But by the Grace of God

 

 

1 Corinthians 15:8-10 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which [was bestowed] upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

 

We've probably all heard the saying… “but for the grace of God, there go I”! That saying, no doubt, was taken from our text in 1 Corinthians 15.

 

There are a lot of so-called self-made men today. They take all the credit and the praise for all their achievements - whether it be their wealth, fame, power, personal accomplishments, or their position in this world. Beloved, human pride loves to glory in self! And that's all of us by nature!

 

But no matter how we look at it, there are no self-made Christians, and no true self-made preachers! The apostle Paul, who was one of the greatest preachers of all time, gave all the praise, honor, and glory to God and His grace for his salvation, his service, and his Christian life.

 

After all, beloved, I wouldn't say that Paul willingly “joined” the Christian religion, or the Lord's Church! To the contrary, Paul, or Saul of Tarsus, was trying to destroy both! But he was a chosen vessel in eternity past unto salvation, and service to Jesus Christ. He was drawn by the power of God, called by the Holy Spirit to salvation, and commissioned, or maybe I should say drafted into Christian service by Jesus Christ Himself on that Damascus road! He wasn't given any choices, or decisions to make, but he was told what he must do, and what things he must suffer for Jesus’s sake! He was the perfect example of being made “willing in the day of His power”! (Psalm 110:3)

 

Did Paul have any regrets for his conversion to Christ? His only regret was that he was a persecutor of Jesus and His Church. No, beloved, Paul knew very well that his conversion to Christ was the best thing that ever happened to him in his life! It was all for his own eternal good, and for the eternal good of other needy lost souls, and most of all for the glory of God! And Paul gave all the credit, and all the honor, and all the glory for his Christian life to the grace of God! For his salvation, for all his service and accomplishments for the kingdom of God; and for his ability to live a God glorifying Christian life!

 

In our message this morning I want us to consider the subject “But by the grace of God” as it relates to 1) salvation; 2) Christian service; and 3) to Christian living.

 

 

1. First, consider “but by the grace of God” we are saved.

 

Contrary to the beliefs and teachings of most Christian circles today, the salvation of lost sinners is absolutely and completely owing to the free gift of God's sovereign grace.

 

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

 

Everything in this passage is absolutely free to lost sinners. I read commentaries that try to dissect what is free in this verse - faith or grace. Beloved, it's all free! Grace is free! Salvation is free! And saving faith is free! And none of these things are obtained in the least part by our so-called good works or merit.

 

In fact, apart from the saving grace of God, all our works are nothing but filthy rags in God's sight…

 

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean [thing], and all our righteousnesses [are] as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

 

Apart from salvation by grace through faith in Jesus, all our so-called good works are an abomination to God!

 

Consider our justification for a minute. Would you agree that justification in the Scriptures is pretty much equivalent to salvation. To be justified is to be saved, and to be saved is to be justified with God.

 

Romans 3:24 tells us… “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”

 

This verse teaches us that we are justified, or saved if you will, “freely by the grace of God, through redemption that is in Christ Jesus” - or by what Jesus suffered for our sins on the cross

Salvation is the free gift of God's grace, which Jesus Himself accomplished on the cross for our sins. Our only contribution was our wicked sins, which Jesus bore in His body on the tree! And certainly no true believer would glory in our sins that caused our Saviour to suffer! So then, other than our sins, we had nothing whatsoever to contribute to our salvation!

 

Let's consider for a moment the call of God's grace to salvation…

 

When God's foreordained time came to save us, God called us by His grace…

 

Galatians 1:15-16 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called [me] by his grace,

16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

 

“When it pleased God” he “called me by His grace to reveal His Son in me”! Now, beloved, that was an effectual call! And this same thing can be said of every one of us who are saved by the grace of God!

 

This call of grace was made by the gospel of grace…

 

2 Thessalonians 2:14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

God calls lost sinners to salvation by the gospel. Salvation always comes by hearing the gospel: that is, the only true gospel of the grace of God! For all the hardshells, I will add, that apart from the gospel there is no salvation!

 

Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

 

No hearing, no believing, no sealing, no eternal life, and no hardshells in heaven! Not if they died that way.

