Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

Do we need a balance of grace and law

We have been ‘singing’ about grace all morning

Paul starts with how we can have Peace with God

v1 – those who are justified by faith have peace with Jesus Christ

Romans 1-4 – what it means to be made right with God

Are you right with God?

If you are not a believer, then you are under God’s wrath

Paul has been explaining who people can get right with God

We are all under God’s righteous anger

God has made a way that we can be at peace with Him
Through the Lord Jesus Christ

We have been justified through faith
What He has done has been accounted to us
God declares us not guilty – because the Lord Jesus Christ has taken on Himself the righteous judgment of God
This is the only was we can have peace with God

v2 – we stand in grace

We stand in grace

Example

We are given a ticket by God
There is only one turnstile to enter the stadium of grace
Entrance is given as a free gift

Example

Faith allows us to enter grace and to stand in faith

Psalm 24:3

We cannot simply stand in God’s presence
We can gain access through grace

We must stand firm until the end

Standing in the face of adversity
Personal example
Not to retreat

2 Corinthians 8:1-2

If our finances are difficult we might reduce (not increase) our giving
The Macedonian church was generous in the face of extreme poverty
v6-7 – your grace in giving is spurred by the grace of Jesus Christ

Not standing stationary / passive but being active

We go (in grace) in the same way we began
We are no longer aliens and strangers from grace

Prophecy

We are ‘holy to the Lord’
We glow with the righteousness of Christ
We are in a state of grace
God’s free grace does not stop giving

v20-21

Quote from ‘Amazing Grace’

Grace is how we enter into and continue on in the Christian life
How is your prayer life?

Have you been in a situation where you have been driven to prayer?
Do we think that our ‘goodliness’ will cause God to intervene in our situation?

This is not standing in grace, but in our performance

We stand in grace full stop!
Grace is not based on works

We cannot contribute to our salvation

Personal example
God does not leave us to ‘get on with Christian life’

We did not start in the Spirit to finish in the flesh
Acting in the flesh is in rebellion to God
Acting in the Spirit

v18-19

Justification and sanctification
Not just saved from death but saved for life
v9-11
Our grace continues in Jesus Christ
Therefore we can ‘boast’ in the Lord Jesus Christ
Do not boast in yourself but in the Lord Jesus Christ
God answers our prayer in grace, not in the strength of our discipleship

What motivation is there to be holy?

Rom 6:1
Grace and law
v2 – Real faith is faith that expresses itself in love

for God
to be obedient
for His people
for your neighbours

1 John 1:5

Closing Remarks