Some of the distinctive features of the New
Covenant, and we saw that's really going to
be our theme throughout this time together.
In what way is the New Covenant distinctive?
What are its distinctives compared to the Old
Covenant?
And since it's possible for us, if we
don't know the truth, to remain in bondage,
it's important for us to know what the
Holy Spirit's revealed in God's Word.
If you look at your Christian experience, you'll
discover that you never experienced anything till you
knew what God's Word said about that matter.
The Bible says, how shall they believe on
whom they have not heard?
How shall they hear without a preacher?
Until we hear, we cannot believe, because faith
comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word
of Christ.
And we cannot know what God has prepared
for us, unless we know His Word.
That's why through the centuries, particularly in the
Middle Ages, there was such a battle around
publishing God's Word.
So many people gave their lives for translating
the scriptures, and the devil opposed it tooth
and nail through religious people who were determined
not to allow the Word of God, the
Bible, to get into the hands of ordinary
people, because the devil knew that would liberate
them.
And now that the devil has seen that
he has not been able to stop the
spread of the Bible around the world, what
he seeks to do now is to get
people either not to read it, or read
it superficially, and not meditate on it, or
not allow the Holy Spirit to open up
the scripture to them, so that except for
that initial experience of forgiveness of sins, they
really have no more experience of God than
that.
And the devil is quite happy, even if
you have the Bible in your hand, if
you don't understand what God has provided for
you.
And I believe this is the condition of
lots and lots of believers.
And it's because their leaders have not taught
them right.
But it's not just the fault of the
leaders, because we have the Bible in our
hands.
And if the leaders don't teach us, there's
nothing stopping us from finding out for ourselves.
That's how I discovered many of these truths,
I found out for myself.
I didn't have leaders that taught me these
things.
But you will not seek God until you
have a need in your life.
I found that you can come to the
scriptures either to understand more, and that's a
head matter.
You know, you have no need in your
life, but you've got a longing for understanding.
It's a good thing, but it won't help
you to grow.
And when you're approaching the Bible from the
point of view of increasing in understanding, you
can get into a lot of arguments with
people.
And the world is full of Christians who
argue with each other about various doctrines.
Now in my younger days, when I was
convinced about a truth, I was zealous to
argue to defend its position.
But I've discovered through the years that a
lot of people with whom I won arguments,
they never came into the reality of what
I had.
So I discovered that you can't really lead
a person to experience what God has for
him in the new covenant by convincing his
intellect through an argument, or even by explaining
scripture.
See, I can speak to a crowd like
this, and everybody may understand, everybody may pay
attention, and everybody may, as it were, congregate
around Jesus and his word.
But not everybody may get life.
You remember that time when a great crowd
of people crowded around Jesus as he was
walking down the road?
But one woman pressed through that with a
terrific need in her life, because she had
an issue of blood that hadn't been healed
for many years, and she pressed through the
crowd and touched only the hem of his
garment.
Other people pressed against his hands and his
back and other parts of his body.
She didn't even get to touch his body.
She only touched the hem of his garment,
and she got healed, and a lot of
other people around there got nothing.
And I thought of that when we come
around the person of Jesus Christ in our
midst.
We all come around him, we may crowd
around him, we may pay a lot of
attention, and we hear everything that's said, but
in the middle of all of us, there
may be one woman, one man, one young
boy, girl, who has a need.
That's what pushed her.
She had a sense of need, and that
drove her, and she got only a little
touch, which means perhaps this one person with
need doesn't understand as much as some of
the rest of us.
But he gets to experience it, and those
of us who have understood it better don't
experience it at all.
So it's important when we come to understand
the distinctives of the New Covenant, that we
come with a sense of need.
And that means to be honest, as we
considered in our last study.
To acknowledge that I have a need.
And it only requires honesty and humility.
We always go together, honesty and humility.
To say, yeah, I have a need in
my life, and I believe the Lord can
meet it.
And I want to come with that faith
as I look into the scriptures.
So we looked at repentance.
The repentance that goes to the root of
sin in our last study.
Now we want to consider today what God
has provided as a solution for that.
For that problem of sin, of self-centeredness
in our life.
Please turn with me to John's Gospel in
chapter 1.
John chapter 1 in verse 14.
It says here in the word, it's referring
to our Lord Jesus Christ who has made
flesh and dwelt among us.
And we beheld His glory, the glory of
the only begotten of the Father, full of
grace and truth.
And then it goes on to say in
verse 16 about that grace.
Of His fullness have all we received, and
grace for grace.
For the law was given by Moses, but
grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
So there we see that there was no
grace in the world till Jesus Christ came.
So whatever definition you have of grace, it
must be something that man received only after
Christ came.
The common definition of grace that grace is
God's undeserved favor cannot be the meaning of
grace.
Because Abel got it, Abraham got it.
Every human being who ever got a favor
from God, got undeserved favor.
There was no Old Testament man who got
a deserved favor from God.
No man ever born who got a deserved
favor from God.
All of it was undeserved.
But it says grace came only by Jesus
Christ.
So that's not the meaning of grace.
Grace must mean something which no Old Testament
saint ever received.
Not even John the Baptist, the greatest up
until the time of Christ.
So we got to find something which the
Old Testament people didn't get.
Otherwise we haven't got it right.
If it was something which even one person
experienced in the Old Testament, then it's not
grace.
We got our definition wrong.
That helps us to know that.
And we also see here that grace is
superior to the law.
Because the law came by Moses and grace
by Jesus Christ.
And we know that Jesus is greater than
Moses.
And that's one of the arguments in the
book of Hebrews.
I don't have time to go into it.
But in the book of Hebrews, one of
the main arguments throughout that book is to
prove that Jesus is greater than the angels.
Jesus is greater than Moses.
Particularly you go to chapter 3.
And that Jesus' priesthood is greater than the
priesthood of the Old Testament.
In Hebrews chapter 7.
He's always trying to prove in Hebrews that
Jesus is greater than anything in the Old
Testament.
And therefore the new covenant is far superior
to the old covenant.
And the obvious conclusion from that is our
life should be far superior to the life
of anyone in Old Testament times.
And when we look around at Christians and
we find that the vast majority of Christians
are not living like that.
We know one thing.
They haven't understood grace.
That must be the reason.
That though they talk about grace, they're living
under law.
Without realizing it.
And that's exactly what the devil wants.
He wants you to talk about grace all
your life and live under law.
So let's look at this.
Let me just show you a few introductory
verses.
First of all in Zachariah chapter 12 verse
10.
There was a promise in the Old Testament
about this future time.
Zachariah was one of the last prophets of
the Old Testament.
And his book comes just before Malachi.
It's the end of the Old Testament.
And in Zachariah 12.10 it says what
was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost.
I will pour, God says, I will pour
upon the house of David.
And upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
The spirit of grace.
The Holy Spirit is called here the spirit
of grace.
It was not poured upon people in the
Old Testament.
There was the occasional prophet or king who
had the spirit resting upon him.
Giving him supernatural abilities to serve.
But the spirit of grace.
Not even Elijah knew.
Not even Elisha who received a double portion
of Elijah's spirit.
