Fallen From Grace - Part 3

Thank you for listening to this message from the ministry of Morse Corner Church in Leverett, Massachusetts. Morse Corner is a non-denominational church that is committed to the preaching and teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our church was founded in 1896 by two students of the famous evangelist D .L. Moody. We seek to encourage and edify the body of Christ through the proclamation of God's word through the ministries of the local church.

If you'd like more information, visit our website, morsecornerchurch .com. We hope you enjoy the message. You know, it was about, what, 500 years ago, the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation happened for a reason.

And I know not everyone knows a lot about church history, but the Reformation happened for a reason. Rome was preaching another gospel of faith plus the works of the law. And I'm not saying that the Protestant Reformers got everything right.

But they got that right. That salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. So, in Galatia and in Corinth, you had this false doctrine of legalism being spread. Faith plus circumcision.

Faith plus whatever. It doesn't matter. Faith plus anything is not the gospel of Christ. So, it was being spread in Corinth, in Galatia. It was being spread everywhere. It's being spread everywhere today.

That works either save you, they're part of what saves you, or they're part of keeping yourself saved. And you know, that stands at odds with Paul's message of grace. I remember talking to one person, and they said to me, I tried to explain this, and they said, I just cannot accept the idea that all I have to do to get into heaven is just believe in Jesus.

That's too easy. I cannot accept it. There must be something that I have to do. Are you telling me people who have, you know, broke this commandment, done this sin, that they're saved just by believing in Jesus?

They wouldn't accept it. They didn't accept it because they didn't believe the gospel. Or if somebody will add up all of their good works, put it all together, and say, well, this is, you know, I'm saved because I'm a Christian.

I believe and I do all of this. Well, if that's part of what you're trusting in, you're not fully trusting in Christ. But this generally summarizes most of the world's religions. It's about what you do or what you don't do.

I told you this before that I had one man, only one person has done this. I'm sure it'll happen again, you know, if the Lord gives me more years. But only one person has actually come right out and said to me, I'm going to heaven because I obey the Ten Commandments.

He said, I don't do anything wrong. Well, Lord knows. Or as many of the mainline denominations, this is a little more common. Many of the mainline denominations, they would say this, that we are Christians because we obey Jesus's teachings found in the Sermon on the Mount.

Do they really, though? Is that true? Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, therefore, you shall be perfect just as your father in heaven is perfect. Well, how are you doing with that one? If that doesn't show someone's need for grace, I don't know what does.

So, this is just the common thing that people are inclined to believe that, yes, Jesus is part of it. I mean, it is Christianity after all, but no, you need more than that. It's about what I do. So, Paul in 2 Corinthians 6, you can turn back there if you haven't already.

What's the title of the message? Receiving the grace of God in vain. What's Paul's message in 2 Corinthians 6? He is appealing to the whole church to make sure that they do not receive the grace of God in vain.

Now, if we go back to get a little context to the last chapter, 2 Corinthians 5, we spoke briefly about this last week. 2 Corinthians 5, verses 20 and 21. He says, now then, we are ambassadors for Christ.

As though God were pleading through us, we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him. So, if a person is trusting, truly trusting in Christ by faith.

If Jesus has already dealt with the issue of that person's sin, then that person has been what? I mean, if Jesus has already dealt with your sin, that person has been reconciled to God. Things have been made right.

The relationship is now friendly. You know, the enmity is gone. A sinner now possesses the righteousness of God within them. And they have God's favor. So, what then was Paul concerned about? I think at least for some, he's concerned about whether or not they really believe that.

I mean, you can say something, but do you really believe it? Later on in chapter 13 verse 5, Paul will say to the church. Because, you know, this is the thing about the gospel. We say, it is by grace alone, through faith alone.

That is true. But Paul also tells the church later on, examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. And he says, test yourselves. So, if a person thinks that they are saved because of their works or that is part of it, they do not understand the gospel.

Or if a person thinks that they need to keep themselves saved. I better crank up those works or else God might turn his back on me. You really haven't understood it. And of course, he tells them elsewhere to make your calling and election sure.

