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Romans 5 verse 20
The word of God says
Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound
That where sin abounded
grace abounded much more
Let's pray
Thank you Lord God for this day
We will submit to you this time
I pray for you to move
Help your child to bring your message
Give us strength, wisdom and power
And bless everyone to open our minds and understanding
So that your word will be understood
That we will apply it on our lives
We will trust you in everything
In Jesus name we pray, amen.
I given this a title of
"Clarifications of God's grace"
Making clear the teaching of the doctrine of grace
Now, this quoted verse
Romans chapter 5 verse 20
As what I've seen, this is the most
highest expression
about the grace of God
Highest expression of God's grace
You can read it in the bible that...
...only grace is being talked about
For example, Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace are ye saved through faith
It is not of yourselves, it is a gift of God
not of works lest any man should boast
Only grace is being talked about
You can read in the bible the grace that have elevated
Romans 5:17
For if by one man's offense death reigned through the one;
much more those who receive abundance of grace
and of the gift of righteousness.
So it talks about an abundant grace
First was just grace, and then an abundant grace
the grace that gets higher
Then now, it was becoming even more higher
As what I've seen, this was the highest
expression of the grace of God
Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound.
But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more
The word "abounded much more"
In the original translation it means: super abounds
It talks about the super abundance of grace.
Highest expression, grace, abundant grace.
Now, we will talk about super abundant grace, Super!
The highest expression to say about grace
This verse was the most misunderstood verse
Being mistakenly misunderstood by other people
They did not understand well
and I believe that it needs clarifications
Making clear the teaching so that we could understand more
The meaning of this verse
So we'll talk about three points
For us to clarify about this verse
in Romans 5:20
Now, we will tackle first the negative, the negative side.
The first point here is: the accusations against God's grace
The accusations about the grace of God
Now, in Romans 6 verse 1
this was the considered a continuation of Romans chapter 5
because before, there was no chapters and verses assigned in the bible
you can read both chapters straight
Paul here talks "shall we continue on sinning?"
Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Actually, Paul doesn't talk here like defending
this teaching in Romans 5:20
He was not just defending his statement, but he said this because...
...there were actual men in his time before that distorts
destroying and twisting the said teaching
Now, Peter discusses in his book on 2 Peter 3:15-16
Peter talks here about the teachings of Paul...
..the teaching that is not easy to understand
that is being distorted and twisted by other men
that is according to Peter that those people are unlearned and unstable
for their own destruction
That means, over the history many wants to twist the teaching about grace.
They will destroy and give a bad meaning about the doctrine of grace.
As what it says "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?"
in King James version, Paul said "certainly not!"
on NIV, he said "by no means!"
in our layman's term it is "not that, not that!"
it means that Paul is not like what others thinks that pushes people to commit sin...
...because of the statement he said.
He doesn't pushes everyone to commit sin
That was just the mind of the people who reads but cannot understand...
...because God haven't given them the understanding
They think that Paul's point was to push everyone to commit sin.
Paul says "not that, that is not what I mean!"
Then continuing on Romans 6, Paul talks there about how the grace operates...
...for each and everyone's salvation
Romans 6 is long to read, but I would like to quote on Galatians 2:20
because it was the same thing that is being discussed
and have some additions that is good for our understanding
so that we can see on what way did the grace operates
in Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live
yet not I, but Christ lives in me
and the life that I live now in the flesh
I live by faith to the son of God who love me
and give himself for me.
If you will see, it talks about the way on how we are saved by God
God saves us by his death on the calvary
He taught here about crucifixion, that is the basic and the basis...
...for our salvation.
The death of Christ on the cross of calvary
I have a conversation with brother Jonathan, I will present it again or replay.
I hope my explanation is agreeable to him
but I have provided some illustrations to help us see...
...what we stand for and believe in this church
Christ choose to die for each and everyone of us
we will make it clear brothers and sisters that...
