Grace Giving

Colossians 2:18-19

COL-431

2 Timothy 3:16: "All Scripture is inspired by God, and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

Matthew 4:4: "But He answered and said, 'It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every Word that comes out of the mouth of God.'"

Matthew 13:16: "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."

This morning, in your hearing, we direct your attention once more to our study in Colossians 2:16-17: "The Error of Legalism," number 43.

In Colossians 2:17, the apostle Paul refers to the Mosaic Law, and the way of life that was given to Jewish people under that system. He points out that the system was a system of symbols and pictures. Colossians 2:17 says, "These things are the Mosaic Law, which are a mere shadow of what is to come. But the substance belongs to Christ." The way of life for God's chosen earthly people, Israel, through whom was brought in the Messiah Savior Jesus Christ, was spelled out in the Mosaic Law: the religious ceremonies; the calendar of events of holy days; the special festivals; the priesthood system; the sacrifices; and, the financial arrangements. These were all merely symbols of spiritual realities which would be found in the Lord Jesus Christ in the future.

So, it counted them up there, 613 regulations in the Mosaic Law. But the problem was that the whole system was dependent entirely on the individual Jews' own efforts and self-determination to carry through. There was no divine spiritual enablement from God to enable you to do right. And by nature, man will not do right. He is not inclined to, nor able. The Mosaic Law, of course, as Paul points out, was not a means for salvation, or for sanctified living (godly living). It revealed, simply, the sinful nature of man, and his inability to secure absolute righteousness for salvation.

So, the apostle Paul repeatedly tells people: "Get it straight. The Mosaic Law was a mirror to show us a desperate condition (sinfully) of us as a people, and what we need to solve it. In Galatians 2:15-16, there was a church that was a group of Christians that were very tempted to play games with the Mosaic Law and legalism. Paul says: "We are Jews by nature, and not sinners from among the gentile. We Jews are not uninformed about what God thinks. We have the Old Testament, and we have the whole Mosaic Law to guide us. Nevertheless, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Mosaic Law, but through faith in Christ Jesus. Even we have believed in Christ Jesus (even we Jews, that is), that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law, since by the works of the Law shall not be justified." Every Jew today (every serious, Orthodox, dedicated Jew) says, "That's bunco. That's not true. We are saved by obeying the rules of the Mosaic Law. God will take us to heaven by obeying the rules of the Mosaic Law." Of course, they can't. But they think that they get most of them, that God will be sympathetic. That is not so.

You cannot take a delicate China cup, and put one chip in it, and say: "It's perfect." It's flawed. No matter what you may do to make that cup look better, it is still intrinsically flawed. In Philippians 3:8=9, we have the same principle again. It's not by works of the Law. "More than that," Paul says, "I count all things to be lost in the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord, for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things. I count but rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ." Paul was an educated university man of great talent. He was a very faithful Pharisee, head-and-shoulders above others of his age (his peers). And here Paul says, "I've lost it all. I don't have material things. I don't have houses. I don't even have my own chariot to drive around. But I count all of those material things as a pile of junk, because, in exchange, I have the realities of what the Mosaic Law once portrayed to us – to be found in Christ. And Paul says, "What I live for is to be Christlike: And may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ" – the absolute righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith." Yes, you can keep all the rules of the Mosaic Law. Nobody can, but if you did, that still would not give you absolute righteousness.

He also points us out in Romans 8:3-4. And you may think, "Well, this is all self-evident. No, it isn't. Whole groups of denominations of churches are still playing around with the Mosaic Law system. You walk in their churches, and what do you see? You see an altar. You see a preacher in robes. You see candles. You see the whole bit going on. And you say, "Where did this come from in New Testament Christianity? No, it's not from that. They're still imposing the Law upon the Christian. That's the whole point that Paul was trying to make in Colossians.

Romans 8:3-4: "For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh (that is, through the sin nature in man), the Law could not make your righteous (God did): sending His Own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh." He was like simple flesh, but he wasn't a sinner. He didn't have a sin nature, but He was perfectly human: "And as an offering for sin, he condemned sin (the sin nature, in the flesh), in order that the requirement of the Law (which was absolute perfection – the requirement of absolute righteousness) might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh (the sin nature), but according to the Spirit.

