01 | Grace Is Bigger Than Any Of Us Think
Grace Is Bigger Than Any Of Us Think
Philippians 1:1-11
As taught 10 Jan 2015, Emmanuel Church, Auckland, New Zealand
Introduction
Herbert and his wife Mary Joe are near 90 years of age and live in Houston, Texas
It is unbearable there during summer—temperatures can reach 43 C; drought is common
Arkansas is not much better, but we do have trees, a 40,000 acre lake and temperatures only reach 40°C
I suppose that is why Herbert and Mary Joe migrate north to Arkansas every summer and stay through Christmas
Whatever their reason, it has been my privilege to minister to these dear saints for the last two years
Mary Joe is the picture of Paul’s description of godly women in 1 Timothy 5
She has brought up children in the love and admonition of the LORD
She has lodged Christian ministers in her home
She is a servant of servants to the Church
In her younger days she ministered to the poor and needy in Africa
She has diligently followed every good work
That is not the best part--she is to humble to recognize these things.
This time last year I taught through the Doctrines of Grace in our Church
Mary Joe was present
After one particular lesson she spoke to me in private making this confession…
“I have walked with the LORD for more than 80 years,
“I have known the LORD from my childhood and cannot remember a time when I did not have faith in Christ,
“BUT all my life I have struggled with assurance of salvation!”
Where I come from Mary Joe’s experience is not uncommon amongst our Baptist brethren
Why? I believe it is because our understanding of Grace is far to small!
This morning we will give our attention primarily to Paul’s words in verse 6…
From this passage we learn three things that belong to God’s grace…
Your Salvation Is A Work Of God’s Grace
I am convinced that all who read and believe the Bible agree with Paul that…
But, when asked to explain what this means, many Baptist brethren betray a small understanding of grace—they illustrate it like this…
“Christ has spanned the gulf between God and sinners,
But we must by faith take the first step, cross over the bridge and be saved.”
Or, they paint salvation as…
“A man drowning in sin—the gospel life preserver is cast his way,
He has only to lay hold of it by faith and be saved.”
In each of these illustrations the work of God is limited and the will of man is sovereign
God is portrayed as merely making salvation possible
But man’s “free will” has the final say
When brothers who hold this view of salvation are questioned, the best they can do is…
Argue that God in His foresight knows who will of their own accord…
Exercise their faith to cross that bridge or lay hold of that life preserver and be saved
I don’t think every brother teaching this view of salvation has evil motives
I know many godly brethren who believe this because they think it allows for the greatest number of people to be saved
Now I don’t know about you, but I for one am grateful to God that He did not leave my salvation up to me because…
According to the Bible there was a time in my life when I was dead in trespasses and sins, Ephesians 2:1-3
And dead men are unable to reach for life preserves; in fact, life preserves do dead men no good
According to the Bible there was a time when I was at enmity with God, Romans 8:5-8
I was not subject to the Law of God, nor was I able to be
I refused to bow my knee to the Lordship of Jesus Christ
Had God not first worked in me to will and to do according to His good pleasure…
I never would have exercised faith and crossed over any bridge unto salvation
But thanks be unto God, for Paul says in Philippians 1:6 that…
God has begun a good work in you and in me
Today, if you have repentance toward God and faith in the LORD Jesus Christ, it is because…
God looked down from His throne
And there He saw you dead in your trespasses and sins
He plunged His arm into the mass of sinful humanity and pulled you out of death into life saying,
“This one is Mine!”
Brethren, that is Grace—but there is more…
Our Sanctification Is A Work Of God’s Grace
Illustration:
While at work you receive notice that in one hour the Queen is coming for tea in your home
A cold sweat goes over your body as images of your untidy home fill your mind
Last autumn’s leaves cover the gardens
You can’t remember the last time the hedge clippers saw the light of day
No one can tell were the weeds stop and your house begins
The kitchen is filled with a week’s dishes
The family’s socks and underwear hang on the close line to salute Her Majesty when she arrives
You pray she will have no need of the toilet during her visit
What will you wear? What meal will you serve fitting Her Majesty?