...I believe
I believe in the doctrine called Limited Atonement
Limited Atonement
It means that Christ chose to die only for his chosen ones
Christ chose to die only for his chosen ones
Although the scope is world
"For God so love the world..."
and then "...who taketh away the sin of the world"
the scope is the world, but the one he chose to die...
...was only his chosen ones
I will give you an illustration about that...
...an illustration for us to understand more.
One of the term that are used
on the death of Christ on the cross - the shedding of his blood
that is: he bought us by his blood; buying...
...redeeming, purchased.
He bought us
I will give an illustration to you...
...if you will buy a fish in the market
...should we pay all the fishes in the market
...before choosing what to bring to our home?
I'll make it simpler
If you enter the market to buy a fish...
...are you gonna pay all the fishes in the market?
so that after paying for all fishes...
...you will select a fish that you want to bring to your home?
perhaps it cannot be, that would not be possible in buying
we should be choosing before everything else
then after we chose, all that we've selected we will now pay for it.
and all that we have paid for - the selected
nothing would be lost, and all of it will brought to our home
the same way in the death of Christ
in the death of Christ
how he bought us
by his blood that are shed in the cross of calvary
he chose us already, and all that are chosen already...
...in Christ are what he have paid for
that's what he died for in the cross of calvary
Now, when we talk about salvation
only human were struggling
because we don't know who's the chosen one of God
so that's why we struggle
but God doesn't have to struggle
Why?
because he already have chosen the people that He is going to save
or He have listed it already
the name of all men that He is going to save
and only those will be saved.
Only those will be saved!
Let us ready this verses...
...so that we will see
Revelation 13:8
it says here
we will carefully read it, it says here
All inhabitants
of the earth will worship the beast
all whose names have not been written
in the Book of Life
belonging to the Lamb that was slain
from the creation of the world.
now, if you have NIV bible...
in order for you to understand clearly
place a parenthesis in this statement
starting from the "belonging to the Lamb that was slain"
place a parenthesis
...if you have NIV bible even King James
it will be better to understand if you put there a parenthesis
it's because the word here "from"
is not a continuation of "slain"
but instead the word here "from"
is a continuation of "not been written in the book of life"
the continuation of "from the creation of the world"
the word "belonging to the lamb that was slain"
it was only until "slain"
it was just saying who is the owner of the book of life
the owner of the book of life...
...is the lamb that was slain.
The lamb was not slain before the foundation of the world
although it was planned already
but the lamb was not slain before the foundation of the world
instead the lamb died 2000 years ago
so I'll read to you the literal translation
"All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast..."
"...all whose names have not been written in the book of life..."
"...from the creation of the world."
All whose names that have not been written
in the book of life owned by the lamb that was slain
those people that will worship the beast
people who will worship the enemy, people that are not saved.
So the names that are not written in the book of life
surely won't be saved whatever happens
because they are not in list, not recorded
another verse to help us understand more
17:8
Revelation 17:8
it says here "The beast which you saw..."
"...once was, now is not, and will come up out..."
"...of the Abyss and go to his destruction."
"The inhabitants of the earth whose names..."
"...have not been written in the book of life..."
"...from the creation of the world will be astonished..."
"...when they see the beast, because he once was..."
"...now is not, and yet will come."
so will be astonished
who will be astonished by the beast?
the anti-Christ?
the one that will be astonished is the people whose names...
...are not written in the book of life.
it's another proof that those names that are not written in the book...
...will not be saved.
another proof... Revelation 20:15
I will just read this verses
Revelation 20:15
the word of God says...
"If anyone's name was not found..."
"...written in the book of life..."
"...he was thrown into the lake of fire."
Those names that are not found in the book of life
it says here
they will be thrown in the lake of fire.
it means that if you name was not found
there in the book of life
you are surely be thrown into hell
that's what the word of God says
you will be thrown into the fire of hell
so everone that God choose to save...
...all of their names are recorded and listed
sometimes we're afraid of this teaching
you may say "Sir, this is dangerous..."
"...we devoted ourselves going to church once a week..."
"...only to find out that God haven't chosen us..."
"...and were destined to hell."
John 6:37 onward
you can read it later to save time
the mark of a person that shows he is chosen by God is that...
...they will come closer to Christ
that is the sign - they will come closer to Christ
the word of God says "All that the Father gives to Christ"
"...will come to Christ..."
"...and all that will come to Christ..."
"...not even one will be cast out..."
"...and all of them will be raised up in the last days."
Are we assured?
It is sure, you can't be afraid anymore.
You know why? Because you come closer to Jesus.
and that is the sign
and everyone that comes to Jesus
not even one will be cast out
but he will raise it up on the last days
we can see here that...
...those only people chosen by God
for the sake of salvation
only those was purposed for the death of our Lord Jesus Christ
It was like a buyer of gold
saying to you "bring me a gold..."
instructing to you "bring me a gold and I will buy it from you!"
you may bring it costing 10, and I'll bought it doubling to 20
then you searched for gold
then, you settle for steel because it's cheap
or even a bronze because it's also cheap
then you get back to him and showed the gold
saying "pay me 20 now"
and say again "here is also bronze and steel"
why would he pay for the bronze and steel?
the instruction was only for gold
do not include the bronze because it's not needed
so if he buy the other things that are not included
it will be rejected because it was not included
the names of the person to be saved are already listed
actually
that is grace
that is grace
it's not that we come to know, but he first know us
not because of our own will to receive him
but His will to make you receive
not from you
that is grace, not even a small portion in man
not because God foreknew that a time will come you will receive
but He himself wills that you will receive
not by your will but by his Holy Spirit
so Jesus Christ died only for his elect
now, this is beautiful brother, I will replay what brother Jonathan have taught
The time when Christ died - that's the time where salvation works...
...you died with Christ
"I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live"
I am crucified with my Lord Jesus Christ
now, his death on the cross of calvary
was not just his death but also yours
with him.
The explanation of that is our death on our old lives...
...the life that Satan have imputed to us
it needs to be put to death
sinful nature must be put to death
our sinful nature must be put to death
the old life that Satan have imputed must be put to death
and by the gracious thing of the virtue of election
Jesus Christ is now dwelling with us
that's why Paul said "I am crucified with Christ..."
"...nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me."
"Christ dwells in me"
Christ, the spirit of Christ, or the Holy Spirit. Don't be confuse by those.
Christ, the spirit of Christ, or the Holy Spirit dwells in you.
the old life was removed with the death of our Lord Jesus Christ
replaced by a new life
and it also mean the Holy Spirit
and the Holy Spirit will bear fruit
The fruit of the Spirit is love...
...joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness...
...gentleness, self-control...
...against such, there is no law.
it means, everyone of us...
...have a potential to do good.
do you agree?
Paul doesn't instructed the people to continue in sinning
No! No Pastor is gonna preach that!
I don't want to get inside a church where a pastor encourages everyone to sin.
No, there's none
what kind of teaching is that?
he doesn't teach like that!
isn't it? as what he said here
it's implied in what he said, that you have a potential to do good.
isn't it? but there is a challenge...
"...and the life I live now in the flesh, I live by faith in the son of God..."
"...who love me and give himself for me."
the challenge here is that, we're still on the flesh
we are still in the flesh
this is the challenge
according to brother Jonathan hours ago...
...that it wants to commit sin, even if you still have Christ.
you are possibly be angered
even if you still have Christ, you can possibly lie
isn't it? that's the challenge!
that's what Paul said "and the life I live now in the flesh..."
"...I live by faith in the Son of God."
that's the thing you will surrender to God everyday of your life
it's because that's the problem in men.
this is our problem - our flesh... this is what we commit to God
whatever your weakness is... you come closer to God...
