In preparation of Reformation Day, I am preaching this week on the subject which Martin Luther emphasized on in his preparation to reform the Church. This week turning to the two subjects of Faith and Grace.

Everybody has a faith, even the atheist who when trouble really comes along will turn to God.  I heard a humanistic preacher expounding his atheism, telling of how to respond to a problem, and as he finished he stated ‘ and if all that does not work you will just have to ask God’

Faith, means having the belief and conviction that something is true. A clear believing that something hoped for but not seen will be fulfilled.

For Paul, faith was a treasured word combining loyalty and fidelity. When he wrote to the Church at Thessalonica, he stated he would know about their faith. He expected them to continue to stand firm and loyal on their faith. He told the Corinthians that if Jesus had not risen from death, their faith was in vain and all they claimed to believe was broken. Faith is a belief the Christian message is true.  Sometimes faith is equivalent to strong hope, we walk by faith not sight,  Paul believed in the total  acceptance and absolute trust your life on the fact there is a God.  It is firmly believing in the stability of Jesus at all times, and having assurance on that belief

The Bible makes it clear that we are saved by grace through faith, and it is a free gift from God, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

In His many healings, Jesus abled the blind to see. When He did that he was persecuted by the Pharisees, who were determined to state this was impossible, because no one could make a blind man see.

Faith however, can be true or false. Just as in oldest times ,people say today they believe in God, so that ensures them a place in heaven without further ado. I would be a rich man, if I received five pounds for every time I heard that. One woman gave me firm assurance there was nothing more necessary

Christianity, instead of it inspiring everyone who hears it, so often goes the other way and encourages falsity.  People say I am a Christian to create an impression  Jesus was just a good man, for their belief.

The Apostles Creed causes so many people, clergy included, to tell lies.  I believe in the Virgin Birth; I believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They just don’t.  I have challenged so many men and women and clergy of false faith, as I know from their talk at odd times, they just do not believe in those two doctrines, and is shameful.

Again, people see the Creed as a passport to heaven.  People will jump on any

and remotest of statements to justify a claim of being a Christian.  they have convinced themselves, and expect others to believe.

Faith, true faith is inspired in us by God.  We cannot be true Christians by just doing good deeds. Such are worthy, and will come as a result of becoming a Christian.

Do not rely on saying I believe in Jesus Christ, unless you mean it.  You must accept believing in Jesus is more than words.  You have faith, that accepts that Jesus  died on a Cross to take the penalty for your sins, in order to have God forgive you, and you in return live a true faith, which follows the teaching of Christ. If you accept, you have been pardoned and the sins forgiven, you can be saved and one day perhaps meet Christ to thank Him.

The  final stage in your new life as a Christian, will be when the mental acceptance is made credible in your daily life.

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Grace is a lovely Christian name for females; it is a prayer said before meals; a period of time; a title for an Archbishop; a greeting; but it is essentially a gift from God.  Whilst is mainly a Christian term, I am confident there are many within the Church would shy away if asked to describe it; it is however not an easy task unless you had studied theology.

The Bible states, For by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not the result of works so that no one may boast

Martin Luther stated, the true treasure of the Church is the most holy gospel of the glory and grace of God.

Grace saves us when we have faith in Jesus Christ. It is a free gift from God through faith. We are so used to have ‘free’ gifts offered to us, which are not really free, but are meant to lure us into something else. Grace is absolutely free.

This is why God alone gets the glory in your salvation. Jesus did all the work when he died on the cross. As the hymn states, ‘ to God be the glory, great things he has done , so loved he the world that he gave us his Son, who yielded his life as an atonement for sin, and opened the life gate that all may go in.

God is so gracious He is ready to forgive all those who have sinned and who have repented and turned to Him, He wants to save all. But God is perfection and cannot accept sin and it will never be possible to be in relationship with God unless cleansed of their sin.  This is only possible by the blood of Christ shed on the Cross. 

When  we speak about grace in Church, inevitably we think of the most favored hymn across the world,  especially in the United States. Amazing Grace, written by John Newton in 1772. It is a beautiful hymn sung to a lovely tune, which is often spoiled by young women being over dramatic in contrast to Katharine Jenkins whose singing of the hymn is magnificent.

Newton wrote the words from personal experience. He was not originally a religious man, but having joined the Navy, he became engaged in the slave trade.  He became in charge of a ship which passed through troubled waters and faced a storm of such power that the ship was in danger.  He called on God for mercy and offered his life if delivered safely; so leading to his   conversion.  He continued in the salve trade until 1775 when he began studying theology and became an abolitionist.  He became ordained into the Church of England and was Vicar at Olney in Bedford and later moved to London.

Grace is an important word for he Bible states, by grace are we saved. We are all sinners in some way, bearing in mind sin is more than sexual behaviour although most people fail to recognize that. Sin is any action against the Word of God, thereby including lies, malice, theft, envy etc.

God is hurt when we offend, and grace is from the heart of God to be given to us freely when we do not merit or deserve.  This country comes from a Christian heritage after monks and Archbishop Augustine became the first  bishop.  It has been Christian through the ages, gradually turning to secularism, so that now we are more secular, than previously.  Other faiths with their own religion have come here and by law are to be recognized with the same respect.

Grace is actually amazing.  It is totally undeserved, unmerited, unearned . but it is also so special in that you cannot seek it, there is no way at all in which you can get grace.  Grace is God’s own gift, which we receive from Christ who paid for us in that horrifically cruel death at Calvary.

When Paul wrote to Timothy he said we do not become timid we have the power of God which can overturn any opposition, we have His grace where the power is overwhelming.

Grace is so precious that it can transform a life, and indeed a great many lives. Luther’s finding of the verse in the Letter of Paul to the Roman Church, which spoke about grace being the way to salvation through faith, he started a new teaching to that of the Roman Church which spread right across Europe.

Salvation starts with God, not with man. He takes the initiative.  If God didn’t make the first move, you would never make any move at all.

The passage today contains the message. The word ‘amazing’ means something astonishing, quite beyond the ordinary.  The spiritual meaning of ‘grace’ refers to that special gift which only God can give.

There is nothing we can do to earn or add, the grace of God confers a blessing on us, and if we take this gift, our salvation is granted to us. Like any gift offered to us, we have to accept, do nothing else to earn salvation; it is solely a gift of God. Salvation starts with God, not with man. He takes the initiative, he makes the first move.

 No one is too bad to turn to God, he is ready to forgive all sin, past and present, for all who truly repent, and turn and accept Jesus into their life.

You have to accept we all have sinned and need forgiveness, but some will not accept they are a sinner.  A Vicar at one Church in the South of England once put a notice outside his Church with the intention of letting people know they were welcome to join in worship. The notice said, ‘this church is here for sinners’. The following week over half the congregation were absent.

But God is perfection and cannot accept sin and it will never be possible to be in relationship with God unless cleansed of their sin.  This is only possible by the blood of Christ shed on the Cross. 

We have to accept that when Christ made his sacrifice, dying a cruel death on that Cross, he was providing forgiveness for us, for all our sins committed past and present. When we accept that Jesus did so for us and in faith believe he is our Savior, God in his infinite mercy and goodness forgives us, and by his grace accepts us as one of his children.

 

Grace is the reason why God sent Jesus into the world. “For God so loved the

world that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16)

  

May God ‘s Holy Name be praised and may God be glorified