In vain you plot how to prepare, but in the end you realize you are powerless to make your home and self ready
With your hands hanging low you drag your feet home only to be shocked and overcome by what you see
The gardens are immaculate
Your underwear is discretely housed
The kitchen is in order
Table is set and fit for the Queen
In your room you find new clothes fitted by Her Majesty’s tailors
She knew you were unable to make ready for her coming
So she exercised her power on your behalf to make you fit for her arrival
One greater than the Queen is coming—it is the King of kings, the only sovereign, it is Christ Jesus Himself
But sin has stained us with greed, covetousness, self-centredness and every offense
We are self-loving and self-absorbed
And the worst part is we are powerless to wash away our filth and be fit for the coming King
So God in His grace began a good work in us—He made us alive in Christ Jesus
But there is a problem—on your best day as a Christian you are not fit to stand in the presence of the King, Isaiah said,
Praise be to God for He exercises His power on our behalf to make us fit for His presence
Paul said the good work which God has begun, He will complete “until the day of Jesus Christ”
How does our Lord do this? What tools are used in this life to make us fit for the life to come?
No doubt there are many, but in this passage Paul speaks of three—and they are not necessarily our first choice…
1. The LORD uses need to make us more like Christ
One reason Paul wrote this letter was to thank the Philippians for their financial support,
“upon your every remembrance of me” v3,5—Peter O’Brien
His often state of need worked two ways for the good of the Church
Paul learned to trust God for his daily bread
The Church learned to use their wealth to help others—so each grew to be more like Christ
It is no different today…
The cost of Gospel ministry is great
Sacrificial giving is hard
But those who give and serve will testify that their spiritual growth is worth it!
2. The LORD uses difficulty to make us more like Christ
Acts 16:6-10, Paul tried to go into various places but was providentially prevented, difficulty directed him to Philippi
Philippians 1:13, Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter, difficulty taught Paul to say,
Our sanctification is so important to Christ that He will not allow comfort to robe us from being fully satisfied in Christ!
3. The LORD uses prayer to make us more like Christ
Paul’s consistent prayer for the Philippians is that their...
Paul prays this way because he desires for them exactly what the Lord desires for them: their sanctification
Paul prays this way because he is powerless to bring this change in their lives to pass
Christ-like character is hard to come by
The tools needed to make you like Christ are not all pleasant
How many people enjoy poverty? Who wants more difficulty in their life? Do you find it easy to pray like this?
I have good news—your sanctification will not last forever!
God has begun a good work in you
He will continue His good work until Christ returns
On that day the dead in Christ will rise first and those who remain will follow and meet Christ in the air, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
On that day your mortal body will be raised in immortality, 1 Corinthians 15:53
We do not know what we shall be like,
But on that day we will see Christ and we shall be made like Him, 1 John 3:2-3
What God has begun He will finish! We call His completed work is us “glorification”
Your salvation is the work of God’s grace; your sanctification is the work of God’s grace; finally…
Your Glorification Is A Work Of God’s Grace
The good work that God has begun in you He will “complete it until the day of Christ”.
Some of you look cheated because I did not finish the story of Mary Joe—what became of her?
The day she spoke to me was the day I taught on the Perseverance of the Saints—in which I explained how her…
Salvation/sanctification/glorification was the sovereign work of God
With tears in her eyes she said, “For more than 80 years I have served the LORD. For more than 80 years I have struggled with doubt.
“Now that I have heard God’s grace explained this way, I have for the first time in my life full assurance of my future salvation!”
Could it be that some of you are like Mary Joe—you constantly wonder, “Have I done enough? Am I really saved?”
Let me ask you this, “Are you trusting in the LORD Jesus Christ to save you from you sin?”
If so, then God has begun a good work in you and He is faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ!