sinner, the condemned, the undeserving, the lost
c. Hey! You think you are pretty good, and deserve Gods second chances??? Well you dont!
None of us do, and yet GRACE is for everyone who sins!
3. The people who get Gods grace, dont deserve it! Remember that!
B. We Had Better Define What Grace is
1. Grace is NOT something you can hold, and feel
2. It is an attitude and it is an attitude that God has, thankfully!
3. It is simply an intense desire to give, when others would only TAKE, or demand
4. It is the ability to overlook a lot of wrong, and instead of measuring out justice and penalty, it
causes God to forgive us, and forget our sins
5. It is the giving of something of value to someone who does not and cannot ever deserve it!
6. The opposite of grace is bitterness
a. When you have grace as an attitude, you GIVE to those who dont deserve
b. When you are bitter, you WITHHOLD from people because they dont deserve
C. Grace is Absolute (Romans 5:9-11)
1. Grace Has a Purpose (Titus 2:11-14)
a. To save a sinner (Eph 1:7; 2:8,9) when they ought to be judged
1) It justifies, pardons, completely forgives a wrong
2) It saves from righteous wrath that you deserve!
3) It provides an atonement, a full payment for past failures
b. To justify, pardon (Titus 3:7) someone who should be condemned
 c. To show the love of the Giver
d. To change the recipient (Rom 6:15) not leave them as they are
e. It even goes so far as to call us to a new life and purpose as a believer (2Tim 1:9)
2. It leaves nothing undone, or left for you and I to do, but to accept!
3. It holds no grudges, or unforgiveness
4. If it were not for grace, all of us would be in hell, or headed there for sure
5. Thats why it is PRICELESS
D. Grace Has a Cost (Romans 5:9) through him
1. It doesnt come free to the Giver!
2. Grace is the ability to pay off what someone else owes you no matter how much they owe
3. It is extremely expensive to the Giver
4. Yet must be paid for by the Giver paid in full by the giver
5. That makes it so that Grace is FREE to the receiver no costs, and no strings attached
6. Grace Has a Price (Eph 1:7; Heb 13:20)
a. What did GOD pay out so that you could receive the gift of eternal life?
1) His only begotten Son the blood of an innocent, for all us guilty!
2) His own honour and reputation they mocked and spit upon the Son of God!!!
b. Sin cost the whole human race
c. Grace makes it possible to fix what sin ruined!
E. Grace Must Now Reign (Romans 5:12-21)
1. Death has reigned long enough
a. It has had a grip on young and old, rich and poor, smart and dumb! Death has always had the
final say in every life!
b. It reigned even from Adam until Moses, even without the Law of God being written because
it was in our own hearts what was right and wrong
c. And then it only got worse as the law was written down the ten commandments didnt help
us, it just made sin more sinful!
d. It was in charge when people sinned a little, and when people sinned a lot!
e. Death reigned because of sin!
f. It reigned over kings and paupers
g. It reigned over Premiers and Popes
h. It reigned over Taoiseachs and Prime Minsters
i. It reigned over Pharaohs and slaves
j. Death and sin has reigned long enough
2. Let Grace Reign Now
a. One man, Adam, ruined our lives
b. One Man, Jesus Christ, can save any life!
c. Remember, Grace has the power to:
1) To save a sinner
2) To change the sinner not leave them as they are
3) To give everyone a new life and purpose as a believer!
d. Oh that we would let Grace reign (Rom 6:14), instead of bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and
hurt, and grudges, and revenge!
e. GRACE is the power to GIVE; the power to FORGIVE!
f. Grace Has Power (2Tim 2:1) Be strong in WHAT? Grace! Because Grace is a greater power
than sin, and greater than guilt, and greater than your past!
1) Gods grace is all you need no matter what you are going through (2Cor 12:9)
2) It overcomes all other powers in your life, all other bondage (Rom 5:20,21)
3) It is the only thing that makes you different (1Cor 15:10)
4) It lasts forever (Eph 2:7) doesnt wear off! Gods givingness never wears off! Arent you
glad?
 g. The more sin there is in your life, the more grace there is in Christ to fix that sin (5:15-19)
h. I wish you believed this!
i. Oh that GRACE would REIGN in our hearts, in our homes, in our jobs, in our thoughts, in our
memories, in our hurts!
F. Grace Must Be Experienced (Hebrews 12:28)
1. Grace can be blown, missed, neglected (Heb 12:15)
2. It can be perverted (Jude 1:4; Gal 1:6)
3. People just take advantage of it all the time
a. But that is the nature of grace it is THERE to be taken advantage of
b. Remember, it is given to those who do not deserve it, and NEVER WILL deserve it!