"Lord, help me with my weakness."
isn't it?
if your successful that day
the thank God for helping you.
if not, if you're under grace
then thank God because you're still righteous in front of you.
my righteousness is not revoked
submit your weakness before God
even it's a failure
you can still thank God because...
..."I am still the righteousness of God in Christ."
that is grace!
it would be different if you're under law
because under the law, once you fail
once they fail... they will feel condemn
it's a failure that keeps repeating
he will always cry, he will always seek for forgiveness
but the failure that he asked for forgiveness
he would still repeat doing it
he cannot move on!
but the person that is under grace
even there's a failure, they will not feel condemn
go on...
move on and forget...
what can we do in our failures?
do not stay on that, go on... that is grace!
that is grace, but you are not encourage to commit sin
you are not encouraged, you are just informed...
...that you have a potential to do good.
under the grace, if there is a failure
still you are counted righteous before God
it will not be changed, it cannot be changed
you are still the righteousness of God in Christ
now, if you focus on clearly
Paul made the grace his motive
Hallelujah, my first point is long
can it reach one hour?
the grace was the motive of Paul
in doing or living a holy life
as what he said on Romans 12:1
"I beseech you therefore, brethren..."
"...by the mercies of God, that ye present your body..."
"...as living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God..."
"...which is your reasonable service."
even in NIV it says here "in view of His mercy"
it is the continuation of 8
9, 10 and 11 talks about other things
the continuation of 8 that talks about grace
in view of His grace, in view of His mercy
"I beseech you..."
"I beseech you"... like... "as living sacrifice"
it's like a son in a family
now... you are not instructed to do good
because if not... your father will punish you.
it's not like that
the challenge and motivation there is...
...you should instead focus on the goodness of your father
he himself runs to you, and accept you
what a great motivation!
that... if you do good and live a holy life
not because you are punished
not because you are chastised
but that you see the good nature that comes from your father
into you
so that is very a good motivation
so that a person will live a righteous life in front of God
now, there are accusations in our time today that...
the grace is a license to commit sin
now... one time, we have a conversation with pastor Steeve
as we're having our conversation
I said "pastor, how was the seminar?..."
"...what's the feedback of the people towards grace?"
because our seminar was about grace
he said "Jun, our fellow pastors were still the same..."
they will said "it was eternal security still..."
"...a license to sin"
this is my question...
they that believes in eternal security...
now, this is my question
can't they sin?
you that doesn't believes in eternal security...
haven't you sinned, can't you sin?
you still sin
so believing eternal security is not the reason why a person commits sin
because if you don't believe in eternal security, you still sin.
you still sin
as the Chinese said "it's the same!"
it's even
we still sin
as what Spurgeon said... Hallelujah!
I'd like to read this... it says here
No doctrine is so calculated to preserve a man from sin...
...as the doctrine of the grace of God.
Those who have called it "a licentious doctrine"...
...did not know anything at all about it.
it is according to Spurgeon
there is no doctrine in bible
that can preserve a man
from sin aside from the doctrine of grace
so the grace is not a license
the grace is not a license... but the grace will help you
so that you will experience freedom from sin
an accusation that is so far beyond
sometime, Biboy is preaching in Dumaguete
as he preach about eternal security
Biboy was told "you are a dangerous teacher"
he said "father, I now belong in the dangerous teachers"
"you are a dangerous teacher"
this is not dangerous, this is not dangerous...
...this is what brings us to the real transformation...
in our lives.
because if it's based our works...
...whatever happens, we cannot do anything
we really needed a grace from our God
so that is the accusations against God's grace
those accusations are not true
second point... the super abundance of grace
super abundance of grace
Romans 5:20
the word of God says... "Moreover the law entered..."
"...that the offense might abound..."
"...but where sin abounded, grace abounded much more."
in its old translation... where sin abounded...
grace super abounds...
when the sin increases
much more grace increases
it means that you cannot exhaust
the grace
it means that you cannot stop the grace from flowing
sin cannot stop grace
I hope that this will be fixed in our minds...
...I like this statement...
