The Pitfalls of Grace
Steve W. Reeves
INTRODUCTION:
A. The
“Reader’s Digest” has been a staple in my home for decades. I fondly recall my Dad thumbing through each new issue as he read the humorous stories interesting
articles and unique features. One of our favorite sections is, “Enriching Your Word
Power.” This vocabulary challenge is sometimes humbling and always enlightening.
1. Speaking of vocabulary, it occurs to me that the word “grace” is frequently
misunderstood.
2. We should never assume that “grace” releases us from the responsibilities of faith,
obedience, worship and work.
C. Perhaps our understanding of what grace “is,” would be enriched by understanding
what grace does “not” do.
I. IT DOES NOT NEGATE OBEDIENCE.
A. Suppose you were taking a class in which a term paper was due. On the day
before the due date the instructor announced they were going to give a one week
grace period for papers to be turned in. Would the extension of grace mean that
you didn’t have to do anything? Absolutely not!
1. There are some people who would say since God’s grace has been extended to
us and we are no longer under the Old Testament with its rules and ordinances
that we have no responsibility.
2. The technical term for this is, “antinomianism.”
3. There are two extremes Christians should avoid. One is “legalism” which says
that we earn salvation through the keeping of law. The opposite is
“antinomianism” which says, since we’re under grace, we don’t have to do
anything.
B. Jesus emphasized the importance of obedience.
1. There are three important references to this in the Sermon on the Mount.
a. Matthew 7:13-14 - “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the
way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through
it. 14 For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and ther are
few who find it.”
b. Matthew 7:21-23 - “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven
will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy
in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform
many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart
from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
c. Matthew 7:24-27 - “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and
acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the
rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and
slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on
the rock. 26 Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on
them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain
fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that
house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”
2. In John 14:15 Jesus said, “If you love me you will keep my commandments.”
3. John wrote, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love
God and observe His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep
His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome” (1Jn 5:2-3).
C. Grace does not negate our need for faith. In fact, Paul says in Romans 5:1-2 that
through Christ we have obtained access “by faith” into this grace in which we
stand.
D. Grace does not nullify repentance. Instead, it calls us to repentance. It does not
negate our need to confess Christ (Romans 10:9-10). It inspires us to confess our
faith in Christ. Grace does not negate the essentiality of baptism. When Paul wrote
the beautiful explanation of baptism in Romans 6:3-5 he did so within the context
of a discussion about grace. It is in baptism that the benefits of grace are imparted
to us as we are raised to walk in newness of life.
E. In every aspect of life (worship, marriage, family, ethics, morality) grace is not an
excuse for God’s instruction but an incentive for keeping it.
II. IT DOES NOT GIVE US A LICENSE TO SIN
A. Do you remember how excited you were to receive your driver’s license? It gave
you a sense of freedom and independence you had never experienced.
1. In Romans 5:20-21 Paul said, “The Law came in so that the transgression would
increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as
sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
2. Paul anticipated that some would reason, since grace abounds all the moe
where there is sin, let’s throw aside restraint and keep on sinning. Let’suse
grace as a license to do what we want to do.
3. hus he asks a rhetorical question in Romans 6;1,“What shall we say then? Are
we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?”
4. He answered the question in the next verse with the strongest negative answer
he could give in the Greek language, “May it never be” or “God forbid!” How
shall we who died to sin still live in it?”
5. A “momma” sheep was watching her little baby lamb one day. Nearby was a pig
pen with pigs wallowing in the mud. The little lamb thought that looked like fun
and asked his “momma” for permission. His mother simply said,”sheep don’t
wallow. ”When mother lamb wasn’t looking the baby went over and started
wallowing in the mud. Before long its wool became caked with mud and it was
stuck. It began crying for help. Momma lamb came to the rescue, lifted it out of
the mud, cleaned it up and said, “Remember, sheep don’t wallow.”
B. Christian, you have been saved by the glorious grace of God Almighty! Why would
you want to go back to the pig-pen of life?
1. In Galatians 5:13 Paul wrote, “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do
not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve
one another.”
2. Titus 2:11-12 – “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all
men, 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live
sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age.”
3. Jude said, “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our
common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend
earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. 4 For
certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand
marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our
God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude
1:3-4).
III. IT DOES NOT JUSTIFYY MEDIOCTIRY
A. Perhaps you are thinking, “Since God’s grace has me covered I can just take it
easy and let things slide.” Grace is no excuse for laziness or mediocttiry. It should
inspire us to give our very best.
1. When John wrote to the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22, He recorded
the words of Jesus, “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I
will spit you out of My mouth” (Revelation 3:16). Laodicea was a thriving town
that relied on its water being piped in from thermal springs to the north or cool
springs to the south. In either case the water was “lukewarm” when it reached
the city.
2. Are we seeking to justify mediocrity in discipleship because we are under race?
B. On the contrary, grace should spur us on to greater service. In 1 Corinthians
15:10 Paul wrote, “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, yet not I, but the
grace of God with me”
1. Paul was so thankful for God’s grace that he gave God the best that he could.
2. We do not honor God’s grace when we give Him the left-overs of life.
C. In 2 Corinthians 9:8 Paul said, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you,
so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for
every good deed.” God has not skimped on us. Will we skimp on Him?
IV. IT DOES NOT COME CHEAPLY
A. God’s grace is given to us freely but it is not cheap.
1. Free and cheap have two very different meanings. Suppose someone gave you
the gift of a Rolex watch. It is free to you but it is not cheap.
2. God’s grace is offered freely to you. Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is
death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Ephesians 2:8 says, “By grace are you saved through faith, and not of
yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
3. God’s grace is made available to us at the expense of His Son’s life. It took
Jesus dying on the cross to make God’s grace available to you and me.
B. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German theologian who was killed near the end of
World War II. In his book, The Cost of Discipleship, he described what he called,
“cheap grace.” “Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification
of the sinner. Cheap grace is the
preaching of forgiveness without requiring
repentance, baptism without discipline,
grace without the cross, grace without
Jesus Christ living in you.”
CONCLUSION:
A. God’s grace is a wonderful thing.
It can save the greatest sinner. It can strengthen
the weakest soul. It can brighten the darkest hour of life and can give
rest to the troubled heart of humanity.
B. Always remember, however:
1. It does not negate obedience.
2. It is not a license for sin.
3. It does not justify mediocrity.
4. It does not come cheaply.
C. Receive His grace, today!