This is the spirit of grace.
And that would be poured out in a
future day.
Zachariah prophesied and that was fulfilled.
And once it was poured out.
The devil was quick to counterfeit it.
Anything that is true.
Is counterfeited.
The devil is very quick to do that.
And we read in the book of Jude
in the New Testament.
These words.
Jude says.
I gave all, Jude, third verse of Jude.
He says I was going to write to
you about the common salvation.
That you should earnestly contend for the faith.
Which was once delivered to the saints.
And the reason why he is writing his
letter.
Very brief letter.
In fact it is a letter full of
warning against.
All type of false teachers and crooks.
And people who pretend.
To be preachers and prophets.
Coming into the midst of God's people to
deceive them.
That was happening.
Way back there.
30-40 years after the day of Pentecost.
And it is proliferated throughout Christendom.
Exponentially.
Multiplied itself.
Many many times.
Through these centuries.
Deception, counterfeit.
He says there are certain men.
Jude 4.
Who crept in unawares.
Who were before of old ordained to this
condemnation.
Ungodly men.
Now these are not heathen.
These are not Jews.
These are professedly Christian.
But they are turning.
They are ones who turn the grace of
our God.
Into lasciviousness.
That means they talk about grace.
But grace becomes a license.
To commit sin.
You know just like you need to get
a license.
Before you can drive a car.
Legally.
And when you get a license.
You can drive a car anywhere you like.
The meaning of this verse is.
That people were teaching grace.
As a license.
To commit sin.
They were saying.
They were misquoting.
What Paul said.
In Romans.
Chapter 5.
Where he said.
Verse 20.
Where sin abounded.
Grace did much more abound.
That's truth.
However great a man's sin.
Grace is more than that.
However deeply he may have fallen.
Grace can pick him up.
However dark and black.
His sin may be.
The blood of Jesus can wash him whiter
than snow.
And however many.
His sins may be.
They can be blotted out in a moment.
By the blood of Jesus Christ.
Now people took that.
Which is true.
And turned it into a license for sin.
It's happened for 2000 years.
And it's happening all over the world today.
Where people have begun to treat the blood
of Christ.
Like tap water.
Where it has become.
Something that facilitates.
And makes it easier.
For us to sin.
In other words.
They have understood law and grace like this.
That under the law.
Well.
You couldn't sin.
Because.
You'd be punished.
Immediately.
Seriously.
In fact in the Old Testament.
There was a man who just went out
on the Sabbath day.
To pick up sticks.
And he was thrown to death.
And if a father had a rebellious son.
He could bring that rebellious son before the
elders.
Of the Jews.
And they were to stone that son to
death.
It's pretty serious.
But now.
They said grace has come.
Now it doesn't matter.
Now the blood of Jesus cleanses us.
And they got it in a wrong way.
They thought.
Oh that means I can sin now.
Now it doesn't matter.
If I disobey God in little things.
Because the blood of Jesus cleanses me.
And it doesn't matter.
How often I sin.
The blood of Jesus cleanses me.
See for example.
There are people who have the habit of
smoking.
Or drinking alcohol.
And when they become Christians.
We tell them you must give up that
habit.
That's destroying the body.
Which is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
That cigarette smoke.
Destroys your lungs.
The alcohol destroys your liver.
And your life will be shortened.
When God wants you to live a long
life.
I've heard people say.
Oh brother I'm trying to give it up.
But I can't.
Trying to give it up.
But I can't.
They go on like that for years.
Till they have some serious problem.
Physically.
And they come to a doctor.
And the doctor says.
Shows them a picture of their lungs.
And their liver.
From a scan.
And says listen.
If you're going to smoke anymore.
You're going to shorten your life.
By so many years.
And you're pretty close to death.
And your liver is so bad.
If you drink anymore.
You're going to kill yourself.
Your children are going to be fatherless.
And they stop overnight.
How did that happen?
The fear of death.
Produced.
What the fear of God could not.
Is it because they couldn't give it up?
No.
They had grace.
Which was a license to sin.
The same thing applies in many many areas.
Turn to this verse in Ecclesiastes.
In chapter 8.
Where it says.
In.
Ecclesiastes chapter 8.
And verse.
11.
It says here.
Because.
Sentence.
Against an evil work.
Is not executed speedily.
Therefore the heart of the sons of men.
Is fully set in them to do evil.
Because.
God does not.
Judge.
Sin.
Immediately.
Because he doesn't punish a person.
Immediately for sin.
The hearts of the sons of men.
Is fully set to do evil.
If every time.
A man lusted with his eyes.
He became a little blinder.
He'd stop that habit very soon.
If every time a man told a lie.
His tongue got a little more paralyzed.
He'd stop telling lies pretty soon.
If every time he walked somewhere to commit
sin.
He got a little lame.
He'd stop going to sinful places very soon.
If.
Every time we had a bitterness or an
unforgiving spirit against someone.
We got chest pain.
A minor heart attack.
We'd get rid of our unforgiving spirit pretty
quickly.
Why don't we do it?
We fear death.
More than we fear God.
Judgment does not come immediately.
We can lust.
And our eyes don't lose their vision.
We can tell lies.
We can speak rudely.
Backbite.
And our tongue is still functioning perfectly.
We can have bitterness and we have no
heart problem.
Therefore the hearts of the sons of men
is fully set to do evil.
To take advantage of God's grace.
And so we have in the world today
false grace.
Being preached.
And that's what mostly preached as grace.
And true grace.
It was there in the first century too.
In fact.
The apostle Peter.
In 1 Peter chapter 5.
After writing a long letter.
Says.
Well it's not a very long letter.
It's just about 4 or 5 pages.
He says.
In 1 Peter 5.12. The middle of
that verse.
I have written briefly.
Exhorting and testifying that this is the true
grace of God.
Now that was written only 35 years or
so after the day of Pentecost.
Isn't it interesting.
That the word grace came only 35 years
earlier.
And still.
Peter had to speak about true grace.
How quickly it had been counterfeited.
It didn't take long for grace to be
counterfeited.
That Peter had to write about the true
grace of God.
And now can you imagine how it is
2000 years later.
It's like a river.
Grace is like a river that started flowing
from the throne of God.
And pure at it's source.
But corrupted very quickly.
And now it's like a river that's been
flowing for 2000 years.
With all the garbage and trash of human
traditions thrown into the river.
It's not fit for drinking.
If you want the true grace today.
You got to go to the source.
You got to go to the scriptures.
You got to see what Jesus taught.
You got to go to what the apostles
taught.
You got to study the scriptures about grace.
And let me show you a few things.
First of all in Romans in chapter 3.
Verse 24.
This is where we begin.
Romans 3 in verse 24 it says.
We are justified freely by his grace.
Now I want to tell you 7 things.
About what the New Testament speaks.
About this true grace of God.
It's a message of liberation.
It's not a message of bondage.
It distinguishes true grace from false grace.
Number 1.
Romans 3.24 When a man comes under
grace.
He is justified.
He rejoices in being accepted by God.
I want to show you 2 verses.
Romans 5.2 Verse 1 and 2 Being
justified by faith.
We have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ.
By whom also we have access by faith
into this grace.
