FIRST MISSIONARY
BAPTIST CHURCH
HANDSBORO

 

WEDNESDAY

MIDDAY BIBLE STUDY

1130

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UNDERSTANDING GOD’S GRACE PART 1

GRACE VERSES PERFORMANCE

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I BELIEVE MANY OF US FAIL TO WALK IN THE FULLNESS OF GOD’S GRACE AND OFTEN REVERT BACK TO WALKING IN A SPIRIT OF CONDEMNATION AND GULIT, WHICH LEADS TO A PERFORMANCE BASED WALK, BECAUSE WE FAIL TO UNDERSTAND REALITY OF A CONTINUOUS WALK IN GOD’S GRACE.

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GALATIANS 3: 3

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LET ME ASK ALL OF YOU A QUESTION. IF YOU KNEW YOU ONLY HAVE A MONTH TO LIVE, HOW WOULD YOU PREPARE YOURSELF TO MEET THE LORD DURING THAT MONTH?

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• WOULD YOU PRAY HARDER?

• WOULD YOU MEMORIZE MORE SCRIPTURES?

• WOULD YOU READ YOUR BIBLE MORE?

• WOULD YOU GIVE MORE MONEY TO THE CHURCH? (TITHES)

• WOULD YOU WITNESS TO EVERYONE YOU SEE?

• WOULD YOU REPENT OF EVERY BAD HABIT AND SIN THAT YOU COULD THINK OF?

 

IF YOUR ANSWER WAS YES TO THESE QUESTIONS, YOU ARE A PERFORMANCE BASED CHRISTIAN WHO IS TRYING TO WORK TO GAIN GOD’S FAVOR. THESE ARE ALL GOOD THINGS TO DO, BUT THIS ISN’T WHAT GOD EXPECTS FROM US TO GAIN HIS FAVOR.

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THERE IS NO AMOUNT OF WORK YOU CAN DO TO EARN ANY MORE OF GOD’S FAVOR. HIS FAVOR HAS ALREADY BEEN GRANTED TO YOU THROUGH HIS GRACE WHICH IS A FREE GIFT.

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MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS, ARE YOU LIVING BY GRACE OR ARE YOU LIVING BY PERFORMANCE?

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GALATIANS 5: 4

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OUR NEED FOR GOD’S GRACE

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1. OUR CONDITION PRIOR TO OUR SALVATION EXPERIENCE.

 

ROMANS 3: 10-12

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ROMANS 3: 23

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GOD’S ANSWER TO OUR NEED.

 

ROMANS 5: 8

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EPHESIANS 2: 8-10

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DEFINITION OF GRACE: GRACE IS GOD’S FREE AND UNMERITED FAVOR SHOWN TO GUILTY SINNERS WHO DESERVE ONLY JUDGMENT. IT IS THE LOVE OF GOD SHOWN TO THE UNLOVELY. IT IS GOD REACHING DOWNWARD TO PEOPLE WHO ARE IN REBELLION AGAINST HIM.

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2.  LIVING IN GOD’S KINGDOM BY GRACE.

 

WHEN WE CAME TO CHRIST WE RECOGNIZED OUR NEED FOR HIS GRACE AND LOVE AND HAD NO PROBLEM ACCEPTING WHAT HE HAD TO OFFER BECAUSE OF OUR HELPLESS CONDITION.

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IF WE CAME INTO GOD’S KINGDOM BY GRACE, WE MUST ALSO LIVE IN IT BY GRACE. IF WE COULDN’T GET INTO GOD’S KINGDOM BY GOOD WORKS, GOOD WORKS WILL NOT SUSTAIN US EITHER.

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3.  WE MUST BE CONTINUALLY MOTIVATED BY GRACE.

 

PHILIPPIANS 1: 6

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WE ARE BROUGHT INTO GOD’S KINGDOM BY GRACE; WE ARE SANCTIFIED BY GRACE; WE ARE MOTIVATED BY GRACE; WE ARE CALLED TO SERVE BY GRACE; WE RECEIVE STRENGTH TO ENDURE TRIALS BY GRACE; AND WE ARE GLORIFIED BY GRACE; THE ENTIRE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS LIVED UNDER THE REIGN OF GOD’S GRACE.

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BEING MOTIVATED BY GRACE, MEANS THAT WE REALIZE THAT IT ISN’T OUR SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES AND WORKS THAT EARNS US GOD’S FAVOR AND BLESSINGS IN OUR LIVES. THIS ALL CONTINUES TO FLOW FROM HIS RICHES IN GRACE, WHETHER WE DESERVE IT OR NOT.