So, through Christ, everything that the law said that you have to be to be perfect (to be absolute righteousness), Christ did for us. And now He has imputed that to us. That's a simple statement. You know it, but not most Christians, and not most church people. That confusion is all out there. Consider yourself fortunate.

Now, the Mosaic Law was thus a series of shadows, Paul points out, reflecting the spiritual substance (the reality which is to come in the Lord Jesus Christ), the God-Man. The Mosaic Law was a foreshadowing of spiritual realities to come. So, the substance of those Mosaic Law shadows came with Jesus Christ, Who brought the grace of God to solve the sin problem of mankind.

So, in Colossians 2:17, the things of the Mosaic Law are mere shadows – shadows of spiritual realities to come. But that substance belongs to Christ. But that came with the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 1:14-16 points out that a whole new system of reality came with Christ: "And the Word (which refers to Jesus Christ) became flesh, and dwelt among us. We beheld His glory – glory as if the Only Begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." This was the sinless God-Man. John bore witness of Him, and cried out, saying, "This was He, of whom I said: 'He Who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me. John, His cousin, announced that Jesus was about to reveal Himself, and begin His Messianic ministry.

Then verse 16 says, "For of His fullness, we have all received, and grace upon grace." With Jesus Christ came a new opportunity of God doing it for you. Grace always existed in the Old Testament, but not to the degree it did after Christ came in, and as it does today.

The Mosaic Law was a system of legalism, by which a simple man tries to gain divine approval by going through religious rituals and human good works. And when you do that, it's an emotional operation. That's what you find in local churches today. That's why Christians are going to be bawling their eyes out at the Judgment Seat of Christ: "Why did I stay here? Why was I in this operation that's playing on my emotions, and making a fool of me, that I didn't realize. It made me feel warm and oozy, but it was not the reality. And up in the presence of Christ, when the mission account is brought up and reviewed, it's going to be a bad time. And that's why we're told that when Christ will come, He'll wipe away those tears – opportunities that could have been. But because we played with ritualistic, emotional legalism, we lost it all.

Since the Ministry of Jesus Christ, and His rejection by the nation of Israel: His crucifixion; His burial; and, His resurrection, the Mosaic Law (since that time) is no longer in force. It is done with. A lot of folks went to church (Seventh Day Adventists) Saturday (yesterday). But what they're doing is robbing themselves of the realities of the spiritual life. They're still playing with the shadow. Christians have no part in the Mosaic Law ritual system. It's a way of life. It's a shadow of spiritual things.

Now, Christians in the present church age live under the divine spiritual power system of grace-age doctrines, and the indwelling (filling) of the Holy Spirit. This is the power system of grace. This is the system of Bible doctrine stored in a human spirit. And, where do you think you're going to get that? You'll get it Sunday morning and Sunday night in church (mainly there). Most people would say, "But they don't do that at our church. We don't do expository preaching. We don't do that." Well, then you're in big trouble. You'll never know the mind of God unless it is explained to you from the Word of God. And that's not done in little Bible groups. It's done in the local church ministry, under the teaching capacity of the pastor-teacher.

Now under law, God demands absolute righteousness, but under grace, He bestows it as a gift. In Romans 3:21-24, this is pointed out to us. Paul says: "But now, apart from the Law (of Moses), the absolute righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the prophets (they talked about this), even the righteousness of God, which comes through faith in Christ Jesus." For all those who believe, there is no distinction. All have sinned. All fall short of the glory of God (absolute righteousness), being justified as a gift by His grace, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus." It is the grace of God which has come in, and now made possible what could not be achieved in any other way. Yes, now you will go to heaven as the gift from God, uncontaminated by your human efforts. Ephesians 2:8: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that (salvation) is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God.

