By Pastor KC Cook
UnBoxed Series Recap (none ever began to be or will cease!!)
• Sovereign (He does whatever He wants – whenever He wants to!)
• Holy (Intrinsic & Imputed Pureness / Perfect w/o even 1 Blemish!!)
• Immutable (Doesn’t Change – The same yesterday, today, & forever!)
• Love (visible/sacrificial/beneficial/unconditional/judicial/emotional)
• Power (Omnipotence – There is nothing He cannot do!)
• Knowledge (Omniscience – He knows EVERYTHING all at once!)
• Presence (Omnipresence – He is everywhere all at the same time!)
• Wisdom (Relate His attributes to accomplish His pre-determined purpose)
• Grace (Unmerited Favor- giving us what we don’t deserve)INTRO: Mike Powell long jump = 29ft-4 ¾ inches (1991 WC in Tokyo)
That distance is impossible for all men to jump but 1!!! – OUR sin so separates us from God – was impossible for all men to jump but 1 man – Jesus Christ!!!
GRACE is found 150x in the Bible.
Grace Defined = Unmerited Favor (giving us what we DON’T deserve)
Grace: Common – Saving – Irresistible – Sovereign – Prevenient – Cheap
4 Aspects of God’s Special Grace
1) God’s Grace Begins w/Mercy
Mercy = Kindness or Compassion (not getting what we DO deserve)
*Eph 2:4-5 “But God being rich in mercy b/c of His great love”
(His grace starts/grounded/rooted in mercy) Mercy appears 343x in bible (130x in Psalms)
Police Officer & Tickets – Police/the law simply judges! We are guilty!!!
-So mercy is the release of the judgment & condemnation of being guilty
*Lam3:2 – His compassion never fails; new every morn – Great is your faithfulness!
God’s mercy never expires- Every day he is ready to love and forgive us!
2) God’s Grace is ONLY ATTAINABLE IN Jesus
* Rom 5:1-2 Grace only comes through Jesus Christ
* Matt 2:21-23 Not everyone (iPhone AT&T)
John 14:6 (I am THE…) and Eph 2:8-9 (Saved by grace)
*Rom 5:12 (bad rap) – sin entered through 1 man & death through sin – all sinned
*Rom 5:17-21: Introduce us to comparison of 2 Adams
THE FIRST ADAM vs THE SECOND ADAM (Jesus)
Man wanted to be God (Gen 3:4-6) God who became Man (John 1:14)
Disobeyed (Gen 3:17) Obeyed (Phil 2:6-8)
Believed a Lie (John 8:44) Is the Truth (John 1:17)
3) God’s Grace is MORE THAN ENOUGH
* 2 Cor 12:7-10 (thorn in the flesh) vs. 9 – My grace is sufficient for you
In ALL things, EVERY area of our life God’s grace is more than enough.
* Psst…secret If anything in your life is failing- its not Gods fault!
Why? Because God’s grace is MORE than enough!!
• In your marriage…
• In your finances…
• In your job …
• In life…
* 2 Peter 3:18 “but grow in the grace & knowledge of your Lord JC”
4) God’s Grace Deserves Our Best
*1 Cor 6:19-20”you have been bought w/a price so glorify God in your body”
*Heb 12:15 “see to it that no one comes short of the grace of God”
*Rom 6:1“should we continue to sin that grace may abound? May it not be..”
Land Rover example – I gave my dream car to my former pastor
Conclusion: Daughter Spanking Story
How I physically took one of my daughters spankings in her place (thus giving her what she didn’t deserve – GRACE)