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WHAT HAPPENS IF I FORGET TO PRAY OR FAIL GOD? DOES THAT MEAN I GO THROUGH THE WHOLE DAY WITH GOD IGNORING ME AND NOT DESIRING TO USE ME? A PERSON WHO IS SECURE IN GOD’S LOVE AND GRACE DOESN’T GET BLOWN OUT OF THE SADDLE WHEN THEY FAIL OR SOMETHING GOES WRONG.

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PROVERBS 24: 16

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HEBREWS 4: 14-16

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5.  OUR WORKS ARE A RESULT OF WALKING IN GOD’S GRACE.

 

EPHESIANS 2: 9-10

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IF WE ARE DOING THINGS OUT OF A GODLY RESPONSE TO GOD’S LOVE AND GRACE, WE ARE OPERATING UNDER HIS GRACE.

 

JAMES 1: 25

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THE TRUE WORK THAT GOD HAS FOR EACH ONE OF OUR LIVES CAN ONLY BE RELEASED THROUGH HIS GRACE. LOOKING INTO THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY WE FIND THE SPIRITUAL WORK THAT GOD GIVES US TO DO IS SOMEHOW A PART OF OUR OVERALL CALLING AND GIFTING IN HIM.

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6.  GOD’S BLESSINGS FLOW THROUGH HIS GRACE, NOT OUR PERFORMANCE.

 

EPHESIANS 2: 7

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WHEN JESUS PAID IT ALL, HE NOT ONLY PURCHASED YOUR FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND YOUR TICKET TO HEAVEN, HE PURCHASED EVERY BLESSING AND EVERY ANSWER TO PRAYER YOU WILL EVER RECEIVE.

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1 JOHN 3: 22

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7.  TRYING TO LIVE IN GOD’S KINGDOM BY PERFORMANCE.

 

PERFORMANCE ORIENTED PEOPLE WORK FOR GOD’S APPROVAL. THEY THINK THAY MUST CONSTANTLY EARN GOD’S APPROVAL, SO THEY FIND THEMSELVES GETTING INVOLVED IN LOTS OF THINGS THAT MAY NOT EVEN BE THE WILL OF GOD FOR THEIR LIVES.

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MATTHEW 19: 27 (PETER’S ATTITUDE)

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PETER HAD ALREADY ADDED UP HIS MERIT POINTS, AND HE WANTED TO KNOW HOW MUCH REWARD THEY WOULD BUY.

 

CLOSING

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• THE PARABLE OF THE WORKERS IN THE VINEYARD

 

MATTHEW 20: 1-16

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THE PEOPLE IN THE PARABLE WHO WERE CHOSEN FIRST HAD ADDED UP THEIR MERIT POINTS JUST AS PETER HAD, AND WHEN THEY FOUND OUT THEY WOULD NOT BE REWARDED ON THOSE TERMS THEY WERE UPSET.

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THERE ARE REWARDS THAT WE WILL RECEIVE FOR OUR LABORS, BUT IF OUR MOTIVATION IS SELF SERVING AND NOT PROVOKED BY A RESPONSE TO GOD’S LOVE ABD GRACE, WE WILL PROBABLY LOSE OUR REWARDS.

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REWARDS IN THE BIBLE THE ONE COMMON DENOMINATOR YOU WOULD FIND WOULD BE THAT OF HUMILITY.

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MATTHEW 10: 42

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1 CORINTHIANS 3: 13-15

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LET US ALL DETERMINE TO BE MOTIVATED BY GOD’S GRACE AND LOVE, WHICH WILL PRODUCE IN US GODLY CHARACTER AND GOOD WORKS THAT HE IS DESIRING IN OUR LIVES.

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ROMANS 2: 10-11

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HOME DAILY BIBLE READINGS

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ISAIAH 64: 6

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LUKE 6: 35

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ROMANS 2: 8-11

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UNDERSTANDING GOD’S GRACE PART 2

GOD’S GRACE IN HOLINESS AND SANCTIFICATION

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TODAY WE WOULD LIKE TO EXAMINE THE IDEA THAT GOD IN HIS GRACE SEES US AS PERFECTLY HOLY IN CHRIST.

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GOD IN HIS GRACE SENDS HIS HOLY SPIRIT TO CREATE A NEW HEART WITHIN US AND TO WRITE HIS LAW ON OUR HEARTS, THUS CHANGING OUR BASIC CHARACTER TRAITS. AND THEN WE WILL SEE THAT GOD IN HIS GRACE CONTINUES TO WORK IN US THROUGH HIS SPIRIT TO TRANSFORM US MORE AND MORE INTO THE LIKENESS OF HIS SON.

