Grace Abounding
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam
“But where sin abounded, grace did
much more abound” (Romans 5:20).
It is amazing that God should still
send forth a message of grace in a world where His Word and will are
increasingly despised. The increasing sinfulness of this age, of course, only
emphasizes the true character of grace, for grace is “the kindness and love of
God our Savior toward man,” wholly regardless of either “good” or evil works.
It is interesting to note that while
the Gospels and the Acts take up twice as much space in our Bible as the
epistles of St. Paul, yet the word “grace” in the original appears only 27 times
in the Gospels and the Acts while it is used 107 times in the Pauline epistles.
Furthermore, only a few times in the Gospels and the Acts is the doctrine
of grace referred to, while in the epistles of Paul almost every
reference to grace has to do with the doctrine of God’s favor to
undeserving sinners.
“Grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ,” but it was not fully manifested until God cast aside all distinctions
between Jew and Gentile and sent the Apostle Paul with the glorious message of
the unsearchable riches of Christ.
“Salvation is of the Jews,” said our Lord to the woman at the well (John 4:22). At
Pentecost Peter reaffirmed this when he said to “the house of Israel,” “For
the promise is unto you and to your children, and to all [“of your children”
according to Dan. 9:7] that are afar off.”
But Ephesians 2:14-16 tells us that
God has now “broken down the middle wall of partition between us…that He
might reconcile BOTH unto God in one Body by the Cross.” During this age of
grace there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile. “God hath concluded
them all in unbelief that He might have mercy upon all” (Romans 11:32). At
one time the worship and Word of God were committed to Israel, but today Israel
is as far from God as the Gentiles. BOTH need to be reconciled. “There is no
difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich
unto all that call upon Him” (Romans 10:12). “God hath concluded them all
in unbelief that He might have mercy upon all.” This is boundless,
impartial grace! When God set aside Israel as a nation He ushered in the
dispensation of Grace. We must always be careful to distinguish between grace
in a dispensation, and the dispensation of Grace.
“The dispensation of the grace of
God,” did not begin when Christ was on earth, nor yet at Pentecost. The first
chapters of Acts will be searched in vain for a reference to it. It was to Paul
that this glorious message was committed (Ephesians 3:2).
The careful student of the Word will
be thrilled to note how often the references to “grace” in the Pauline epistles
are coupled with words such as “free,” “abundant,” “exceeding,” “rich,”
“sufficient.” It is thus that God would emphasize the fulness of His loving
provision for sinner and saint. Let us examine some of these Scriptures.
GRACE
ABOUNDING TO THE LOST
See Romans 5:15, “Not as the offence, so also is the
free gift. For if through the offence 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.” “Not as…so.” Sin spread like a germ from one to
all, but not so grace. Here we find the abundance at the beginning. He is
“full of grace,” and at the Cross He made “all grace” available
to “all men.”
“But,”
says some conscience-stricken sinner, “You do not know how far I have lived
from God.” Very well, God knows. In fact He gave the Law to show you “the
exceeding sinfulness of sin.” “Moreover the law entered that the offence might
abound.” But don’t stop reading there, for the verse goes on to say, “But where
sin abounded grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:20). Listen to Paul’s
own testimony here:
“According to the glorious gospel of
the blessed God, which was committed to my trust….Who was before a blasphemer,
and a persecutor, and injurious; but I obtained mercy because I did it
ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with
faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.”
“This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners, of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in
me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them
which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting” (I Tim. 1:11,13-16).
You may feel that you are the
chief of sinners, but this is not so. Not only did Paul say that he was
the chief of sinners, but the Holy Spirit says so. And the Holy Spirit
tells just why He saved Saul of Tarsus. Read Verse 16 over again thoughtfully
and prayerfully. Any sinner who wonders whether God is either able or willing
to save him should read Ephesians 1:7,8: “In whom we have redemption through His
blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace;
wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence.”
GRACE
ABOUNDING TO THE SAVED
The boundless grace which can save
the vilest sinner is also extended to us who are saved for our blessing
and encouragement.
Do we need power to overcome sin? Grace, and grace alone can help us. “For sin shall not
have dominion over you, for ye are not under law but under grace” (Romans
6:14).
Do we want to be used of God? “God is able to make all grace abound toward you,
that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound
to every good work” (II Corinthians 9:8).
Are we weak in body? Paul had a “thorn in the flesh” which he thrice besought the
Lord to remove, but the answer came back, “My grace is sufficient for thee;”
and Paul learned what thousands upon thousands of believers have learned
from that day to this: that it is often more blessed to experience God’s grace in
suffering than to be delivered by the Lord from suffering.
GRACE IN THE AGES TO COME
Some day, “in the ages to come,” God
is going to display “the exceeding riches of His grace.” How? “In His
kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7).
Friend, have you accepted the grace
of God in Christ Jesus? Do you believe that He loves you and gave His beloved
Son to bear all the blame and shame and punishment that was your due, so that
He might justify you “freely by His grace” (Romans 3:24). If you will
take Him at His word He will use you, “in the ages to come,” to display
to the universe “the exceeding riches of His grace.” We close with one of the
most wonderful messages of grace to be found in all the Word of God:
“For all things are for your sakes.
That the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the
glory of God” (II Corinthians 4:15).
King
James Bible
The
Preserved and Living Word of God
Posted By Cecil and Connie Spivey
https://www.facebook.com/cecil.spivey
https://www.facebook.com/cecil.spivey
E-mail this BIBLE STUDY to all your friends
No comments:
Post a Comment