So, the great contrast, that the apostle Paul is seeking to present in Colossians, is between legalism on the one hand; and, a grace gift on the other hand. That is the difference between the shadows and the substance. Therefore, Romans 11:6 says, "But if it is by grace (that's the reality), it is no longer on the basis of works (which is the shadow). Otherwise, grace is no longer grace." Someone may say, "I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ – that He has died for my sins, but I have presented my water baptism as my way into the Christian life." That person is going to the lake of fire. You cannot add one human work to what Christ has done.

Do you see how dangerous it is not to understand what legalism is all about, and what human effort is all about? And how many people are not only going to be a great loss in the Judgment Seat of Christ, and for many – their very salvation? This is the contrast with the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Mosaic Law era came to an end, and the church age of grace era began. In John 1:17, this is explicitly stated: "For the Law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ." It's just that simple.

The Size of the Container

So, are you going to hang on to the Mosaic Law, or are you going to go with the power system of church-age doctrine in the human spirit (in the indwelling Holy Spirit). Today, God's ocean of the gift of grace power is available to the Christians, in order to fill a container which he has built in his soul by church-age doctrine orientation, and the filling of the Holy Spirit. Everybody builds his own container. And how much of the grace of God of that ocean is out there, comes into your life and your experience, depends on the size of your container. The size of the container is determined by the volition of each church-age believer to the Word of God, and to the will of God. You cannot carry more grace power than the size of your container that you have built in your soul with Bible doctrine instruction, that you have said "Amen" to, have stored in your human spirit, or by your faith, where it comes up to guide you, and by the filling of the Holy Spirit. You're in fellowship with your Father – your confession of your known sins.

Now, that container may be, as I pointed out to you, the size of a thimble; the size of a cup; the size of a bucket; the size of a barrel; or, it could be a tank car size. That is the capacity for service in the angelic warfare in the world of Satan. That's it.

Now, sadly enough, most Christians don't even know that they have got to build a container. This comes as a blow to them out of the blue: "What is this container? How do I go about doing that? And yet that is capacity in the soul, which, if you don't have, OK, you're religious. You'll go through life, and you're on a material level. That's the plane. There is no more than that.

Now, whatever size if a container that you settle on, that's all that you're going to be able to carry of God's grace in service, for blessing on earth, and for eternal rewards in heaven. If you build a thimble, and you say, "That's all I want," no matter how much of the ocean of grace is out there, you're going to carry only the thimble, and that's it.

Mrs. Danish and I were down at the Gulf last week. We were out there, with the waves crashing and rolling in. And I noticed a boy come running out from the beach with two little plastic buckets. And he filled them to the brim, and then hefted them back up to the beach, where he was building sand castles, so that he would have the water to work with. When he filled his two buckets, that's all he could carry. The rest of the Gulf was still there. If he had had a bigger container, he could have taken more of it. But when he got to the beach, and got to where he would meet his need for building his sand castles, all he had was the capacity of his buckets.

So, that's how it is with us. What we have of the grace of God, to live our lives above an animal level, is the size of the bucket (the size of the container). His little sister came a little later. She, having less physical capacity, could not carry much. And she struggled to get a little bit back to the shore.

Paul was a servant of God. He was a man of great productivity spiritually. And it was because he had built a large container for the spiritually marvelous provision of the grace of God in his life. And he possessed that kind of a container, and he possessed grace, as few men ever have.

In 1 Corinthians 15:10, Paul says, "But by the grace of God, I am what I am. And His grace toward me did not prove vain. But I labored even more than all of them (my associates), yet not I, but the grace of God with me." Paul says, "God's grace has been with me in a very big way. And indeed we know, from his life and his ministry, that it was. He says, "I'm head-and-shoulders in achievement, and in service, and in dedication about my contemporaries the people my age, and my situation in life)." But he says, "It's not my effort. It is not that there is something wonderful about me per se. It was the container. The Word of God, that I used to build this container, was so vast that Paul says, "Everything I am (and he wrote most of the New Testament, which was quite an achievement), was because I had such a huge container for the grace of God." When he dipped into that ocean of the grace of God, he came out with a lot of it.

Now, there are no limits. I'm happy to tell you, on the refills of God's grace in your life and your service for Christ. That's important to remember. It's not a one-time scoop. In 2 Corinthians 9:8, Paul says, "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed."