"Sin cannot stop the flow of grace..."
"...but grace can stop sin."
what can we do if grace is exhausted?
what can we do if grace is exhausted?
we will be a wretched as we are
now, it is a wrong belief of man...
...that if there is sin, grace is demolished or perish
...when there is sin, then grace is minimized
or removed, or perish
that's what other people think
now, that belief is a destructive belief
it will hinder your worship and make you worst
if you believe that if there is sin, grace will be diminished or removed
then it is a destructive belief
you will be stopped and cease in your worship
and your life will be made worst and badly
I have a friend, I won't name him
he said, "Did you know pastor? I'm escaping my way from sinning"
it's a good thing... so... "I'm escaping my way from sinning..."
"...because when I commit sin, I'd do penitence again"
so that I could draw again to God
what would be the purpose of your penitence?
"I'm escaping my way from sinning because the time when I commit sin..."
"...I will be doing penitence again."
it mean he cannot enter directly
when he worship, he cannot enter directly
he might want to do anything, whatever he want to do
that can satisfy him, and make him feel that God is delighted in him
then that would be the time he will come closer to God
the time did come, that his mistakes were greater than before
whatever he do to refrain from sinning... he still commits sin
then, he slowly fades away in faith
because he always do penitence
whenever he commit sin again, he would do penitence again
when he sins again, he feel that his previous penitence counts nothing
then quickly do penitence again
then his failures were increasing until he feels condemn
he is now hesitant to draw near to God and his life is now worst
now... the sin cannot stop the flow of grace
when a person commits sin... there... the grace is still there.
when the sin increases, much more the grace increases to.
If you believe that the your sin big... then the grace is greater
even in your failures
if you come closer to God, still God will accept you
God will still accept your worship
and there would no barrier in your worship to God
that is grace... sin cannot stop the flow of grace.
because if there's no grace, then what would be your hope?
what would save you? when there's no more grace?
so you'll start striving up again... so what would happen is...
so it would not match the doctrine you've started before...
...that your salvation is on Christ because you will still strive again...
by yourself
now... one thing that we should know is...
...that in grace, God's justice is on your side.
...in grace, the justice of God is favored upon you.
Don't you agree with that?
or you cannot do anything but agree?
in grace, the justice of God is favored to you.
sometimes we heard a teaching that...
...it's true that the God is love, but how about His justice?
to punish those who sin.
that teaching is is like choking you, isn't it?
it's like stopping you, making you feel condemned
"Oh, I've sinned again awhile ago"
I cannot draw close, because God's justice is not favored on me anymore
but in grace, God's justice is on your side
it's on you... isn't it?
awhile ago, we've sang a song... "the blood of Jesus..."
"...the Father's wrath is completely satisfied."
God is justice, God hates sin.
but that wrath... that anger is satisfied
by the blood of Jesus
it is indeed satisfied, He has no anger and hatred remaining in you...
...because everything is satisfied in the death of Jesus Christ
and His justice now, His justice is in your side...
it's now favored on you.
so, if you don't teach a Christ-centered teaching
then we will be derailed out of passing
1 John 4:17... Let's read this
1 John 4:17
Praise the Lord!
the word of God says... 1 John 4:17
In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have...
...confidence on the day of judgment because in this world...
...we are like him.
how many of us here feared the day of judgment?
Come on? People of God?
we are already a Christian, but still have the fear in us?
there is trembling inside
because in the day of judgment, the day of judgment...
maybe we will be judge to go to hell
how many of us here that still have that kind of belief?
some of Christian still believes like that...
still feels like that... hear this verse...
it says here... "In this way, love is complete among us..."
"...so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment."
You have that confidence...
...no worries, no fears in the day of judgment.
why? because the word of God says... "because in this world..."
