Abundant Grace

The Text  (II Cor 4:15)

1. These two suffered all things for the gospel’s great news for conversion of Corinthians.
2. For God’s abundant grace saved Corinth’s elect for resurrection to eternal glory (14,17).
3. Such incredible divine grace should move the Corinthians to praise and thanksgiving.
4. Grateful worship by Corinth would cause and add abounding exaltation of God’s glory.
5. After all, and it should be the goal of all preachers and churches, grace is for His glory!
6. Thus, we recall God’s great grace to us and thank Him abundantly to give Him glory.

What is Grace?

1. Grace = Mercy, in a general sense, like Bible use (Exodus 33:19; Rom 9:15; I Tim 1:13-14), thus mercy in its broader sense is grace, and grace in its narrower sense is mercy.
2. However, Grace = Mercy(x2), and we do not discount or denigrate mercy whatsoever.
3. Compare, Justification = Just as if I had never sinned … to Justification = Just as if I had never sinned, and just as if I had obeyed God with the perfect obedience of Jesus.
4. Mercy = deserved judgment and punishment withdrawn, while grace = deserved judgment and punishment withdrawn and precious gifts bestowed on the person instead.
5. Grace is what you need for God to deliver you from your just condemnation of an eternity in hell and instead guarantee you eternal life, glorification, and an inheritance.
6. Grace is not unmerited favor as many say; it is demerited favor, for you merited hellfire; if you do not understand this distinction at first pass, then repeat and review it again.
7. Grace is not unmerited favor as many say; you are not neutral to God, but His enemy; if you do not understand this distinction at first pass, then repeat and review it again.
8. Do you want an acronym? Will it help? Grace = God Rewards And Clears E
9. Grace = God does not judge and punish the elect as they certainly deserve, but He instead honors and rewards them with blessings they certainly do not deserve. Amen!
10. Elect angels received unmerited favor, for they had not sinned, but you sinned wildly.
11. Grace is kindness done to you by God, when you deserve His rejection and punishment.
12. Grace is a free gift without any sense of duty or obligation to gain the mercy (Rom 4:4).
13. Grace is earning the wages of sin and death but paid the gift of eternal life (Rom 6:23).
14. Grace is opposite works for the words definitions are mutually exclusive (Rom 11:5-6).
15. Grace is so contrary to works that any conditions of performance frustrate it (Gal 2:21).
16. Adding any duty to the grace of God in Christ is to fall from scriptural grace (Gal 5:4).

Why is it Important?

1. Grace is what you need to save your future – eternal condemnation and torment forever is what you have chosen and God has promised – but His grace gives eternal life instead.
2. Grace (and mercy) is a voluntary, volitional attribute of God that neither His nature nor your condition of condemnation requires from Him. He freely gives grace for His glory.
3. God’s grace is why the universe exists and why you are here today – for Him to display His purpose and will determined in eternity to override His justice by death of His Son.
4. Without God’s grace, no Son would have died for you? Without grace, you are doomed.
5. Grace is the great theme of the Bible and especially of the N.T. gospel of Jesus Christ, for His voluntary substitution of His Son to forgive, justify, and adopt you is incredible.
6. God’s grace is discriminating, not given to all, but only to some, which raises its value, for had He not chosen you from among others, you would have lived and died in sin.
7. But He in His eternal counsel and decrees set His gracious purpose on you (II Tim 1:9), for He alone determines who receives His grace (Rom 9:15-16; 9:21-24; Eph 1:3-7).
8. Therefore, we should think of His grace constantly and offer our sincerest thanksgiving, and it should be our greatest privilege to serve Him and His kingdom with all our might.
9. God calls us to grow in the truth of grace and avoid distractions (II Pet 3:18; Heb 13:9).

How is it Abundant?

1. Our text says … the abundant grace … so God’s grace is a particular degree of grace.
2. What is abundant? Overflowing, more than sufficient; existing in great plenty, ample.
3. But there are more places (I Tim 1:13-14; Tit 3:5-7; Heb 6:17-18; I Pet 1:3; II Pet 1:11).
4. It is so abundant that the most eloquent Bible writer had no numbers for it (Ps 71:15).
5. It is so abundant it saves Gentiles and Jews alike – the grace of Jesus Christ (Acts 15:11).
6. It is abundant by being God’s choice and power for our faith to believe (Acts 18:27).
7. It is so abundant it makes justification and redemption free of obligation (Rom 3:24).
8. It is so abundant it makes the promise of eternal life sure to all the elect (Rom 4:16).
9. It is so abundant it beats Adam’s sin by quality, quantity, reigning power (Ro 5:15-17).
10. It is so abundant that it even exceeds the sinfulness of sin by Moses’ law (Rom 5:20).
11. It is so abundant that its reign crushes that of the King of Terrors (Rom 5:21; Job 18:14).
12. It is so abundant that its description by a rich and poor contrast is glorious (II Cor 8:9).
13. It is abundant by God’s gift of everlasting consolation and good hope (II Thess 2:16).
14. It is abundant by God’s kind love for our justification to inherit eternal life (Tit 3:4-7).
15. It is abundant by God sending Jesus Christ to die as a substitute for you (Hebrews 2:9).
16. It is abundant by being means of our perfection as Christians (I Peter 5:10; Rom 5:1-5).

Why does God show It?

1. For Himself (Prov 16:4)! His pleasure (Rev 4:11)! The Potter’s choice (Rom 9:21-24)!
2. Only the good pleasure of His will for the praise of the glory of His grace (Eph 1:3-7).
3. God’s grace to save us was a free choice by Him, not by any necessity of His nature or our desperate need, for His holy justice righteously demanded eternal damnation for us.
4. Recall our text above – for thanksgiving by members of this church – in thought, word, song, obedience – to redound to the glory of God by Jesus Christ forever and ever.
5. For eternity to be filled with His display of the exceeding riches of His grace (Eph 2:7).

What should be the Result?

1. Recall our text above – for thanksgiving by members of this church – in thought, word, song, obedience – to redound to the glory of God by Jesus Christ forever and ever.
2. Never neglect or tire of the Son of God, full of grace and truth (John 1:14-18). Glory!
3. Paul did not count his life dear but pressed grace diligently (Acts 20:24,32; I Cor 15:10).
4. Obedient rather than lascivious living, lest we be like reprobates (Rom 6:1-2; Jude 1:4).
5. Grace should produce fruit, especially the truth about grace we have heard (Col 1:6).
6. You will even sing louder and better with more enthusiasm due to His grace (Col 3:16).