Stockton Baptist Church

Stockton Baptist Church

GRACE. The Apostle Paul wrote, "by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (1 Cor. 15:10). Paul mentions "grace" 3 times in this one verse. But what is grace? A simple definition is that grace is "the free and unmerited favor of God." Grace is free. It's a gift. We owe nothing in return. But grace does have a cost. It cost Jesus everything. Grace is also unmerited. None of us are deserving of God's favor or forgiveness. In fact, it's quite the opposite. We all actually deserve God's eternal wrath. So how bad are we in God's sight? What is true of every person who comes into this world? What does God tell us in His Word? (1) We are all sinners at birth - "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me." (Psa. 51:5). (2) We are all guilty of breaking God's Law thus proving that we're sinners - "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). (3) We are all unrighteous meaning no one does positive good that makes them right in God's eyes - "As it is written: "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE" (Rom. 3:10). (4) We are all enemies of God - "And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death (Col. 1:21-22). (5) We are all deserving of death

(i.e. eternal separation of body and soul from God) - "For the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). (7) We have no means of justifying ourselves - "Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight" (Rom. 3:20). So, it's not a pretty picture. We were sinners at birth, we've sinned in life, and have no positive good, thus making us God's enemies and worthy of eternal death, and, lastly, have no way to make ourselves right in God's eyes. That's why sinners are can only be saved by GRACE!