TITLE: The Result of Grace and Mercy

2. TITLE: The Result of Grace and Mercy TEXT: Romans 12:1-2 THEME: A proper view of grace should motivate the believer to love and serve God.

5. Pope Francis "I am a sinner. This is the most accurate definition. It is not a figure of speech, a literary genre. … I am a sinner, but I trust in the infinite mercy and patience of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I accept in a spirit of penance."

6. Pope Francis "We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods. This is not possible. I have not spoken much about these things, and I was reprimanded for that. But when we speak about these issues, we have to talk about them in a context. The teaching of the church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time."

7. Pope Francis "A beautiful homily, a genuine sermon must begin with the first proclamation, with the proclamation of salvation. There is nothing more solid, deep and sure than this proclamation. Then you have to do catechesis. Then you can draw even a moral consequence. But the proclamation of the saving love of God comes before moral and religious imperatives. Today sometimes it seems that the opposite order is prevailing."

8. Pope Francis "'I see clearly, that the thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity. I see the church as a field hospital after battle. It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his blood sugars! You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else... The church sometimes has locked itself up in small things, in small-minded rules. The most important thing is the first proclamation: Jesus Christ has saved you.”

10. How does a proper view of grace fulfil our vision of becoming like Jesus?

11. I. It provides a realistic basis for true freedom. A. Grace defined: • Technical Definition: Grace means gift- something of value given without merit.

12. I. It provides a realistic basis for true freedom. A. Grace defined: • Technical Definition: Grace means gift- something of value given without merit. • Practical Definition: A contrast • Regarding Motivation: Instead of saying: “Do and I will love and bless you.” God says, “I have loved and blessed you therefore, do.”

13. I. It provides a realistic basis for true freedom. A. Grace defined: • Technical Definition: Grace means gift- something of value given without merit. • Practical Definition: A contrast • Regarding Motivation: Instead of saying: “Do and I will love and bless you.” God says, “I have loved and blessed you therefore, do.” • Regarding Salvation: Instead of saying, “Be good and I will save you.” God says, “I have saved you therefore be good.”

14. I. It provides a realistic basis for true freedom. A. Grace defined: B. Grace Applied • God desires a life spontaneous love and service.

15. I. It provides a realistic basis for true freedom. A. Grace defined: B. Grace Applied • God desires a life spontaneous love and service. • We no longer serve to boast or out of self-righteousness.

16. I. It provides a realistic basis for true freedom. A. Grace defined: B. Grace Applied • God desires a life spontaneous love and service. • We no longer serve to boast or out of self-righteousness. • We no longer serve to gain favor.

17. I. It provides a realistic basis for true freedom. A. Grace defined: B. Grace Applied • God desires a life spontaneous love and service. • We no longer serve to boast or out of self-righteousness. • We no longer serve to gain favor. • We serve out of genuine thankfulness for having been loved and served.

18. I. It provides a realistic basis for true freedom. A. Grace defined: B. Grace Applied • God desires a life spontaneous love and service. • We no longer serve to boast or out of self-righteousness. • We no longer serve to gain favor. • We serve out of genuine thankfulness for having been loved and served. • We serve out of genuine desire to impart this love and service.

19. I. It provides a realistic basis for true freedom. A. Grace defined: B. Grace Applied C. Grace’s Risks and Advantages • The advantage is that every believer is free from the anxiety of: • Living up to an impossible standard

20. I. It provides a realistic basis for true freedom. A. Grace defined: B. Grace Applied C. Grace’s Risks and Advantages • The advantage is that every believer is free from the anxiety of: • Living up to an impossible standard • Gaining God’s favor

21. I. It provides a realistic basis for true freedom. A. Grace defined: B. Grace Applied C. Grace’s Risks and Advantages • The advantage is that every believer is free from the anxiety of: • Living up to an impossible standard • Gaining God’s favor • This allows you to spend direct all your energy to bringing glory to God.

22. I. It provides a realistic basis for true freedom. A. Grace defined: B. Grace Applied C. Grace’s Risks and Advantages • The advantage is that every believer is free from the anxiety of: • The disadvantage is that it may be abused. • Some may use it to profane the most sacred things in live.

