#140 Apostolic Grace

APOSTOLIC GRACE
ACC Conference 2014
D. Karl Thomas

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
“When you preach grace,unless your conscience accuses you of license you haven’t preached grace.”

Romans 5:20 “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,…”
Huperperisseuo: hyper — where we get the english word “hyper” and Perisseuo — where we get the english word “abound” Biblical grace is Hyper Abounding Grace! }

The Apostle Paul Had:
A New Message —“…which was kept secret in ages past.” Romans 16:25
A New Dispensation — “… the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you,…” Ephesians 3:2
A New Commission — “The ministry of reconciliation … that we be made the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-21
A New People — “And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.” Acts 15:41 / “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28

1 Corinthians 3:10-11 “According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

Acts 20:24 “The ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”
Paul uses the word “grace” more than any other writer in the Bible. (144 times)

Grace (charis):– good will, loving-kindness, favour.
The merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles virtues.

Grace a gift of the nature and empowering presence of God
Law Demands Performance Grace Empowers Behaviour
Grace has a higher standard

Romans 1:7 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Part of Paul’s greeting in every on of His letters.

PAUL’S SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY

Romans 6:17 “…yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.”
“standard of teaching” (AMP) “pattern of teaching” (NIV) “Paul’s system of truth.” (Weymouth)

James Stalker (The Life Of Paul)
“Paul’s letters contain the best explanation of Christianity in the world. The right way to look at them is to regard them as the continuation of Christ;s own teaching…. ”
“… They contain the thoughts that Jesus carried away from this world unuttered. They are the advanced teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Paul was specially chosen by God to make clear the inner workings of the Gospel.

Gospels are like a photograph. You see what man saw.
Paul’s writings are like a CT scan. You see what God saw.

Romans 1:5 “Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,…”

Acts 20:24 “…and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

Romans 2:16 “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel”

II Timothy 2:8 “Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel.”

Galatians 2:2 “…that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles.”

Galatians 2:7 “…the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me.”

Romans 16:25 “Now to Him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret in ages past.”

Ephesians 3:2-3 “…if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery…”

Galatians 1:11-12 “But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Ephesians 3:8 “To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,…”

Galatians 1:13 “You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Ephesians 1:6-7 “…to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace…”

THE MESSAGE OF IN CHRIST

The Translators New Testament
“The phrase ‘In Christ’ is a technical term in Paul’s letters. Do not tamper with it these words lest you under translate them.”

Richard N. Longenecker
“In speaking of the personal appropriation of the work of Christ, The Apostle Paul repeatedly employs the expression ‘in Christ.’ The phrase together with its cognates occurs 172 times in Paul’s writings.”

A. J. Gordon (In Christ) “The two words ‘in Christ’ give us profound insight into the Divine method of salvation. These two words open to us mysteries and secrets that were hidden for ages and generations.”

1 Corinthians 1:30 (NLT) “God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.”

1 Corinthians 6:17 “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”
You got In Him at the cross.
He was wounded so that you could be inserted!!!
The whole grafting process!!!

THE WITNESS PROTECTION PROGRAM

“…your life is hid with Christ in God.” Colossains 3:3
Hid:– (Apokruphos) to hide concealing, keeping secret

Paul had a clear revelation of our life being identified with Christ.
You have to embrace your new identity in Christ.
Believe it is complete.
God is going to fill the earth with Himself.
Not a people trying to be a copy, but a people expressing the DNA of God.

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;…”

ONE AND ONCE

Genesis 5:3 “And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.”
Adam was not created in sin but he passed on the condition of sin.

The parallel Paul makes: Adam’s sin is passed on to us because we were in him,
Christ’s righteousness is passed on to us because we are in him.
Two types of people: 1. In Adam 2. In Christ

Romans 5:12, 17-21 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned — ( … ) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, { Huperperisseuo: hyper — where we get the english word “hyper” and Perisseuo — where we get the english word “abound” Biblical grace is Hyper Abounding Grace! } 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

What is God going to do with all of these bad copies?

By grace through faith you have been born again. Remastered!

Let me illustrate … Masters and copies … if its on the master it is on the copy!

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Romans 6:10-11 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 3:7 “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’”

New Creation
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Romans 3: 23-24 “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,…”
Paul put’s everyone in Adam so he can redeem everyone in Christ.