Wherein we stand and rejoice.
In hope of the glory of God.
Grace gives us a joyful assurance.
That God has accepted me.
He has justified me.
That's number 1.
A lot of Christians don't have this type
of assurance.
And the best way I can picture it
is.
If I have 4 sons of my own.
And when they are small.
And I adopt another boy.
Who is not born through me and my
wife.
But adopted say from an orphanage.
And he grows up.
And as he grows up he realizes.
He is not my own son.
He was adopted.
He will always wonder.
Whether one day I will send him back
to the orphanage.
My own children will never feel like that.
But I can imagine that little boy one
day.
Sitting up in fear in the middle of
the night in his bed.
And I go to him and say, Son
what's the problem?
He says, Dad I am scared.
I didn't behave myself yesterday.
I did a few wrong things.
I broke a couple of glasses while I
was washing up.
I don't know whether you will send me
back to the orphanage.
A lot of Christians live like this.
Constant fear.
They don't feel they were born.
They feel they were adopted.
Now there is a word called adoption in
the New Testament.
It says the Lord has adopted us as
his sons.
But that is not.
You read in Ephesians chapter 1 about it.
But that's not the adoption.
That we understand by the meaning of that
word adoption today.
What that word means is.
They had this custom way back there.
Where your own son born from yourself.
Your own genuine son.
Born through you and your wife.
When he came to a certain age.
Something like the age of 12 or something.
They would publicly have a ceremony.
Where they would proclaim him now no longer
as a child.
But as a son.
He was now an heir of everything.
That's called the adoption.
That's the adoption spoken of in Ephesians.
God has got no adopted children.
Everyone you are either born into God's family
or not.
And this assurance.
God has accepted me.
He's not going to take me half way
through the river and dump me and say.
I've had enough of you.
He's not going to see me fall somewhere.
And say.
Oh no.
I never thought you'd ever go and do
that thing.
Do you know that he knows the end
from the beginning.
Do you know that he knows.
Every rotten thing and every back sliding that
ever come into your life.
Right through to the end of your life.
Knowing that he chose you.
Jesus chose a bride.
Knowing everything she was going to do.
Now a lot of men.
Would not have chosen their wives.
If they knew all the things that wife
was going to do.
But Jesus did.
He knew everything all the way up to
the end.
What we're going to do.
And he chose us.
When did he chose us?
He chose us before the foundation of the
world.
Before Genesis 1.1. In the beginning God
created the heaven and the earth.
Something happened before Genesis 1.1. That's.
God had my name and your name in
the book of life.
That's what the Bible says in Ephesians 1
.4. Ephesians 1.4 comes before Genesis 1
.1. For your information.
He chose us in Christ before.
If I were to paraphrase it.
Before Genesis 1.1. Before the foundation of
the world.
He chose me.
Knowing everything about me.
Everything about my whole future.
He chose me.
Accepted me.
And said you're my son.
You're my daughter.
You're my child.
And I say Lord.
What about all the horrible things I've done
in my life?
The Lord says.
Well.
That's why.
I sent my son.
God says.
To shed his blood.
That you might not only be forgiven.
But justified.
And justified is more than forgiven.
In the Old Testament.
There was no such thing as cleansing by
the blood.
It was only covered.
But now it's cleansed.
It's like your sins are written on a
board.
You put a sheet over it.
It's covered.
That was Old Testament.
Blood of bulls and goats.
Temporarily covered.
Because it could not be cleansed.
But then Jesus came.
And the sins are cleansed.
The board is wiped out.
And not only wiped out.
See these are three different things.
Covered.
Cleansed.
Justified.
Here are all your sins written on a
board.
But.
You offer a sacrifice in the Old Testament.
Which look forward to Christ's sacrifice on the
cross.
That's like putting a sheet over that.
Board.
So it's all covered.
And you could be.
You could come into acceptance with God.
In a limited way.
You still couldn't come into the most holy
place.
But you'd be accepted.
That's how it was in the Old Covenant.
And then Jesus shed his blood.
And the sheet was removed.
And the whole board was wiped out.
Now that itself would be wonderful news.
But justified.
By his blood.
Like it says in Romans 5.9. Means
more than that.
It means God looks at that board.
As if.
Nothing had ever been written on it.
Now this is wonderful.
Now when you're cleansed.
It means there was something written on it.
I know there was something there.
But it's cleansed.
God says I will not remember your sins
anymore.
It's something like.
If somebody did some harm to me.
And I've forgiven.
And I say okay.
I not only forgive you.
But I.
I'm not going to remember what you did
against me.
Justified is more than that.
Justified says you never did that.
You never did it.
This is a wonderful truth.
And I know it.
My own life has brought such tremendous rest.
That the blood of Christ justifies us.
We are justified by his grace freely.
And I stand before God.
Without any condemnation.
Without any fear.
I think it's very very important.
Because so many of God's children are living
under condemnation.
They haven't understood grace.
They haven't understood what it means.
To be freely accepted by God.
Forgiven.
Accepted.
They're living under condemnation.
And the devil has taken advantage of that.
And harasses them.
Accusing them of what they did.
Five years ago.
Or ten years ago.
Or twenty years ago.
Think of that terrible sin you did so
long ago.
And keeps on reminding them.
Of a sin they've confessed a hundred times
already.
If you confessed.
A sin one hundred times.
To God.
I would say you confessed it in ninety
nine times too much.
You should have confessed it only once.
God forgave it the first time.
After that.
I don't know why you kept confessing it.
He kept his word.
If he confessed our sins.
He's faithful and just to forgive us.
But we can't believe that.
Because the devil keeps on telling us.
Oh no.
He hasn't forgiven.
He forgives those small little thefts and all.
But the big ones.
You know.
You know that really big one you did.
Seventeen years ago.
Oh.
That you have to confess a few times.
It's almost as though the small sins are
forgiven.
With one confession.
But as the sins become bigger.
We got to confess them more and more.
Before they are forgiven.
This is salvation by works.
It is.
You may not realize it.
Salvation is by grace.
The blood of Jesus cleanses small sins and
big sins.
Just the same.
With one confession.
If you have really repented.
And you come to God.
It's forgiven.
It's blotted out.
God says don't.
Don't talk about it anymore.
Yes.
Feel sorry that you live such a life.
And be determined.
To live wholeheartedly for God in the future.
But don't live under condemnation.
Because of that anymore.
You are accepted.
You are forgiven.
You are justified.
God says I look at you now as
though you never did that sin 17 years
ago.
Or any other sin.
And I have sometimes.
You know we use our imagination so much
for evil in past days.
Good for us to use our imagination for
something good.
After we are converted.
And here is what I use my imagination
for.
I imagine myself.
As having lived for 60 years on earth.
Without having committed a single sin.
In thought.
Or word.
Or deed.
Or attitudes.
Or motive.
Or anything.
And I say think how clean I'll feel.
How bold I'll feel.
To come before God and say God I've
never committed any sin in my life.
That's what the blood of Jesus does for
me.
That's given me tremendous boldness to come before
God.
Lot of us are so fearful when we
come before God in prayer.
We don't know whether He is going to
listen to us or not.