 

All these precious truths concerning salvation by grace, were revealed to Paul by the grace of God, just as they are revealed to us by His grace today! Every Bible truth that we have come to see and believe is owing to the grace of God! What do we have that we did not receive? We owe everything to the grace of God!

 

 

2. Secondly, I want us to consider the grace of Christian service… 

 

Ephesians 3:7-8 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

 

We see in this passage that Paul’s Christian ministry was also a gift of God’s grace. He didn't take it upon himself to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ, but the grace of Christian ministry was given to him by the Lord.

 

Again, we see Paul's sense of unworthiness, when he said “who am less than the least of all saints”.

 

In our text in 1 Corinthians 15:10 Paul said “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which [was bestowed] upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

 

Paul gave all the credit, and all the glory to God and His grace, even for his abundant labors in the ministry! All his hard work, his dedication and devotion to the ministry; Paul attributed to the grace of God! He did the work, but it was by the grace of God that he was able and willing to do it. And it was the grace of God that gave him success!

 

1 Corinthians 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

 

So then everything about the ministry is owing to God's grace. It was God's grace that sent Jesus into the world to save sinners. It is God's grace that calls men to salvation and to preach the gospel of Jesus. It is the effectual working of God's mighty power that gives all the increase for our labors. So at the end of the day, everything we do, and everything we are able to accomplish, is owing to the grace of God!

 

In 1 Peter 4:10-11, Peter said… “As every man hath received the gift, [even so] minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

11 If any man speak, [let him speak] as the oracles of God; if any man minister, [let him do it] as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

 

So then, whatever we do in the service of God, we do it by the ability of the grace of God that was given to us, that God would be glorified in all things! To God be the Glory, and to Jesus be the praise!

 

And, therefore, God's people have no grounds for boasting. Everything we are, and everything we have is all owing to the grace of God. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:7…

 

“For who maketh thee to differ [from another]? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive [it], why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received [it]?”

 

So we conclude that all true Christian service is a gift of God’s grace, and we are to use this grace to glorify God and to advance His cause on the earth. And whatever is accomplished for the Lord, we owe all praise to the glory of His grace!

 

 

3. Thirdly, and finally, there is the grace of Christian living… 

 

2 Corinthians 1:12 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

 

By conversation Paul meant his manner of life. We might say that Paul practiced what he preached! We've already seen that Paul attributed his salvation to the grace of God, and he accredited his Christian service to the grace of God. Now we see that he also gave glory to the grace of God for being able to live the Christian life. Beloved, a faith that doesn't cause people to live godly in this world, isn't much of a faith.

 

The Christian religion isn't just a theological or theoretical religion, but it is a practical religion that transforms lives. The saving grace of God transforms our lives, making us new creatures in Christ Jesus. Old things are passed away, and all things are become new! The grace of God molds and conforms our lives into the image of God's dear Son. And it accomplishes this through the power of His Word!

 

And, beloved, the grace of God also teaches us to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world…

 

Titus 2:11-13 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

 

Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. Yes, beloved, grace is practical, and grace teaches us to live like our Saviour in all holiness and godliness!

 

But even with all diligence on our part to live godly lives, the grace to live the Christian life is still the free and sovereign gift of God. It is given to us by the Lord, and therefore, it is no more merited by our works than saving grace or serving grace is merited by our works! We must conclude that all glory belongs to God for His amazing grace! Saving grace, serving grace, and grace to live a Christian life, is all owing to the God of all grace!

 

 

Conclusion… 

 

In conclusion, I hope that we can all say with Paul this morning… “But by the grace of God I am what I am…”

 

We are saved by His grace, we serve the Lord by His grace, and we live the Christian life all by His free and sovereign grace.

 

Like Paul, never think too highly of ourselves, but always give all the glory and praise to God for all that we are, and all that we have, and all that we do for Christ!

 

Maybe you don't know the grace of God in salvation. If so, I point you to Jesus. I point you to His cross where He was lifted up to die for sinners! I pray God will draw you to Him, and show you your need for Him, and show you Jesus dying on the cross to save you from your sins.