Now, I should tell you that in these 2 chapters, 2 Corinthians 8-9, the apostle Paul is repeatedly using the word grace in reference to financial gifts to God's word. These two chapters outline the Christian's basis of giving, in contrast to the tithing system of the Old Testament. And Paul's says, "God is able to make this grace (where he's referring to financial giving) abound to you, that always, having all sufficiency." Well, how can you always have all sufficiency, when you dip into a bucket of grace giving, unless God says, "OK, I'll fill it up again for you?" And you say, "Well, I'll dip into it a little more with my grace giving." And God says, "OK, I'll fill it up again for you. And every time you've given, it clicks off treasures in heaven, on your record up there, so that that reward will be there forever for you to enjoy. You're not going to be a poverty Christian in heaven: "God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency, in everything." Got that? "You're not going to starve. You're not going to grow to be some puny, little, skinny thing like Bonnie McSwain. You will be stout and healthy – full of capacity in everything.

Some people think that: "Oh, if I don't be very careful about what I give God's work, I'm going to starve." Well, for some of us, that would be a blessing, but" "You may have an abundance for every good deed." Isn't that nice? God says, "You go for the good deed. You follow the leading that I place upon your heart. You keep your eyes on Me. And, boy, will you ever be well off on this earth?" And it's because you've handled your funds in that grace way.

I think it's interesting that the word "grace" is associated with this business of giving. Notice 2 Corinthians 9:10-11. This is the same concept: Now, he who supplied seed to the sower (God), and bread for food, will supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the harvest of your righteousness." What seed is he talking about? In this context, this is the seed of your financial gifts to God's work. That grace is going to redound to a harvest of your righteousness – your divine good works, which He will not forget, and which will be rewarded. You will be enriched in everything, for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. Can you believe that? You will be enriched in everything for all your liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. When you are liberal in dealing with the needs of God's word from the means that you have. That's all he's asking for, from your means – what you are, and what you have to work from. Your liberality produces thanksgiving to God. But you yourself are going to be enriched in everything. Every facet of life is going to fall together: in significance; in meaning; and, in blessing.

2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul said, as he was contemplating suffering that he was going through, wanting God to relieve him: "God said, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.'" My grace will be there. It will keep replenishing what you have given (what you have put of this grace into my service as I have led you to do. What will the result be? It is in that wonderful verse, Psalm 23:5, that says, "You prepared a table before me, in the presence of my enemies." God provides:" "You have anointed my head with oil." That is an expression of favor and blessing. And then the kicker: "My cup overflows." Yes, you dip in. If it's a thimble, you won't get much. But when you do, I'll put it back in there, and it will overflow. God the Father will, however, hold each of us responsible at the Judgment Seat of Christ, for the grace opportunity which has been entrusted to us.

So, if you have a tanker load of capacity in material things, you want to be prepared to give an explanation of your stewardship. I guarantee you that that will be asked.

Luke 12:47-48 is the story about the slaves, and they're dealing with the masters funds entrusted to them: "And that slave who knew his masters will, and did not get ready, or act in accord with his will, shall receive many lashes. But the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few." This tells us that in hell, some people will be punished more than others, depending upon how much truth of God they knew and rejected. But the point here, I want you to notice: "And from everyone, who has been given much, shall much be required. And to whom they entrusted much (what you have, God has entrusted to you), of him they will ask all the more."

Ephesians 5:15-17: "Therefore, be careful how you walk: not as unwise men; but, as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So, then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." No place can we be more foolish than with this grace under which we live of our material gifts. Don't play loose with God: "Be careful how you walk: not as unwise men, but as wise" – making the most of your time, because your time is running out. It is running out. Your capacities are winding down like a top that's spinning slower and slower, because the days are evil, compounding our problem. So, then don't be foolish. Understand what the will of the Lord is. Do your mission. The grace to do it is there.