Romans 6:10-11 “For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

INDICATIVE AND IMPERATIVE

Theology and Ethics / Doctrine and Duty / Positional and Practical
Belief and Behaviour / Freedom and Responsibility / In Christ and In The Lord

“So many of us cavalierly gloss over what he has done and zero in on what we’re to do, and that shift, though it might seem slight, makes all the difference in the world. Our obedience has its origin in God’s prior action, and … forgetting that truth results in self- righteousness, pride, and despair. As you study Scripture, remember that the imperatives are always rooted in the indicatives. God calls you to become who you already are in Christ.” E. M. Fitzpatrick

What is a Verb Mood? The mood of a verb designates the relationship of the verb’s action relative to reality. The following is a simple list of moods of verbs in the New Testament and what they generally signify:
indicative – mood of certainty, actuality
subjunctive – mood of probability
optative – mood of possibility
imperative – mood of command
As the list indicates, the New Testament uses indicative statements when discussing what God has done, is doing or will do. Imperative statements are used when saying what we should do. It is important to realize, not only that both moods are present in the Bible, but that there is a specific relationship between these two moods in the area of sanctification. Namely, what God commands us to do (the imperative) is based upon what he has done, is doing or will do (the indicatives). God is signifying by this consistent pattern that sanctification depends on God, but involves human volition and cooperation.

“God has not given us power to imitate Him. He has made us partakers of His nature so that we can actually be like Him. You don’t become a Christian by acting like one. We are not on a performance basis with God.” Neil T Anderson

1 Corinthians 1:2, 11 “To the church … to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, … there are contentions among you.”

1 Corinthians 3:3 “Are you not acting like mere humans?”

Philippians 4:9 (AMP) “Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you.”

Ephesians 4:23-24 “…be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

Colossians 3:1-2 “If then you have been raised with Christ [indicative], seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above [positive imperative], not on things that are on earth [negative imperative].”

Titus 2:11-12 (AMP) “For the grace of God (His unmerited favor and blessing) has come forward (appeared) for the deliverance from sin and the eternal salvation for all mankind. It has trained us to reject and renounce all ungodliness (irreligion) and worldly (passionate) desires, to live discreet (temperate, self-controlled), upright, devout (spiritually whole) lives in this present world,”

APOSTOLIC GRACE MUST BE WITHOUT MIXTURE!

Galatians 3:1-3 (MESSAGE) You crazy Galatians! Did someone put a hex on you? Have you taken leave of your senses? Something crazy has happened, for it’s obvious that you no longer have the crucified Jesus in clear focus in your lives. His sacrifice on the cross was certainly set before you clearly enough.
2-4 Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God’s Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God.

Galatians 4:19-20 “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.”
Concerned that you are going to be deceived by these teachers of the law.

Galatians 4:1-7 “Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, 2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”

Child :– (nēpios) Infant, little child
Sons :– (huios) hweeous Mature sons
Elements :– (stoicheion) stoy high on The first things, ABC’s The Law

Galatians 4:21-30 “Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, 24 which things are symbolic. For these are the[d] two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— 25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— 26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written:
“Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor!
For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband.”
28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. 29 But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted (TO PURSUE IN A HOSTILE MANNER) him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.”

Where is that in Scripture? Genesis 21 “Weaning”

little side note here … scripture interpret scripture!!!
Hebrews 5:13-14 “For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age (mature),…”

Genesis 21:1-12 “And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. 2 For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac. 4 Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.” 7 She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.”
8 So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned.
9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. 10 Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.” 11 And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son.
12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called.

You can’t be raised by mixture … you will never mature under mixture.
Sarah will be the only influence … Promise … GRACE!!!

Genesis 21:22-34 “And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do. 23 Now therefore, swear to me by God that you will not deal falsely with me, with my offspring, or with my posterity; but that according to the kindness that I have done to you, you will do to me and to the land in which you have dwelt.” 24 And Abraham said, “I will swear.” 25 Then Abraham rebuked Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech’s servants had seized. 26 And Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor had I heard of it until today.” 27 So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. 28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. 29 Then Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?” 30 And he said, “You will take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that they may be my witness that I have dug this well.” 31 Therefore he called that place Beersheba,[a] because the two of them swore an oath there. 32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba. So Abimelech rose with Phichol, the commander of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. 34 And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines many days.”

Tamarisk tree
Tree flourishes in harsh places. Tree spreads out – Generations Tree that has much seed. Tree that takes over.

When Abraham made the choice to remove the attempt to achieve righteousness through the flesh he stepped into a new place of GRACE!
The result is:
Boldness Freedom Taking Inheritance

Romans 5:17 “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”