IT BLOWS ME AWAY!

PART 1

My wife and I are working on reading the Bible through together, in our daily devotional times. Right now we are in the Book of Leviticus. Thank God we live in the age of God's GRACE, rather than under the laws, rules and regulations found in that book. Those were given to Israel for a specifc time and purpose. I'm so glad that in Jesus, we are under grace!

Grace is traditionally defined as God's favor to us even though we are underserving of it; God's gift to us though totally unmerited by us. Another way of defining it is by its acrostic:

G = God's

R = Riches

A = At

C = Christ's

E = Expense

God's Riches At Christ's Expense! This blog is the first of a five-part series on the Grace of God. I hope you will stay with me for the entire series.

CHARIS is the Greek (original language of the New Testament) word for GRACE. It carries the meaning of Divine Favor, Gracious Care, Help and Good-will. Grace is love from God reaching to humanity which is free, unpurchased by us and truly a gift from God! It comes from God to bless the undeserving!

Some BASIC truths regarding God's grace include:

A. God's grace existed in His sacrificial love from the very foundation or creation of the world.

B. God's grace is revealed in the beauty, order and utility (state of being beneficial, profitable and useful) of creation itself.

C. God's grace is most demonstrated in the redemptive act of Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the cross to redeem us (buy us back) from sin and eternal separation from God; to save us from eternal residency in hell.

D. God's grace will be finally consummated in the final restoration of ALL things to God, when Jesus returns and ushers in His eternal Kingdom, identified as HEAVEN. Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you. . . . I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you will be also." (John 14:3)

One very important observation must be made here. God's grace is not only a New Testament teaching. It is highly exemplified in the Old Testament. Repeatedly there we find evidences and statements of God's grace given to people. A couple of prime examples is first when the Scripture says that "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." (Genesis 6:8) and second when God met with Moses on Mount Sinai to deliver the Ten Commandments to him. God said, ". . .Adonai (Sovereign God) is God, merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in grace and truth; showing grace to the thousandth generation, forgiving offenses, crimes and sins. . . ." (Exodus 34:6-7)

Today, let's focus on God's Prevenient Grace! This is a Christian theological truth that refers to the grace of God in a person's mind and spirit which precedes and prepares that person for personal salvation. Prevenient grace is those acts of God that keeps an unsaved, unregenerate person from experiencing the total destruction of the opportunity and potential of the new birth (spiritual birth by faith in Jesus). The grace of God which prepares a person in advance for entance into salvation is Prevenient Grace. It precedes and leads to repentance (consciously and purposefully turning away from sin and to God). ". . .the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, . . . leads you to repentance . . . " (Romans 2:4) Jesus declared, "No one can come to Me (for salvation) unless the Father who sent Me draws him. . . ." (John 6:44) The "leading to repentance" and the "drawing" is Prevenient Grace! Make no mistake: We can't just come to Jesus for salvation any time we please, when we feel like it or when we are ready, for it takes the drawing of God! Scripture affirms this fact: "Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near." (Isaiah 55:6-7) The truth is that He may not always be found and He may not always be near.

The mercy, goodness and grace of God are extended to the unbelieving (non-follower of Jesus) person who is:

• Without strength to save himself - Romans 5:6

• A sinner, separated from God - Romans 5:8

• An enemy of God - Romans 5:10

• Dead in trespasses and sins - Ephesians 2:4-6

THAT'S PREVENIENT GRACE! It is the preventive grace and care of God that helps the unbeliever from going so far into sin that he or she is no longer able to respond to God's love and forgiveness. It must be truthfully noted that this prevenient, preventive grace of God can be, and many times is, REJECTED! The rejecting person can and often does plunge into sin too far and completely. In the Old Testament we have the record of the extreme wickedness of humanity which ultimately led God to decide to destroy every living thing on the earth by means of a catastrophic flood. Just prior to the beginning of the torrential rain that flooded the entire earth, God said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever." (Genesis 6:3) Wicked humanity had plunged too far into sin!