Now, I have found that it is not unusual for some Christians to be satisfied with this thimble-size container in their souls. That's all they want. They don't want to build a bigger container. They don't want to go for anything more: "A thimble is just fine with me." And the reason for that is because they want to limit the demands of God upon their time; their talents; and, their treasures. If all they have is a thimbleful of the grace of God, God is not going to make such great demands upon them. In their mind: "If I get a tank load of grace, pretty soon he's going to be digging into my money, and pretending that it's His, to use as He calls upon me to use it." So, it's true that some Christians say, "A thimbleful is fine with me. That's all I want now. It won't be fine in eternity, but here it is."

Christian Giving

So, this whole principle of grace is called giving. And what a wonderful experience that is. This is the church-age, Holy Spirit-led, grace giving. It is giving of our material resources to God's work, the local church, and other levels. This is in contrast to the Mosaic Law tithe giving. And it is interesting, as I pointed out in 2 Corinthians, that our giving is called a "grace," because we're dipping into the container containing the grace of God. And out of that is what is motivating our giving.

Notice 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 in your Bibles. Notice the first five verses: "Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God, which has been given in the churches of Macedonia." At this point in the writing of 2 Corinthians, the apostle Paul is led by the Holy Spirit to give the church-age doctrine of Christian giving, because it's so different from the Mosaic system: "Brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God." There is the first use of the word "grace, and as you go through this context, we see that he means "money" by it: "Which has been given in the churches at Macedonia." In a great ordeal of affliction, they were suffering for Christ. There was an abundance of joy. And their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.

Grace Giving

Then verse 3: "For I testified that, according to their ability (in their poverty), and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord. They gave beyond what they really could afford, and they gave it of their own accord. No preacher was up there haranguing them. No preacher was passing an offering plate under their nose. They did this of their own accord – their generous giving, even when they had so little.

Verse 4: "Begging us with much entreaty, for the favor of participation in the support of the saints." He says that they were begging us, to let us give them money that they could take to Jerusalem. They were begging us for the favor of participating in the support of God's work. How many Christians are running around saying, "Please, I want to help?" I'm begging you to let me provide financial assistance in this way or that way. I want to sow my grace for the abundance of reward in heaven, and the ongoing of the Lord's work on this earth.

Verse 5: "And this didn't come about (this kind of an attitude) as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God." It was all the will of God. They gave themselves to us (to the ministry). They said, "Paul, you're no slouch. You're no dummy. You have this character such that you are carrying out the Lord's work. You're standing up in the face of the Roman Empire. You're standing up in the face of great personal suffering. You don't have much in life, but we commit ourselves to you, because that is the will of God. And out of the thimble of our grace (out of what we have – the grace that we have), we give.

So, the giving of one's treasures to God is a free will act, as you can see here. It's from an overflowing container of God's grace, whatever the size is, that we have built in the soul.

In 2 Corinthians 8:6-7, consequently, Paul says, "We urged Titus (who was handling this collection, as he had previously made a beginning) to also complete in you this grace's work as well." God started this giving of a grace act. And they completed this grace work: "But just as you abound in everything: in faith; in utterance; in knowledge; in all earnestness; and, in the love we inspired in you, see that you also excel in this gracious work." What is that? It is giving again? It is this grace work. Giving is the grace of God in action.

God Loves a Cheerful Giver

Notice the next chapter (about Christian giving). 2 Corinthians 9:6-7: "Now, this I say. He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully." So, if you have a thimble, that's all the grace you're going to have for giving to God. You're going to get a thimble back in rewards: "Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly, or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

Luke 6:38: "Give, and it will be given to you," Jesus said, "good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over." He's going to keep refilling whatever size of a container that you give him: "And He will pour it into your lap, for by your standard of measure, we're measured to you in return." If you're a stingy giver to God's work, God says, "I'll be stingy in what I give you. That's it." If you'll be generous, because you have a tank carload full of grace so that you can be, God says, "I'll fill it, and you'll be rewarded."

I hate to use this illustration when somebody is sitting in the audience. It might teach him not to come to church often. It's a wonderful example. And I have to use it – this grace giving (this excitement) to have a part out of the container with God in material things.

