“Saved by Grace Through Faith”
Pastor David Moore
Old Testament reading: Exodus 34:1-10
The Lord said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain. No one is to come with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain; not even the flocks and herds may graze in front of the mountain.”
So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the Lord had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed His name, the Lord. And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. “Lord,” he said, “if I have found favor in your eyes, then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance.”
Then the Lord said: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you.
Today we will learn the emphasis that Paul shares that the gospel is all about God and how God has done all this to bless His people.
New Testament reading: Ephesians 2:1-10
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of the world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions– it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
1. What we are saved from. (verses 1-3)
2. About becoming Christians. (verses 4-7)
3. What we are saved for. (verses 8-10)
If you want to feed the homeless then feed the homeless. But, the moment you put it on social media, you’re also feeding your ego.
1 Timothy 3:6: He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.
Galatians 5:26: Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
“I’m thinking of the mark which any selfish action leaves on that tiny central self which no one sees but which each of us will have to endure or enjoy forever. One man may be so placed in his life that his anger sheds the blood of thousands while another is so placed so that however angry he gets he will only be laughed at, but the little mark on the soul is much more the same in both. Each has done something to himself, which, unless he repents, will make the rage worse each time. Each person is in the long run doomed if he will not repent.” ~C. S. Lewis
There really are only two points of view. The self-centered view is ‘your life to serve me’ or ‘my life to serve you.’ Every time we say, ‘your life should serve me,’ there is a mark on our soul. We become a little more self-centered, a little more proud, a little more self-righteous, a little angrier that we are being treated with the respect and dignity we deserve. Our ego becomes a little harder to control, to keep in check, and little by little, we become more miserable. On the other hand, we can go the other way. ‘My life to serve yours,’ makes us more free. Every time we think that way and act that way, the freer we become. ~D. Moore
Saved to what then?
Every moment of your life is a gift from God.
Colossians 3:13 (ESV): Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
Ephesians 2
(Verses 1-3) The essence of sin is us putting ourselves where only God should be, on the throne of our lives.
(Verses 4-7) What is salvation? God putting Himself where we should be, on the Cross. (Verses 8-10) There is no boasting, only grace that comes through faith.
Colossians 3:1-3: Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Today and this week: think about this powerful message in Ephesians. We have the best King. The Creator of all the universe (including each one of us.) He gave His armor around us, and He takes on our battle wounds Himself. This week pray that His Spirit would change your heart from self-centered to a heart of allowing Christ to be on the throne of your heart, in all you do.
God bless you.