We haven't understood grace.
We haven't understood what it means.
Like it says in Romans 3.24. To
be justified freely.
We don't have to pay for it.
By grace.
That's where we begin.
And then secondly.
Grace doesn't stop there.
Now this is where when people stop there.
They have a problem.
They can backslide.
If people take advantage of the grace of
God like this.
They can backslide to the point.
Where they have lost their salvation altogether.
But.
If we understand grace correctly.
We go on.
Mathematics is not just addition.
Addition is exciting.
For a student who didn't know anything.
But mathematics is not just addition.
You go on from learning what 2 plus
2 is.
There are many more exciting things as we
go on.
And think of this wonderful world of satellites.
And computers.
And many forms of communication.
It's the result of people having studied mathematics.
Beyond addition.
And the more they studied mathematics.
They could produce these wonderful.
Pieces of electronic gadgetry.
Which has made life so much more comfortable.
Grace is like that.
Where someone who lives just with addition.
Is not going to experience very much.
So what I have spoken so far.
Is only the crumbs from the table in
a sense.
Just the beginning.
And when a person stops there.
He is likely to misunderstand it.
And think if that's the case.
Well.
Romans 6.1. Shall we continue in sin
that grace may abound.
In other words.
His understanding is.
If where sin abounds grace abounds more.
Then how shall I make grace abound much
more.
By sinning much more.
Paul says that's rubbish.
The second thing that grace does for us.
Is deliver us from sins dominion.
First it delivered us from sins guilt.
Romans 6.14. Sin shall not have dominion
over you.
For.
You are not under the law but under
grace.
Which means you are not under.
Who is not your mediator now.
Is Jesus.
So we see that the true.
We are trying to understand the true grace
of God.
And it's just like studying mathematics.
You go from one step to another.
True grace.
Is first of all something that delivers me
completely.
From all condemnation and guilt of my past.
And secondly brings me to the place where
I can.
Overcome.
This wretched master.
That enslaved me for so many years.
See that's really the good news.
Not just that.
You know let me use an illustration.
Here is a master.
Whose slave I was.
In the olden days they didn't have servants.
They had slaves.
And slaves were bought.
Just like furniture was bought.
Now if I bought this table.
I could do anything with it.
You can't question me once I bought it
from you.
I can destroy it.
I can paint it black or blue or
yellow.
Or build on it.
Or reduce it to half its size.
I can do anything.
A slave was like that.
Your property.
I don't have to pay this table for
anything.
It doesn't require monthly wages.
And a slave didn't require monthly wages.
A slave was property just like furniture.
And imagine a slave.
Who was whipped by his master.
And he couldn't complain to any authorities.
Or commission or anything those days.
You whipped a slave.
And he had to obey.
And here was a slave who was being
whipped.
And whipped.
And whipped everyday.
And some kind person next door.
Applies ointment and oil.
And bathes his wounds everyday.
And he is so thankful for this kind
man.
This is grace.
Everyday he comes.
And this man.
This is how the blood of Jesus cleanses
us.
This slave master of sin.
Whips us and makes us obey him.
And we have got wounds and injuries.
And this man.
Heals us.
But.
What would this slave think.
If one day he is told.
You know.
You don't have to be under that master
anymore.
I am going to set you free.
Can you compare these two things?
Being washed.
Your wounds being washed everyday.
And being totally delivered from this master.
I say.
Which would you want?
You know the answer.
And it's amazing.
That so many believers in the world.
Do not choose this second option.
They live under the mastery of sin.
Whatever sin tells them to do.
They do.
And then they come to Jesus.
For their wounds to be washed.
It happens everyday.
But look what the bible says.
When you really understand grace.
It will deliver you from sins power.
Jesus did not die.
Only.
To forgive our sins.
If we ask him for grace.
He can help us.
In the moment of temptation.
That I don't.
Fall into that sin.
Which I have fallen into for so many
years.
This is grace.
Now they could never have this in the
old testament.
They could never have this sense of acceptance
in the old testament.
They always lived with the sense of guilt.
That's why they kept on offering sacrifices.
We don't have to offer sacrifices anymore.
In the same way.
They could not overcome the power of sin.
In the old testament.
They could only get their sins forgiven.
Psalm 103 David says.
Bless the Lord O my soul who forgives
all your sins.
He could never say.
Bless the Lord O my soul who has
delivered me.
From the mastery of sin over my life.
He could only say.
Lord I still lust.
I still get angry.
I still lose my temper.
I still get bitter.
But thank you for forgiving me.
Here is the bull.
Here is the goat.
I offer it.
I look forward to the future sacrifice of
the messiah.
And the Lord says forgiven.
But tomorrow I got to come with a
bull and a goat again.
If you went to Israel in the temple.
Every single day.
There were sacrifices being offered.
Every single day.
Because people were sinning every day.
They never seem to be delivered from the
power of sin.
Now when you find Christians.
Who are never delivered from the power of
sin.
Well you can say.
They learned addition alright.
But they never went beyond that.
They are 25 years old.
But they are still sitting in the kindergarten.
They didn't have to.
There are other people who joined the kindergarten
with them.
Who got post graduate degrees from colleges today.
But these folks are still sitting in the
kindergarten.
Still struggling with 2 plus 3.
How much is that?
Yeah I think I got it.
That's fine.
This is 25 years after starting.
This is how it is with lots and
lots of Christians.
It's not God's will.
Either they haven't heard the good news.
Is that grace can free them from sins
power.
Or they don't know how.
Most people they don't know how.
But many people they have given up.
They say well I suppose I have to
live like this.
Defeated all my life.
No you don't have to.
Jesus came to set the prisoners free.
To open the prison doors.
Set the captives free.
And if you don't believe anything else.
At least believe what your Bible says in
Romans 6.14. Sin shall not have dominion
over you.
Why?
Not under law.
But under grace.
I sometimes ask people a very simple question.
Which even a child can answer.
From that verse.
Just from that verse.
You don't need to know any other verse.
Can you tell me the answer to this
question.
From that verse alone.
What is one mark of being under the
law?
You know the answer.
It's right there.
What is it?
Sin has dominion over you.
Ok.
Another question.
The answer is in the same verse.
What is one mark of being under grace?
Sin does not have dominion over me.
Now once we have got these definitions correctly.
From this one verse.
You don't need to know any other verse
in the Bible.
If you don't believe it's God's word.
I always tell people.
If you don't believe it's God's word.
Take a pen and scratch it out.
And say I don't believe that's God's word.
But I don't think you have scratched it
out of your Bible.
If it's there.
Believe it.
Or be honest and scratch it out.
And say it doesn't work.
A lot of Christians are dishonest.
They say that's God's word.
They won't believe it.
Like the Israelites looked at the giants in
Canaan's land.
And said oh no.
We can't conquer them.
Okay.
You don't believe in me.
You will never conquer them.
You will be defeated all your life.
Till you die 40 years later.
That's what happened to them.
And you can look at the giants in
your life.
That have defeated you.
Anger, lust, bitterness, jealousy.
Materialism.
Whatever it is.
The power of witchcraft.
Filthy habits that you got in your life.
Like giants standing up before you.