"...we are like him."
because in this world... we are like Jesus Christ
if this was by works, then this verse is a liar...
if this is my work, then this is a liar.
this would be a great liar of all verses
because whatever we do to mimic or imitate Jesus
we still cannot do that... but this is a declaration
this is truth, this is the statement of truth
that says... in this world... what He is... then you'll also be
if Christ is righteous, the you are righteous...
if Christ is worthy, the you are worthy...
and in the day of judgment, it's sure that you pass
justice is on your side
justice is on your side
so, that is the super abundance of grace.
that's what we call the super abundance of grace
we'll speed this up... third point
are you confused?
third point... the preaching of God's grace
the preaching of God's grace
first, the accusation against God's grace
second, the super abundance of grace
third, the preaching of God's grace
the preaching of God's grace
now, we preachers of God's grace...
...let us preach grace like Paul
you preach grace like Paul
did you know, that when I heard a person says that I am...
...encouraging the people to commit sin, then I will rejoice on that.
because, the same thing was charged to Paul when he preaches grace
they believe that... when Paul preaches grace...
...he encourages them to commit sin.
I am preaching like Paul, if that's there judgment on me
Don't worry... I won't fear and saddened because I am in a good company
we're the same with Paul, isn't it?
Paul was suspected and accused that he pushes every person to commit sin
if they will do that because of my preaching, then I will praise the Lord
I will thank and praise God because of that
Did you know? You cannot sit on the fence
You cannot really sit on the fence, you do really have a side
either you will accept the message or reject the message
isn't it? either you receive...
...like Jesus... people that is under the law that time...
...the Pharisees - was jealous on Jesus
because, Christ's uses grace
they will be angered, but the sinners loved Christ more
because Christ welcomed sinners
so, you can chose on that two, either you will be angered or rejoice in the message
I'm thankful because, if there are men that doesn't like the preaching...
...then there would also be men that likes the preaching...
...to the extent that they won't accept other preaching that is not grace
can you relate in that?
there is a person like that
I like that
they cannot bear to hear a message that is not grace
questioning "what is this preaching all about?"
isn't it?
that makes the grace their defense and protection to themselves
there is a person that are really convinced about that, they are hard to move
whatever happens
preach grace like Paul
preach grace without mixture
do not mix because grace can stand alone
the grace can stand alone
it doesn't need to be mixed, because if you does it will spoil
and be destroyed
it will be spoiled
then preach grace absolutely
preach grace absolutely
like for example, the verse Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation
to those who are in Christ Jesus
that is absolute
there is therefore now no condemnation
there is no condemnation
it can't be punishable
for those who are in Christ Jesus
that is absolute
it mean that there is no "if" and "but"
there is no condition saying "if"
no! there is no saying "but"
saying "what if?", no!
that is absolute
there is therefore now no condemnation
if you are in the Lord Jesus Christ
there is no more condemnation to you
you cannot be condemned and be punished
that is absolute
so preach grace absolutely
there is no "if" and "but"
do not put shadow of doubts
because that is grace
grace with conditions
grace fitted by precautions
is not grace at all
if the grace have condition
if the grace is binded
in watching yourself
then that is not grace anymore
we should preach grace absolutely
if it says "there is no condemnation" or "nothing to be punished"
you cannot go to hell if you are now in Christ
preach that! No ifs, no buts. Period!
that is grace
that is grace brothers and sisters
Hallelujah!
i hope that this message gives us a teaching good for ourselves
have given us clarification
more cleared understanding
about the grace
years before when I was part of a church
I like this song... I am not under law but under grace
Febfeb believes that I am the one that composes
he said "did you compose that?", i said "no, it's an old song"
I am not under law but under grace
it is grace that rescued me
it is grace that sets me free
I have sought, I have found my hiding place
I am not under law but under grace
I am not under law but under grace
it is grace that rescued me
the grace have saved me
it is grace that sets me free
the grace that gives me freedom
I have found my hiding place
I have found my hiding place in heaven
that is grace
hallelujah!
I hope that we will treasure the grace in our every hearts
thank you Lord for your word
I pray that all this will rest in each and everyone's heart
in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.