ROMANS UNWRAPPED 98

                                    AMAZING GRACE

If you were to play the song in a public place, everyone would sing along, everyone would know it: such is the popularity of this now world famous ditty by John Newton. Saved from a life of debauchery and brutality, he wrote these lovely words in appreciation of what the grace of God had done in his life.   The point of raising this here is so that we can understand, as Newton did, that the grace of God is not just an idea or a doctrine; it is not to be understood merely as a good thing to have or as an offer of God to men to supplement other features of their lives, it is in fact a divine power which when it comes into our lives takes over and dominates for the better good.   If we resist the idea of anything dominating us, the whole point of these verses is that, like it or not ,we are dominated by one thing or another.   If we are not dominated by the grace of God, we are dominated by sin.   When Paul says here that  "grace reigns through righteousness" he means to say that grace is a powerful force, a life changing force, and thank God it is greater than the power of sin.   It is no mere philosophy, it is a living power with the agenda to change destinies for the future, and lives in the present.

It has many different features as the apostle Peter points out in his letter  "as every one hath received the gift  (charis - grace), even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."   1st Peter 4 v 10     The grace of God that comes to us not only supports us, and strengthens us, but it flows through us to bring benefits to others.

The following is a list of different features of this grace, and as we shall see is a very powerful force indeed:

• Electing grace      -    Romans 11 v 5-6      The Bible reveals that the grace of God commenced even before the foundation of the world (read 1st Peter 1 v 20 ).   This is to be understood not as God choosing some as opposed to others, but as God choosing Christ as His elect and all who are in Christ are therefore elect of God.   What happened back then was that God decided not to banish the entire race but to give them a way of escape.   This He did in perfect foreknowledge, and as time went on, revealed His grace.
• Effective grace    -    This involves the entire programme of saving a human soul, and involves all of the following:   seeking, calling, justifying, regenerating, sanctifying etc.   We are not concerned here to explain all of these simply to state them and point to scriptures which speak of the effectiveness of the grace of God in peoples lives.   Relevant scriptures are: Galatians 1v6; Galatians 1v15; 1st Corinthians 1v9; 1st Thessalonians 2v12; 2nd Timothy 1v9; Romans 3v24; Romans 8v30; Ephesians 2v8-9.   This is the saving power of grace becoming effective in the life of a repentant sinner.
• Energising grace  -   Paul to Timothy in 2nd Timothy 2v1   "Thou therefor my son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."   The grace of God not only saves but provides strength for the journey.   Other relevant scriptures are; James 4v6; 1st Corinthians 15v10; 2nd Corinthians 9v8.
• Equipping grace   -   Scriptures like 1st Corinthians 12 v 1-4, 1st Corinthians 3 v 10; Romans 1v5;Romans 12v6.   The last quoted illustrates this best  " having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us" , let us use each gift in its proper way.
• Educating grace    -    Paul writing to Titus says  "the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world."   The word teach is teach by discipline, teach by a process of trial and error, and knowing the nature of the grace of God there would be forgiveness in the face of failure, but with a fruitful end in mind.   This aspect is also discussed in 2nd Peter 3 v 18 where Peter says that believers are to grow in grace, it does not all come at once but through a process of growing which increases as time goes by.
• Enduring grace   -   The Christian in this world faces much opposition and requires spiritual stamina to see it through.   Scriptures like 2nd Corinthians 1v12; Acts 13v43;Hebrews 12v28; 2nd Corinthians 12v9; 1st Peter 5v10.   We will quote the last mentioned  "The God of all grace, who hath called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."   The grace of God that comes to us at salvation remains with us until the end.

There are many other features, but enough has been cited to illustrate the fact that the grace of God is a powerful life force.   It is manifold, and we are stewards of it each one of us in a wonderful variety of ways.

GRACE REIGNS  -  A POWERFUL LIFE-GIVING FORCE AND LIFE- ENABLING FORCE.

Many have proved it, I have proved it, have you?

Tomorrow d.v we close the chapter by looking at eternal life.