Saying I ruled your life for 30 years.
How are you going to get me away
from your life.
And you look at the giants.
You don't look at God.
And say oh I can't conquer him.
You know there were two people back in
the Old Testament.
Joshua and Caleb who looked at the giants.
And then looked at God and said well.
I can't conquer them.
But if God helps me I can.
Grace is God giving me power.
To overcome this thing that has ruled my
life for so long.
I told you about demon possessed people.
When a demon possessed person comes to you.
He's helpless.
I've come across number of cases like that.
You can't tell them to repent.
I remember telling one lady who was demon
possessed.
I said.
Won't you ask Jesus to come into your
heart.
And the voice from her mouth said.
Tell her that.
Don't tell me.
That was a demon.
Saying I'm not going to accept Jesus.
But it came out of the mouth of
this woman.
But when the demon was cast out.
Then she could surrender to Jesus.
So.
What could you do for this demon possessed
person.
God has to come in.
And set him or her free.
See sin is like that.
It's gripped us so much.
It is impossible to be free.
Unless God helps us.
You can try all your life.
You can grit your teeth and determine.
And get up at five o'clock in
the morning.
And read the Bible.
And do whatever you like.
Sin will still rule over you.
Till you recognize that only with God's power
you can overcome it.
And when you have faith that with God's
power I can.
Is it God's will that I should overcome.
Then I will overcome.
Sure.
But I must believe.
That grace is mighty.
Powerful.
It says in Hebrews in chapter 4.
And verse 16.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne
of grace.
Now they could not come to the throne
of grace.
In the Old Testament.
They came to a throne of mercy.
But here let's come to the throne of
grace.
Where we can get this Old Testament mercy.
And this New Testament grace.
You can get both.
Mercy deals with our past life.
The forgiveness of our sins.
Grace deals with the future.
Power to overcome sin.
And to get grace.
To help me in the time of my
need.
In the time when I find.
Temptation pulling me down.
I ask God for grace to keep me
from falling.
That's grace.
God's grace.
Keeping me from falling into sin.
If I ask for it.
Think of Peter.
Walking on the water.
I always say about that miracle.
To me the greatest miracle there is not
Jesus walking on the water.
It's Peter walking on the water.
Which do you think is the greatest miracle?
Jesus walking on the water?
Or Peter walking on the water?
Any day I know the answer.
It's Peter walking on the water that's the
greatest miracle.
What's it a picture of?
It's a picture of Jesus overcoming sin.
Like he overcame the law of gravity there.
But Jesus overcoming sin.
That's not a great thing.
But you and I overcoming sin.
That's what we see in Peter.
Overcoming sin.
But not forever.
The moment he looked away from the Lord.
And he looked at temptation.
What happened?
He sank.
And as he was sinking.
He did what this verse says.
He cried out.
Lord save me.
And the Lord held his hand.
And it's a very beautiful verse in Matthew
14 it says.
As Peter was beginning to sink.
He didn't wait.
Struggling for two or three minutes.
Before asking the Lord to help him.
If he had done that.
He'd have been at the bottom by then.
He knew he couldn't.
He couldn't.
He asked for help immediately.
And that's what we need.
We usually ask for help after we reach
the bottom of the sea.
Of course he'll pick us up from there
too.
But I think it's better.
You don't get wet.
If you ask for help immediately.
It says he's able to keep us from
falling.
And present us.
Dry.
For his glory.
Without being defiled by sin.
He can do it.
We got wet many times in the past.
But he can keep us dry.
I'll tell you that.
He can keep us from sinking.
If he asks for grace immediately.
Lord.
I'm going to lose my temper now.
Please help me.
Give me grace.
And a few moments later you wonder.
How is that?
I didn't lose my temper there.
I lost my temper.
And boy.
This really works.
Or Lord.
This lust is gripping me.
I don't know what I'm going to do.
I'm going to fall like I've fallen so
many times.
Please help me.
Give me grace.
And you'll see a little later.
That you haven't fallen like you did in
the past.
It really works.
Let's come boldly to the throne of grace.
To find grace to help in the time
of need.
Thirdly.
Grace.
Gives us the joy of being accepted by
God.
Grace helps us to conquer sin in our
life.
And number three.
Grace gives us a sufficiency for all situations.
2nd Corinthians chapter 9 and verse 8.
It says.
This is to me.
This is one of the most wonderful verses.
About the grace of God in the whole
Bible.
Many of us know many other verses.
And I don't think we know this.
To me this is the most wonderful.
The most complete.
The most total.
Verse about grace.
In the whole Bible.
2nd Corinthians 9 verse 8.
I.
Counted once.
That in this one verse.
There are seven superlatives.
God is able to make.
All grace.
Abound.
Toward you that ye always.
Having all sufficiency in all things.
May abound unto every good work.
You see that?
All grace.
Number one.
Abound.
Number two.
Always.
Number three.
All sufficiency.
Number four.
All things.
Five.
Abound again.
Six.
Every good work.
Seven.
Seven superlatives.
In one verse.
What's it saying?
Basically it's saying.
You can never face a situation in your
life.
Where God's grace is not sufficient.
It can handle anything.
I don't care what your trial.
What's your problem.
What's your temptation.
What your circumstances are.
Grace can take care of it.
Financial debt.
Physical sickness.
Whatever it is.
Problem from neighbors.
Enemies.
Somebody suing you in court.
Name it.
And we can think of a thousand and
one problems.
Human beings can face in this world.
Persecution.
It doesn't matter.
God's grace.
Is able to abound.
Towards you.
That you always having all sufficiency.
In all things.
May abound to every good work.
That means God gives us more than enough.
For our need.
Much more than enough.
Abound.
It's like.
My sending my son to the.
Shop to buy a loaf of bread.
And giving him.
A hundred dollars.
He doesn't need a hundred dollars loaf of
bread.
That's how God gives us grace.
Here's a need which is so small.
But.
The grace is going to be much more
than that.
It's going to abound.
I can handle that situation.
He's not going to give me ten cents.
To go and get that loaf of bread.
And I struggle and struggle.
How am I going to make.
Manage this.
But that's how a lot of people think.
Grace is it's not.
Grace can help me.
To handle any situation I ever face in
life.
Because it's that powerful.
Think of this verse in 2nd Corinthians.
Chapter 12.
2nd Corinthians chapter 12.
Verse 9.
You know this is the.
This is the time when Paul had a
thorn in the flesh.
Verse 7.
And he prayed to the Lord.
It says in verse 8 three times.
That it might depart from me.
Now.
I think there's something very instructive here.
What was this thorn in the flesh.
I don't know exactly.
What it was.
Whether it was a difficult person.
Harassing Paul wherever he went.
Some Jew.
Was on his feet.
Who was.
You know.
Hounding Paul.
All the time.
Or was it.
A sickness.
In his body that was.
Weakening him.
I don't know what it was and I
thank God.
Scripture doesn't tell us.
So that we can apply it.
To whatever we are facing.
In our life.
Whether it's a difficult person.
Or a difficult circumstance.
Or a difficult sickness.
And he prayed three times.
The other thing we.
But one thing we do know.
About this thorn.
