Grace to you

God has ways of delivering his grace into our lives. Grace, by its very definition, is a gift. There is no earning it and we certainly do not deserve it; God freely dispenses his unmerited favour to those who exercise faith in him. This dispensing happens through what are commonly understood to be the means of grace. The means of grace are the delivery method. The most essential of these are prayer, the preaching and study of the Scriptures, baptism and the Lord’s Table. When we practice these disciplines and observe the ordinances, God’s grace flows to us. Other means of grace include friendship, sabbath rest, witnessing and service, and generosity. Without his grace in our lives, we are entirely lost. For this reason alone, the Christian should access the flow of grace by all means possible.

Series: Means of Grace (Summer series)
Message: 1 - Grace to you
Text: Galatians 1-3
Todd Dugard
Harvest Bible Chapel
June 26, 2022

My standing with God is based entirely on his grace (1:3-5)…

Grace is God’s undeserved and unearned favour.

God loves people because of who God is, not because of who we are.—Philip Yancey, What’s So Amazing About Grace?

…but grace is easily compromised by distortions of the gospel (1:6-10)

Where the righteousness of the law rules, the righteousness of grace cannot; and again, where the righteousness of grace reigns, the righteousness of the law cannot; one of them must always give way to the other.—Martin Luther

It would be, as if to say, Christ is a good workman and has indeed started the building, but he has not finished it and for this we need our own moral and religious works.—Martin Luther (paraphrased)

The doctrine of grace can by no means stand with the doctrine of the law. The one must simply be refused and abolished, and the other confirmed and established.—Martin Luther

…and thus, I feel the need to earn God’s favour (1:11-2:14)

Ephesians 2:8-9

The means of grace are God’s appointed instruments by which the Holy Spirit enables believers to receive Christ and the benefits of redemption. Although He could have chosen to reveal Christ immediately to His people, He has determined instead to do so through certain means. God assigned the Word, sacraments, and prayer to be the foremost means by which He communicates Christ and His benefits to believers.—Nick Batzig

The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption are his ordinances, especially the Word, sacraments and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.—Westminster Shorter Catechism; Q88

…rather than receiving his grace by faith alone (2:15-21)

…in the power of the Spirit and not the flesh (3:1-14)

If we are to grow in grace, we must acknowledge that God has appointed certain means for that growth. We should approach these means with eager anticipation and childlike reliance on the One who adds His blessing to them, and we must rest content in a right use of them, knowing that God has promised to bless them as we use them with repentant and believing hearts.—Nick Batzig

LINKS:

What Is a Means of Grace?

Means of Grace
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/means-of-grace

Why the Ordinary Means of Grace Must Be Central in Our Gatherings

The Ordinary Means of Grace