23. I. It provides a realistic basis for true freedom. A. Grace defined: B. Grace Applied C. Grace’s Risks and Advantages • The advantage is that every believer is free from the anxiety of: • The disadvantage is that it may be abused. • Some may use it to profane the most sacred things in live. • Some may use it as do as they want (License)

24. I. It provides a realistic basis for true freedom. A. Grace defined: B. Grace Applied C. Grace’s Risks and Advantages • The advantage is that every believer is free from the anxiety of: • The disadvantage is that it may be abused. • Some may use it to profane the most sacred things in live. • Some may use it as do as they want (License) • Some may use it to enforce legalistic codes.

25. Comparing Religions • The Buddhist eight-fold path,

26. Comparing Religions • The Buddhist eight-fold path, • the Hindu doctrine of karma,

27. Comparing Religions • The Buddhist eight-fold path, • the Hindu doctrine of karma, • the Jewish covenant,

28. Comparing Religions • The Buddhist eight-fold path, • the Hindu doctrine of karma, • the Jewish covenant, • the Muslim code of law

29. Comparing Religions • The Buddhist eight-fold path, • the Hindu doctrine of karma, • the Jewish covenant, • the Muslim code of law Each of these offers a way to earn approval. Only Christianity dares to make God's love unconditional.

31. How does a proper view of grace fulfil our vision of becoming like Jesus?

32. II. It provides balance between extremes A. Regarding Intellectual Freedom:

33. II. It provides balance between extremes A. Regarding Intellectual Freedom: • It guards against intellectual legalism.

34. II. It provides balance between extremes A. Regarding Intellectual Freedom: • It guards against intellectual legalism. Which makes learning a matter of indoctrination

35. II. It provides balance between extremes A. Regarding Intellectual Freedom: • It guards against intellectual legalism. Which makes learning a matter of indoctrination Which can stifle creativity.

36. II. It provides balance between extremes A. Regarding Intellectual Freedom: • It guards against intellectual legalism. Which makes learning a matter of indoctrination Which can stifle creativity. Which can cut of an honest pursuit of truth.

37. Acts 15 Respond to the question “What is the bare minimum that we should require of Gentiles who come to faith in Christ?”

38. Acts 15: 28-29 “28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.”

39. II. It provides balance between extremes A. Regarding Intellectual Freedom • It guards against intellectual legalism • Grace assures that pursuit of truth:

40. II. It provides balance between extremes A. Regarding Intellectual Freedom • It guards against intellectual legalism • Grace assures that pursuit of truth: • Does not lead to a dead end or blind alley- but to a greater understanding of God.

41. II. It provides balance between extremes A. Regarding Intellectual Freedom • It guards against intellectual legalism • Grace assures that pursuit of truth: • Does not lead to a dead end or blind alley- but to a greater understanding of God. • It prevents intellectual license

42. II. It provides balance between extremes A. Regarding Intellectual Freedom • It guards against intellectual legalism • Grace assures that pursuit of truth: • Does not lead to a dead end or blind alley- but to a greater understanding of God. • It prevents intellectual license • Which makes learning purely speculative.

43. II. It provides balance between extremes A. Regarding Intellectual Freedom • It guards against intellectual legalism • Grace assures that pursuit of truth: • Does not lead to a dead end or blind alley- but to a greater understanding of God. • It prevents intellectual license • Which makes learning purely speculative. • Which creates doubts and uncertainty.

44. II. It provides balance between extremes A. Regarding Intellectual Freedom • It guards against intellectual legalism • Grace assures that pursuit of truth: • Does not lead to a dead end or blind alley- but to a greater understanding of God. • It prevents intellectual license • Which makes learning purely speculative. • Which creates doubts and uncertainty.

45. II. It provides balance between extremes • Regarding Intellectual Freedom • Regarding Social Relationships • It removes the threat of social rejection

46. II. It provides balance between extremes • Regarding Intellectual Freedom • Regarding Social Relationships • It removes the threat of social rejection • It is not the absence of ruling principles

47. “License” Argues, if I am saved by grace and my salvation is preserved by grace then I can go on sinning without fear of consequence or quilt. I am a sinner so why not have a good time since grace covers.

48. Romans 6:1-5 6 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.

49. II. It provides balance between extremes • Regarding Intellectual Freedom • Regarding Social Relationships • It removes the threat of social rejection • It is not the absence of ruling principles • It is a matter of motivation and enablement.

50. II. It provides balance between extremes • Regarding Intellectual Freedom • Regarding Social Relationships • It removes the threat of social rejection • It is not the absence of ruling principles • It is a matter of motivation and enablement. • Involves a “What” are the rules and principles.