It's called here in verse 7.
The messenger of Satan.
It was not from God.
It was from Satan.
Now we would think.
If something has come into our life.
Or into our family.
Or into.
Us from Satan.
Oh definitely.
God's going to remove it.
This is from Satan.
The messenger of Satan.
We pray once.
We rebuke it.
Resist the devil in Jesus name.
And it doesn't seem to go.
Well Paul prayed three times.
He resisted.
He rebuked the devil.
He did everything.
But it was still there.
Now.
Many.
If you had gone to.
Some of today's preachers.
They would have told Paul.
It's because you don't have faith.
That's why it's still there.
But God didn't tell Paul that.
And that's how a lot of today's preachers.
Torture.
People who are already suffering.
With that thorn.
And that messenger of Satan.
Harassed them still more.
By saying you don't have faith.
But that's not what.
God said.
He said.
I'm not going to remove it.
But I'll do something else.
I'll give you grace.
So that you can handle it.
So that you can conquer.
Because my grace is sufficient for you.
For my power.
Is made perfect in your weakness.
And.
God revealed to Paul that.
He needed.
This messenger of Satan.
To keep him humble.
Because God was using him so mightily.
Can you imagine.
How tempted Paul was.
To pride.
I want to ask you.
If you.
Had raised one.
Dead man in your whole life.
Would you be able to stand it?
Would you be able to stand the.
Pride.
That would come over you.
Because you actually.
Raised the dead man.
And everywhere you go.
People say that's the man.
Who raised the dead somewhere.
And that's the man who raised the dead.
Well Paul not only raised the dead.
He wrote scripture.
He'd been taken up to the third heaven.
He wrote.
He planted churches.
He did all types of things.
He was an apostle.
And can you imagine.
The terrific temptation to pride.
He was not a superman.
He was an ordinary man.
Like you and me.
We get one soul.
Converted to Christ.
And that's enough to.
Make our head a little.
Bigger in size.
Can you imagine the temptation.
That came to Paul.
When.
He.
Did all these fantastic things.
Oh God needed.
To give him a little.
Thorn.
That would prick his balloon.
And bring him right down to earth.
So that.
He'd get grace.
Because God gives his grace.
Only to the humble.
He doesn't give it to everybody.
And even if it is the apostle Paul.
Getting puffed up.
God would have to resist him.
Because God resists the proud.
God didn't want to resist Paul.
So he pricked his balloon.
Brought him down to earth.
And gave him grace.
And that's why God sometimes.
Does not remove.
The messenger of Satan.
That's harassing you.
But he'll give you grace.
That you can conquer it.
That you can handle it.
That you can rejoice in the midst of
it.
That it doesn't hinder you from serving the
Lord.
It doesn't hinder you from fulfilling your ministry.
It doesn't hinder you from.
Being cheerful.
Happy.
In the midst of pressure.
And makes you a far greater blessing.
Than if you never went through that trial.
Now I've been in the ministry since.
More than 35 years or so.
And I'll tell you something.
Everything that I have learned.
Of value.
Of God.
That I've been able to pass on to
other people.
Has come through a lot of trial.
And inward suffering.
And in different situations.
In my life.
And.
I don't think it's proper to talk about
all those things.
Because.
Paul didn't talk about it.
And Jesus didn't talk about it.
But I've discovered one thing.
That.
You can never have a ministry.
Without trial.
And thorns.
And messengers of Satan harassing you.
You can't have.
Rivers of living water flowing out through you.
Without the rock.
Being smitten.
And that's painful when the rock is smitten.
But when it's smitten.
The rivers flow.
And if you're one of those people who
have never been smitten.
I'm pretty sure you're dry.
But if you allow God to smite you.
You say Lord I bow my head.
I don't know why you allow this person.
The smiting usually comes through another human being.
By the way.
It ultimately comes from God.
But it's a messenger of Satan.
And God.
Paul says God gave it to me.
God gave it to me.
Means it was a gift.
Have you ever got.
A gift.
And you open it.
And there's a thorn inside.
That's what God gave.
To Paul.
A thorn.
As a gift.
It says.
A thorn was given to me.
In verse 7.
It was given to me.
That means.
The Lord gave me a gift.
When I opened the box.
It was a thorn.
To prick my balloon.
To bring me down to earth.
I prayed.
It didn't go.
God said.
My grace is sufficient for you.
It can handle any situation.
It can handle even a messenger of Satan.
That God permits in your life.
A sickness.
That doesn't go.
Despite repeated prayer.
A trial.
That never seems to go.
A difficult neighbor.
Who settled down next door to me for
life.
A difficult boss at work.
It doesn't matter what it is.
God does not.
God is not so helpless.
That because of that circumstance.
Or person.
Or situation.
I have to be miserable.
I can be a conqueror.
I can be more than a conqueror.
Because his grace.
Can make me abound.
I've been.
To visit some people in hospital.
To comfort them.
And I discover.
They're comforting anybody.
Who comes to see them.
It's amazing.
What God can do.
They're bringing souls to Christ.
In that hospital.
You couldn't lock up Paul in jail.
It was.
I mean.
The devil thought he'd.
Get rid of this Paul.
By locking up.
Paul in jail.
And the devil lost.
Some of his folks in jail as well.
Because you couldn't put Paul somewhere.
Without people getting converted.
And the devil didn't know.
What to do with Paul.
Wherever he put him.
People were getting delivered.
From Satan's kingdom.
That's wonderful.
That's what grace does.
It can take those.
Difficult situations in life.
And change them.
To something glorious.
For God.
It can take that painful messenger of Satan.
And use it.
Not just overcome it.
But use it.
To make me more humble.
So that I can receive grace from God.
Grace.
Can give you sufficiency.
For every situation.
That you can ever face in life.
That's why Paul says.
We are more than conquerors.
We're not afraid of anything.
If I didn't believe that.
I don't think I could face the future.
With great confidence.
See we face this future now.
In India.
Particularly since the last couple of years.
Where we could be moving forward.
To a period of.
Actual persecution.
Like we've never.
Like I've never seen in all the 60
years of my life.
Now.
What shall we say.
To all the dear children of God.
In the land of India.
We've heard of the tortures.
That people have faced.
In other countries.
Communist lands.
Especially in past years.
When Christians are tortured in prisons.
And all that.
And it's scary.
I'll tell you.
I've read those books.
And they scare me.
But.
Is God's grace sufficient.
If I need five dollars.
Will he give me a hundred there.
He certainly will.
He's able to make grace abound.
When that need comes.
He doesn't have to give it to me
in advance.
But when the need comes.
There will be grace.
So that's the only thing that.
Can give us boldness to face the future.
Otherwise I tell you I'm a coward.
But.
Because I have the promise of God's grace.
I believe we can all say.
I can face anything.
It doesn't matter what it is.
And I believe every one of you sitting
here.
If you come under grace.
And say Lord I believe.
I'm not under the old covenant.
I don't have to live in fear.
No.
I don't live in anxiety.
I can handle anything.
By grace.
Okay.
That's number three.
Let's go to number four.
In Titus chapter 2.
Titus chapter 2 in verse 11 and 12.
It talks about.