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EPHESIANS 1: 3-4

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HEBREWS 10: 9-10

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HOLINESS IS A GIFT OF GOD’S GRACE

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WHEN WE CONSIDER THAT GOD WANTS US TO BE PERFECT AND WITHOUT BLAME IT’S IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THAT HOLINESS IS A GIFT OF GOD’S GRACE AS MUCH AS OUR SALVATION EXPERIENCE IN HIM WAS.

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TO LIVE BY GRACE IS TO LIVE SOLELY BY THE MERIT OF JESUS CHRIST. TO LIVE BY GRACE IS THE BASE  OF OUR ENTIRE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

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THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF BOTH A HOLINESS WE ALREADY POSSESS IN CHRIST BEFORE GOD AND A HOLINESS IN WHICH WE ARE TO GROW MORE AND MORE. THE FIRST IS THE RESULT OF THE WORK OF CHRIST. THE SECOND IS A RESULT OF THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN US.

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THE FIRST IS PERFECT AND COMPLETE AND IS OURS THE MOMENT WE TRUST CHRIST. THE SECOND IS PROGRESSIVE AND INCOMPLETE UNTIL THE DAY OF PERFECTION.

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HEBREWS 10: 14

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THE HOLINESS WE POSSESS IN CHRIST BEFORE GOD

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THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF HOLINESS, HOLINESS THAT WE ALREADY POSSES IN CHRIST BEFORE GOD AND THERE IS THE HOLINESS IN WHICH WE ARE TO GROW MORE AND MORE IN. THIS SECOND ASPECT OF HOLINESS IS PROGRESSIVE AND INCOMPLETE UNTIL THE DAY OF PERFECTION.

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1 CORINTHIANS 1: 30

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JESUS HAS BECOME OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, HOLINESS, AND REDEMPTION.

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COLOSSIANS 1: 22

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HEBREWS 4: 16

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HOW CAN WE WHO ARE NOT ONLY GULITY BUT MORALLY FILTHY POSSIBLY BE HOLY IN THE SIGHT OF GOD, WHO KNOWS OUR EVERY MOTIVE AND THOUGH AS WELL AS OUR WORDS AND ACTIONS? THE ANSWER IS THAT BECAUSE OF OUR UNION WITH CHRIST, GOD SEES HIS HOLINESS AS OUR HOLINESS.

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2 CORINTHIANS 3: 18

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THIS SCRIPTURE EXPLAINS TO US THE PROGRESSIVE NATURE OF OUR SANCTIFICATION AND HOLINESS. IT IS ALSO THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, BUT IT INVOLVES A RESPONSE ON OUR PART SO THAT WE AS BELIEVERS ARE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS.

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GOD DOES NOT BRING US INTO HIS KINGDOM THEN LEAVE US ON OUR OWN TO GROW; HE CONTINUES TO WORK IN OUR LIVES TO CONFORM US MORE TO THE LIKENESS OF HIS SON.

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2 CORINTHIANS 7: 1

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1. THROUGH GOD’S GRACE HE CREATES A NEW HEART WITHIN US.

 

EZEKIEL 36: 26-27

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IT IS GOD WHO PUTS HIS OWN SPIRIT WITHIN US AND MOVES US TO FOLLOW HIS DECREES. GOD GIVES US A GROWING DESIRE TO OBEY HIM.

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PSALMS 40: 8

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ROMANS 7: 22

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2.  IT IS GOD WHO WORKS AND WILLS IN US TO ACT ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.

 

PHILIPPIANS 2: 12-13

 

3.  THE CHRISTLIKE CHARACTER WE ARE TO GROW INTO.

 

GALATIANS 5: 2-23

• LOVE

• JOY

• PEACE

• PATIENCE

• GOODNESS

• FAITHFULNESS

• SELF CONTROL

 

COLOSSIANS 3: 12-15

• COMPASSION

• HUMILITY

• KINDNESS

• GENTLENESS

• FORBEARANCE

• FORGIVENESS

• THANKFULNESS

 

CLOSING

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CHRIST LIKE CHARACTER TRAITS ARE CALLED THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT, THE RESULT OF THE SPIRIT’S WORK IN OUR LIVES. THIS MEANS WE ARE BOTH RESPONSIBLE AND DEPENDENT. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE TO CLOTHE OURSELVES WITH CHRISTLIKE CHARACTER, BUT WE ARE DEPENDENT ON GOD’S SPIRIT TO PRODUCE WITHIN US HIS FRUIT.

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HOME DAILY BIBLE READINGS

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HEBREWS 6: 10

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HEBREWS 8: 12

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HEBREWS 13: 5

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