The Grace of God- Part 3- God Distributes Grace Through ONLY One Person!
By Colleen Donahue
Before we start this study let’s review the first two studies. First, we find that grace starts flowing from the loving heart of God the Father. He longs for a relationship with us, both now and in eternity, and has spared no expense to himself so that we will want that too.
Then, in the second study, we saw that God’s grace is only offered to sinners and none of us can ever work to receive it. If you think you deserve it in any way, you can be sure you’ll never have it. Grace is God’s unfailing love for you and I, despite our falling far short of what He planned for us to be.
Now, in this third study we’ll learn that God distributes His grace through ONLY ONE PERSON!
- God’s grace is always extended to us through one person. WHO is responsible to distribute it?
Ephesians 2:7 / 1 John 4:9-10
2. Grace is never a “thing or a commodity” or something apart from Jesus Christ. It was part of God’s plan from the beginning to extend his grace to us in Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 / 2 Timothy 1:9 / 1 Peter 5:10
3. There is a great exchange that God provides us through Jesus. Some have expressed it like this:
God’s
Riches
At
Christ’s
Expense
2 Corinthians 8:9
WHO WAS JESUS?
4. While we receive God’s grace through Jesus Christ, Jesus received His Father’s favor directly. There is little known about Jesus’ youth but several things are revealed in these verses.
Luke 2:40 / John 1:14
5. The Apostle Paul in further revelation tells us why Jesus is the grace that we all need.
Colossians 1:15-17
6. Grace is the person of Jesus who expresses to us all who God is.
John 14:7-11 / Hebrews 1:3
7. Grace is Jesus being our liaison with the Father so that we can carry out our work on earth in partnership with Him.
John 14:13-14
WHEN WE HAVE JESUS, WE HAVE IT ALL
8. Grace is God allowing us to find Him when we seek Him wholeheartedly. Jesus is the missing piece in every life. In finding Jesus we find the Father.
Jeremiah 29:13-14a / John 8:19,42 / John 10:30 / John 12:45 / John 14:10
9. God’s grace to us is His Son Jesus. Jesus gives Himself to all who are thirsty and this grace enables us to overcome the troubles of this life and inherit all the blessings God has for us.
Revelation 21:6-7
(The “Springs of the water of life” is Christ’s own Holy Spirit indwelling our own).
10. God gives his grace and favor to Jesus and Jesus in turn gives God’s unfailing love and faithfulness to us.
John 1:17
11. Jesus is grace and since He indwells us and fills us with Himself, we also have whatever else we need. In this case Paul needed love to replace his hate and faith to replace his unbelief. God was pleased to be that in Paul
1 Timothy 1:13-17
THE MIRACLE OF BEING IN CHRIST
12. All that God gives to us is found “in Jesus”. Jesus is the grace of God who delivers us from sin and death so that we can have eternal life with God as well as real life on earth.
1 John 5:11-13
13. God Himself puts us “in Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:30a) and therefore when He looks at us what He sees is His Son Jesus! What are we blessed with because we are united with Jesus?
Ephesians 1:3-4
14. Grace is always given to us “in Christ” so that we can be rich with everything we need to do God’s will. This grace (Jesus) holds us in the path of righteousness as we partner with Jesus to do what we are called to do.
1 Corinthians 1:4-9
WHAT DID GOD WANT TO DO THROUGH JESUS WHEN HE SENT HIM TO OUR WORLD?
When Adam and Eve sinned, they essentially lost four things in a dominoes effect – one after another.
First, they lost their righteousness or right-standing with God.
Second, this led to their loss of relationship with God.
Third, without a relationship to their Heavenly Father, they lost their rights as his children. They went from the carefree state of being fully provided for by God to living a life of hard and constant trial – on their own.
Fourth, they lost their rulership of the world to Satan. Instead of ruling they became enslaved to Satan and his demonic forces. They in essence lost their purpose for living.
Since all of us are born in Adam, we start off in the same situation.
Question: So what did God want to do by sending Jesus to the earth?
Answer: He was sent to get all this back for us! God knew we couldn’t do it on our own and so He sent Jesus. Jesus is the grace of God for all of us.