Something else that grace does.
Titus chapter 2 verse 11 and 12.
The grace of God.
That bring its salvation.
Has appeared to all men.
Teaching us.
That denying.
Ungodliness and worldly lust.
We should live soberly.
Righteously and godly.
In this present world.
So the grace of God.
Teaches me and I believe in the process.
Helps me also.
To deny.
My lust.
My strong desires.
Which are worldly.
It's grace that does that.
It's not that.
We have to tell a person.
To give up the worldly lust.
And give up the worldly lust.
And the chap.
That fellow doesn't want to give it up.
No.
We say grace can help you.
Grace can help you conquer.
Those worldly lust.
Can make you live a self.
Denying.
Disciplined.
God fearing life.
It helps me to take up the cross.
And deny myself.
Grace helps me.
To live a self denying life.
A sacrificial life.
For the sake of the gospel.
For the sake of.
The spread of God's word.
What does it mean in practical terms?
Grace may.
Teach me to.
Deny myself certain luxuries.
So that.
I can be more disciplined.
So that I can learn to live a
little more simply.
And have a little more for other people.
Or for the spread of the gospel.
Grace does that.
That's what it says here.
In the midst of people who indulge themselves.
The more they have.
The more they earn.
The more they think God has given to
spend on themselves.
And what's the result of spending more on
themselves.
Look at the countries in the world today.
Which have prospered.
Beyond imagination.
In the last 50, 60 years.
Particularly countries in the western world.
What has been the result?
The more they got.
Of material wealth and money.
The more they thought God had given them.
To spend on themselves.
They never knew that grace that would teach
them to be disciplined.
In their expenditure.
To be disciplined.
So that they could share with others in
need.
And what is the end result?
What's the result of Christians.
Who have this abundance today.
They become spiritually fat.
And sloppy.
Unable to move around.
Loaded.
With wealth, indiscipline.
They don't know God.
Their life is not useful to God.
Become lukewarm.
Backslidden.
Unlike.
60 or 70 years ago.
When the Christians didn't have so much.
And they lived disciplined life.
Grace.
Teaches us to be disciplined.
Even when we have plenty.
It's possible.
But a lot of people don't.
Allow the grace of God to teach them
that.
And therefore they destroy themselves.
I believe we need grace.
Grace from God.
In a time of plenty.
It's easy to go be near God.
When we are under pressure.
Like we said earlier.
When there are thorns.
Yeah, grace can help us there too.
But that.
You don't need to tell people to cling
to God.
When they are poor.
Or when they are struggling and going through
problems.
We need to tell people to cling to
God.
When they are rich.
I heard one preacher put it like this
once.
He said.
He said when.
Job was there in those days.
The devil said to God.
Well, Job is serving you.
Because you have given him plenty.
Take it all away and.
Then let's see whether he serves you.
But he said today.
The devil says something different.
He says Lord.
These people are serving you.
And clinging to you.
Because they got so many problems.
So many trials and poverty.
But take away their poverty.
And give them riches.
Give them plenty of cars and houses.
And boats and lakes and all that.
Then let's see whether they serve you or
not.
And they don't.
They drift away.
Worshipping another God.
Mammon.
But grace teaches us to deny ourselves.
And these worldly lusts.
Worldliness is not.
Just in dress.
I wish it were only there.
We could make the whole church pure in
no time.
It's not in dress.
It's in attitudes to material things.
And lot of people are very modest in
dress.
Are thoroughly worldly.
In their attitude to material things.
And the sad thing is they don't even
realize it.
Because their dress is so modest.
And they cover their head.
They have not known self-denial.
Or discipline.
In terms of time and money.
In their personal life.
Grace can help us.
Let's go to number 5.
Ephesians.
Chapter 5.
Verse 29.
Sorry.
Chapter 4.
Verse 29.
Ephesians 4.
Grace will make us gracious.
In our speech.
And in our attitude.
Ephesians 4.
29.
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your
mouth.
But that which is good to the use
of edifying.
That it may minister grace.
Unto the hearers.
Grace flows from God.
Through me.
To the hearer.
That's one proof that I'm receiving grace from
God.
When I'm under grace.
It begins to affect my speech.
It begins to affect my attitude to other
people.
Because Jesus said out of the abundance of
the heart.
The mouth speaks.
What's in my heart about another person will
one day or the other come out of
my mouth.
Either when I'm speaking to him.
Or when I'm speaking about him.
Behind his back.
What is inside my heart.
Grace.
Will make me gracious.
And forgiving.
And merciful.
In my speech.
And my attitude to other people.
This is a good way to check.
Whether I've come under grace.
Whether the grace of God has flooded my
heart or not.
I think it was Amy Carmichael.
I'm not sure.
But I think it was she who said.
That.
If you carry a.
A glass of sweet water.
However strongly somebody may jolt you.
Not one drop of bitter water will come
out.
It's going to be only sweet water.
So.
Some people say.
I got upset because he jolted me so
hard.
Really?
If you were carrying orange juice around and
somebody jolted you so hard.
What would come out?
Does it suddenly turn bitter when it's jolted
hard?
No.
Thank God.
That person jolted you hard so that you
discovered.
You were not carrying orange juice.
You were carrying some bitter stuff.
You should be thankful that that person showed
it to you.
So that you didn't live.
Deceiving yourself all your life.
That you didn't have grace in your heart.
That's why you didn't have grace in your
speech.
So often.
You know people have stored up, stored up,
stored up.
In husband-wife relationships that often happens.
They have self-control.
They think it's self-control.
Something happens and they keep it inside.
Something else happens and they keep it inside.
One day it all comes out.
No grace there.
What we need in different situations like that
is to deal with that problem as soon
as it comes.
Say Lord give me grace to handle that.
Don't let that store up in my heart
bitterness.
It says in the book of Hebrews in
chapter 12.
Hebrews chapter 12.
It says about people who fail of the
grace of God.
Or fall from the grace of God.
And it says be careful.
Look diligently Hebrews 12.15. Lest any man
fail of the grace of God.
Lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble
you.
And thereby many, many are defiled.
Very often that's through our tongue.
I believe one of the clearest tests.
Of whether we are receiving grace from God.
Is the way we use our tongue.
James says if you can't control your tongue.
Your whole religion is worth zero.
Worth nothing.
Just think if we took that verse seriously.
That means I haven't received grace.
Despite all the songs about grace I sing
in the meetings.
If I cannot control my tongue.
In my speech.
I haven't received grace.
I may have received mercy.
God forgives me for the last time I
used that tongue that way.
And I need it again next time.
But I haven't received grace.
As he wants me to.
But what I spoke did not minister grace
to the hearer.
Because I didn't receive grace.
See this other verse in Colossians.
Colossians chapter 4.
And verse 6.
It says here.
Let your speech be always.
With grace.
Seasoned.
With salt.
When you make out.
When you are tasting a dish.
Whether there is salt in it or not.
In a moment.
It doesn't take long.
And when you listen to yourself.
You can easily make out.
Whether there is salt there.
And it says in this verse that salt
is grace.
Grace is the thing that seasons our conversation.
And this is one of the clearest test
by which.