Mr. Martin has a custom. I've seen him do this on Mondays and, other days. A couple of weeks ago, he came here on Sunday afternoon. He came because he and Mrs. Martin weren't able to attend church. He was going to drop his check in the offering box. It was an honor he did not want to miss – to pick up the list of prayer requests from prayer meeting, and to pick up the handouts. I've seen him do this many times. Well, he came in the door, and the buzzer went off, and he couldn't remember the code. And pretty soon, everything got triggered. Mr. Gitchel wasn't available. So, they went down the line, to my house. I was not available. Mrs. Danish took the call, and the alarm company said, "It's been triggered out in the gym." She said, "I'll go out and check on it." The police were here: two big guys. Mr. Martin is standing there. He was explaining to them that he was breaking in (I mean, entering in, in order to put his check in the offering box. They said, "You were breaking in to put your check in." He said, "Yes."

So, Mrs. Davis walked up, and they want to know: "Do you know this man." She looked at him, and said, "I've never seen him in my life. Put the cuffs on him." Mr. Martin said, "Mrs. Danish. It's me." No, they didn't do that. But she explained it: "It's all OK." And they turned off the alarm. And I thought, "How interesting. The devil always makes it hard to respond to the grace of God. The devil always makes it hard to play smart with the grace of your possessions."

And you will thank you someday in heaven for the fact of this little discourse, to alert you to what Paul calls the wonderful grace of God. How much of that are you going to be able to rise to? It depends on the size of that container? If the container is not much, you will not go very far. But you can become very rich through grace giving. In 2 Corinthians 8:8-9, Paul says, "I am not speaking this as if from man (about abounding in your grace giving), but as proving, through the earnestness of others, the sincerity of your love also. For the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who though He was rich, yet for your sake, He became poor, that you, through His poverty, might be rich." This is what grace does. Yes, I'm going to be short-changed if I do this much help. But he's going to fill up the container. And if I have a big one, He'll fill it up a lot.

Grace giving is an expression of our love for the saints. One of the greatest expressions of Christian love is this grace of giving. 1 John 3:16-18: "We know love by this: that He lay down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whosoever has the world's goods (whosoever has material well-being), and beholds his brother in need, and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?" And I see these tender expressions, in our congregation, of desire of people who want to help somebody that they think needs some help financially, and somebody who needs some financial care: "What's the situation? Let me know. I want to help." What is that? That is Christian love – and a person with a real container of grace, and who is ready to use it for the Lord's glory.

Verse 18: "Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed, and in truth." Holy Spirit grace giving results in thanksgiving to God for such lovingkindness toward the saints of God in the local church ministry. When we are dipping into that great resource that God has entrusted to us, people thank God for what you have done, and the Lord Jesus Christ is honored, and our fathers is praised.

2 Corinthians 9:13-14: "Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will continue. They will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution to them all." These Christians in Jerusalem are under persecution; they are starving, and they are going to remember that you gave out of your container, and you gave liberally (whatever the size was). And you have contributed to them all.

Verse 14: "While they also, by prayer on your behalf, are going to be praying for you. They are going to yearn for you, because of the surpassing grace of God in you, and the surprising financial provision, that you were capable of doing, and we're willing to do.

"Get a Life"

This brings us to where we're going to talk about grace in contrast to the Mosaic Law bummer system. We touched upon the material giving, because that is a deciding factor. You can tell more about yourself that way, and your container of grace, and your capacity to respond with grace than almost anything else you do. And, having said all that, we now come to the realization that there's a move to be made. It is summed up in the phrase, "Get a life." Every sermon has to ultimately be ended with: "So, what?" And God the Holy Spirit has to tell you, so what? But I can tell you one of the things is: "Get a life." And that is a fascinating area of the Word of God that most Christians have never even dreamed of. So, they never get a life. They get an accumulation, but they never get a life. Tonight, we will pick it up with "Get a life."

Thank you, our Father, for Your Word, and for the wisdom that comes from knowing You, and for having the Word of God in our minds. Thank you for what we've learned. We pray that the Spirit of God would lead us accordingly, rejoicing in time and eternity, because we love You, and because we honor Your Son, and because we obey the Holy Spirit. In Jesus name. Amen.

Dr. John E. Danish, 1995

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