Prevenient grace is the barriers God puts in our pathway of sinful living to get our attention, lead us to repentance, acceptance of Him and faith. This in essence is a spiritual "wake-up call". God's purpose for this grace is to lead us to turn our back on sin and live in relationship and harmony with God.

Let's consider the CHARACTER of God's prevenient grace. Romans 2:4 speaks of "the riches of His goodness." His goodness is impartial and universal. ALL who are lost in the muck and mire of sin, disobedience and rebellion against God are recipients of God's riches of goodness and grace. It could be said that God gives as much goodness and grace leading to repentance as a person is willing to receive without total rejection. God's action is based squarely on our NEED rather than according to what we DESERVE! "God has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities." (Psalm 103:10) God, through Jesus Christ, cries out to the non-follower of Jesus , "Won't you come to Me?"

Let's consider the PATIENCE of God's prevenient grace. He demonstrates great patience with us personally, with our sinfulness, our deafness to Him, our stubbornness of will, perverse mind-set and hardness of heart. The Scripture says, "the riches of His forbearance." Forbearance is really a legal term. It means a temporary postponement of loan payments. His judgment for our sin is usually not immediate, but is postponed, giving us opportunity to accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord. He paid the debt we owed so that we could be free of the debt we could not pay! Romans 2:4 also says, "the riches of His long-suffering." Long-suffering in the New Testament is made up of two Greek words meaning "long" and "temper". So literally, long-suffering shows restraint when stirred to anger. Though angry at our sin, He shows restraint regarding judgment because His love for the sinner is immeasurable! "The Lord. . .is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish (eternally), but that ALL should reach repentance." (II Peter 3:9) So, God usually does not immediately judge sin, but is patient and long-suffering with persistent sinners. His patience is rooted in His desire that we respond to Him in repentance and faith and receive His mercy and forgiveness. Long-suffering does not mean that God will NEVER take action against sinful and rebellious people. We know He will! But He restrains Himself and allows men and women time to respond to His offer of forgiveness of sin. This response is yours and mine to make; it is not made for us!

Here then is the three-fold MESSAGE of God's prevenient grace, REPENT, NO, YES! People cannot be saved from sin apart from repenting. Being saved from sin requires a change of heart, a change of mind and a change of direction! It is an "about face", a complete turning from sin and unrighteousness, to faith and righteousness, from serving satan to serving God, from loving this world to loving Jesus first and foremost. Jesus says, "REPENT for I love you, because I died for you, since I live for you and because I pray for you." NO! God's prevenient grace means He gives us His checks and warnings. He says, "Don't go that way", "Don't make that choice", "Don't live like that", "Watch out, be careful, don't go too far in sin." YES! This part of the message involves His pleadings, encouragements, His coaching! He says, "Come to Me", an invitation to forgiveness and salvation. "That's right, keep on!" and "You can trust Me!"

Now that we know the CHARACTER, EXTENT and MESSAGE of God's prevenient grace, it is mandatory that we make a response. This response involves only two options. OPTION NUMBER ONE is REJECTION. Many reject God's love, grace, mercy and salvation. "Enter at the strait gate: for wide is the gate , and broad is the way, that leads to (eternal) destruction, and many there are that go in there: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads to (eternal) life, and few there are that find it." (Matthew 7:13-14) OPTION NUMBER TWO is the only other choice. It is ACCEPTANCE, BELIEF and REPENTANCE. "Repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. . . ." (Acts 2:38) "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9) "For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." (Romans 10:13) "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses. . .that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. . . ." (Ephesians 2:4-8)

God has given to us ALL His Prevenient Grace, through His patient mercy, His gracious care and help to lead us to Himself ! Let's respond in acceptance, repentance, belief and faith!

WHY DOES THIS BLOW ME AWAY? Because God's Prevenient Grace is Amazingly Biblical, True and Good Theology!