4. If you and I are not careful
a. We can received it in vain (2Cor 6:1) without appreciation (Cf Rom 1:21), flippantly,
uninterested it is given but not received!
b. We can even use it, and then abandon it and throw it away! Happens absolutely all the time
c. We can easily replace grace with selfish things
d. We can easily ignore grace or overlook it instead of someones wrongs against us! God is
having SUCH GREAT GRACE with some of you, and you wont even notice
e. Grace is no good unless it is accepted, received, possessed, experienced!
f. If someone tries to PAY for the free gift, they miss it!
5. Experience GRACE this Christmas!
a. MEND a quarrel
b. Tell someone, "I love you."
c. Give something away--anonymously.
d. Forgive someone who has treated you wrong. No matter HOW wrong!
e. Put away your wrath with a soft answer.
f. Turn away SOMEONE ELSES wrath with a soft answer
g. Visit someone in a nursing home.
h. Apologize if you were wrong.
i. Be especially kind to someone with whom you work.
j. Quite expecting those that hurt you to earn your forgiveness!
k. Give as God gave to you in Christ, without obligation, or hesitation, or hypocrisy.
6. If you find any and all of that impossible, then it is because you have not received grace
YOURSELF (Romans 5:21) It is called being born again!
7. God only gives grace to the humbled, the broken, the empty (1Peter 5:5)
III. Conclusion
A. Some gifts that you can give this Christmas are beyond monetary value!
B. Especially, the gift of GRACE!
1. It is something that costs the giver EVERYTHING, and the receiver NOTHING!
2. God in Heb 12 says plainly, Lets have GRACE!
3. If there is one thing to get and receive this Christmas, it has to be GRACE!
4. Because, Grace is what Christmas is all about. Grace IS Christmas!
a. It is all about GIVING
b. And about having the ATTITUDE of giving, to no matter who!
c. If YOU got some grace this Christmas, you got the most expensive gift
d. If you GAVE some grace this Christmas, you gave the most priceless of gifts!
5. What is Grace?
a. It is an attitude and it is an attitude that God has, thankfully!
b. It is simply an intense desire to give, when others would only TAKE, or demand
c. It is the ability to overlook a lot of wrong, and instead of measuring out justice and penalty, it
causes God to forgive us, and forget our sins
C. How Does Grace Work?
1. Grace is Undeserved
a. Never earned, or else it is not freely given! What are you willing to freely give?
b. The people who get Gods grace, dont deserve it! Remember that!
2. Grace is Absolute
a. It can save a sinner (Eph 1:7; 2:8,9) when they ought to be judged
b. It can justify, pardon (Titus 3:7) someone who should be condemned
c. It shows the love of the Giver
d. It can change the recipient (Rom 6:15) not leave them as they are
e. It even goes so far as to call us to a new life and purpose as a believer (2Tim 1:9)
f. It leaves nothing undone, or left for you and I to do, but to accept!
3. Grace Has a Cost it is all through him
a. It doesnt come free to the Giver!
b. It is extremely expensive to the Giver
c. That makes it so that Grace is FREE to the receiver no costs, and no strings attached
d. What did GOD pay out so that you could receive the gift of eternal life?
1) His only begotten Son the blood of an innocent, for all us guilty!
2) His own honour and reputation they mocked and spit upon the Son of God!!!
e. What are YOU willing to pay so that someone else experiences grace?
4. Grace Must Now Reign (Romans 5:12-21)
a. Death has reigned long enough! Wouldnt you agree!?
b. Let Grace Reign Now
1) GRACE is the power to GIVE; the power to FORGIVE!
2) It overcomes all other powers in your life, all other bondage (Rom 5:20,21)
3) It is the only thing that makes you different (1Cor 15:10)
4) It lasts forever (Eph 2:7) doesnt wear off! Gods givingness never wears off! Arent you
glad?
c. The more sin there is in your life, the more grace there is in Christ to fix that sin (5:15-19)
d. I wish you believed this!
e. Oh that GRACE would REIGN in our hearts, in our homes, in our jobs, in our thoughts, in our
memories, in our hurts!
5. Grace Must Be Experienced (Hebrews 12:28)
a. Grace can be blown, missed, neglected (Heb 12:15)
b. It can be perverted (Jude 1:4; Gal 1:6)
c. People just take advantage of it all the time
1) But that is the nature of grace it is THERE to be taken advantage of
2) Remember, it is given to those who do not deserve it, and NEVER WILL deserve it!
d. Just dont miss this GIFT of all gifts!
e. Experience GRACE this Christmas!