We can find out whether we are.
Receiving all that God's grace can do for
us.
God wants to purify our speech.
So many people these days are seeking for.
The gift of speaking in other tongues.
I say let's learn to speak properly in
our mother tongue first.
The Holy Spirit if he can't help us
in our mother tongue.
Let's use our speaking in other tongues.
I've heard people who apparently speak in other
tongues in a meeting.
Sunday morning they say they are in the
spirit.
And when they go home and speak to
their wives.
It's their mother tongue and it's quite another
spirit there.
What's that?
It's a deception.
It wasn't the Holy Spirit Sunday morning.
It wasn't the Holy Spirit Sunday evening.
It was just another spirit all along.
Lots of deception.
If the spirit cannot.
Control our tongue.
Something is wrong.
We haven't received grace as we should have.
God wants to purify our speech.
Take it seriously.
I believe the reason why.
Please listen to this.
The reason why so many people who stand
up in the pulpit today.
And preach God's word.
Have nothing to say.
Or bore people.
Is because the anointing of God is not
upon their lives.
Because God cannot anoint their tongue.
Because most of the time.
They are giving their tongue to the devil.
In their private conversation.
And if I give my tongue to the
devil.
In my private conversation with my wife.
And my neighbors and other people.
And other believers.
And other people who harass me.
I cannot expect God to use this tongue.
When I stand behind the pulpit.
It will be impossible.
He must have it all the time or
none of the time.
If you give it to the devil.
God says you better be on your own.
When you stand in the pulpit.
And most people are on their own.
But if you want God with you.
He's got to be with you all the
time.
Giving us grace.
Okay.
We go now to number 6.
2nd Corinthians and chapter 8.
Now this is a manifestation of grace.
Which a lot of people don't particularly seek
for.
Those who receive grace.
Are generous.
With their material wealth.
Here Paul is speaking about.
The churches in Macedonia.
Who are very poor.
And they heard of some people in Jerusalem.
Who were even poorer than them.
And these poor people.
Took some of their money.
And sent it to the still poorer people.
In Jerusalem.
And Paul told these rich Corinthian Christians.
He said I want to give you fellows
an example.
These churches in Macedonia.
Are far poorer than you.
But even they felt.
They should help those still poorer brothers in
Jerusalem.
What about you chaps?
He said you fellows should be ashamed.
2nd Corinthians chapter 8.
He calls it the grace of God.
He calls it I want.
We do you to wit of the grace
of God.
Bestowed on the churches of Macedonia.
How in a great trial of affliction.
And the abundance of their joy.
And their deep poverty.
They were not just ordinary poor people.
They were deeply poor.
Riches of their liberality.
That means they gave.
They learned to give grace.
Another very clear mark of whether we have
received grace.
Is whether we have learned to give.
If we have freely received.
We will freely give.
And when we don't give.
We don't receive.
Because the Bible says give.
And it will be given to you.
Running over.
Press down and running over.
But if I give.
In a very stingy way.
If I take a little teaspoon.
To take out of my wealth.
And give to God.
God will take a little teaspoon.
Of all the riches of heaven.
And say here you are.
I get exactly as I give.
But if I take a bucket.
And give.
God will take a bucket.
And give to us.
And I want to tell you one thing.
His bucket got bigger size than ours.
It's about a hundred times bigger.
Give and it will be given to you
a hundred fold.
What the Bible says.
It's a grace.
And when a person comes under grace.
It opens his palms.
Which were tight fisted until then.
It releases him.
And as he gives.
He gets more from God.
And it flows through him.
Think if.
I was getting water from God.
From that river.
And I said boy I can't give any
of this out.
I better keep it here.
It will stagnate inside me.
Have you seen a stagnant pond.
The mosquitoes breed there.
I've seen some believers like that.
But think if.
Instead of.
Making it a pond in my life.
This river.
And it will stop flowing after a while
also.
I open up this other side of the
lake.
So that it flows out.
There won't be any mosquitoes.
It's going to be fresh.
Water all the time.
This is the reason why many believers are.
Stale.
Their knowledge of God is stale.
They are not fresh.
You want to be fresh.
Freely you have received.
Freely give.
You receive.
You receive mercy.
Be merciful to others.
God forgiven you.
Forgive others.
Has God given you.
What you didn't deserve.
Give others what they don't deserve.
Has God given you an abundance.
Give to God.
His work in abundance.
God's way.
Lastly.
Romans chapter 12 and verse 6.
Romans 12 6.
Here is another.
What God's grace does for us.
It speaks here about the gifts of the
spirit.
A lot of people are scared of the
gifts of the Holy Spirit.
I want to talk about it more another
time.
But here it says.
Romans 12 6.
Having then gifts.
He is speaking about the body in verse
5.
We are one body but many members.
Having then gifts.
Deferring according to the grace given to us.
The word gifts is charisma.
In the Greek.
It is related to the word grace.
Charisma.
It is gifts of grace.
We don't have to be scared of them.
A lot of believers are scared of the
gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Oh no we don't want them.
You don't want the gifts of God's grace.
I am not talking about the counterfeit gifts.
By all means avoid them.
But what about the genuine gifts of God's
grace.
If there are counterfeit gifts in the world.
It is because there are genuine gifts.
They are genuine.
Have you ever seen counterfeit brown paper.
Nobody counterfeits brown paper.
It is not worth it.
People counterfeit only valuable things like currency, diamond,
gold.
And if there are counterfeit gifts out there.
The genuine ones must be very valuable.
That is what I believe.
For every counterfeit gift you see out there.
For a hundred counterfeit gifts you see out
there.
There may be somebody who has got a
genuine gift somewhere.
You can have it.
Not anything you want.
But the specific gift of the Spirit.
The gift of grace.
Which God wants to give you.
To build the body of Jesus Christ.
I know the gift God has given me.
And I have sought God with all my
heart.
To increase that gift in my life.
The gift of the Holy Spirit.
For that specific task.
Which God has given me in the body.
So that I can build the body of
Christ.
He says if it is prophecy, prophecy.
If it is ministry, ministry.
If it is teaching, teaching.
If it is exhorting, exhortation.
If it is giving.
If it is ruling.
Whatever it is.
The gifts may be different.
But it is a gift that comes through
grace.
And here is another mark of grace.
It gives me gifts.
It equips me to build Christ's body.
I want to encourage you.
To receive everything.
That the new covenant offers us.
They couldn't have these things.
It was the odd prophet out there.
Who could prophesy.
Now it says you can.
It was that occasional man.
Who could do something for God.
Now it says you can.
Ask God for the gifts of His grace.
To build His body.
All these things.
There were people in the Old Testament.
Who faced situations they couldn't handle.
Now we can.
Because we got grace.
We are not under law.
Let's pray.
Heavenly Father.
We have missed so much.
In life.
Because we have not known the truth.
That could set us free.
We pray that the revelation of truth.
That may have come to some hearts here.
This afternoon.
Will bring within them.
And within all of us.
And a thirst.
For more than what we have experienced so
far.
The true grace of God.
That we can come.
Into a greater measure of experiencing.
The blessings of the new covenant.
We pray in Jesus name.
Amen.