And then 2 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 2, Paul quotes from the book of Isaiah. This is Isaiah saying this. For he that is God says, in an acceptable time, I have heard you. And in the day of salvation, I have helped you.

Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. So, there's that urgency that Paul has. This is a quote from Isaiah 49 where the Messiah is pictured as a light to the Gentiles. And how salvation would be declared to the ends of the earth.

Paul was speaking about this in the last chapter. Chapter 5. Remember how there was this universal language. Christ died for all. And God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. That speaks to the fact that Jesus has died for all.

He's died for everyone. People from every nation, tribe, and tongue. And now, because of that, now is the accepted time. The offer of the gospel does go out to the whole world. And it's right now that God will hear the prayers of the penitent.

And God will save all those who call upon the name of Christ. He will hear you. But the time is now. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Well, I'm young. I have time. Maybe. Maybe not. Tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Christ could return. And when he does, the age of grace, as we call it, comes to an end. So behold, now is the day of salvation. Also, so that's for the unbeliever. Also, for those who are saved, but maybe they've drifted one area or another.

Or maybe they've drifted into legalism to a degree. He's saying now is the time to repent of that. If people in the church are listening to false teachers, now is the time to stop. Amen. Now is the time to stop.

And here's another thing the false teachers do. They not only keep the lost in the dark. Touched on this at the beginning. They not only mislead God's people and hinder their sanctification. If all that was not bad enough, they also turn church members against the pastor.

Or in this case, they turn the church members against the church's founder, which is the apostle. Paul's writing this letter with who? It's Paul and Timothy writing to the church at Corinth. And he starts out chapter 6 by saying that they were working together.

They were partners with Christ in a certain sense. They're pleading with the church because there was always a certain element of the church that was against them. It's hard to believe. I don't know. Maybe it's not hard to believe.

I don't know. That they were against an apostle of Christ. After all that Paul had done, why would they be against him? A large part of it was because what the false teachers were saying. In the book of Acts, remember what Paul says to the Ephesian elders?

He warns them, Acts chapter 20, starting in verse 29. He says, For I know this, that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also, from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after themselves.

That's what happened in Corinth. As soon as Paul left, the false teachers crept in. And they came out of the woodwork. Why? To gain followers unto. Don't listen to Paul. Listen to me. That's what they were doing.

And this is very relevant for Christianity today. This is still a danger in the modern church. Because now with the advent of television and radio and the internet, all you have to do is turn on the TV and boom, the false teacher is there with you in your living room.

You turn on the radio, there he is. He's driving in the car with you. And now Paul is really starting to defend his ministry. We're almost done. Look at verse 3. He says, we give no offense in anything.

We haven't done anything. It's them, not us. That our ministry would not be blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God. In much patience and tribulations and needs and distresses and stripes and imprisonments and tumults and labors and sleeplessness and fastings.

By purity, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left.

By honor and dishonor. By evil report and good report. As deceivers and yet true. And why does he say that? Because that's what the false teachers are saying. Paul is the deceiver. As deceivers and yet true.

As unknown and yet well known. As dying and behold we live. As chastened and yet not killed. As sorrowful yet always rejoicing. As poor yet making many rich through the preaching of the gospel. As having nothing.

I love this part. As having nothing and yet possessing all things. Paul, like Jesus and any follower of Jesus who understands what the faith is, you know that there are going to be good times. There's going to be some hard times.

There were people who loved Paul. There were people who hated Paul. There were people who spoke well of him. There were people who slandered him. There were times of sorrow. And isn't this the Christian life?

Doesn't this happen? There are times of sorrow. And yet times of rejoicing. The false convert may fall away when the slander comes. When the sorrow comes. When the bad things start to happen. That's a test.

And that's when some people fall away. But there are many times of sorrow. Many times of rejoicing. And he says, as having nothing and yet possessing all things. So Paul, in conclusion, he was a man through all of this, he persevered.

He did not. Paul was a man who did not receive the grace of God in vain. Nobody told Paul that it was going to be easy. In fact, when God chose him, you remember what the Lord said? I will show him the things he must suffer for my name's sake.

And yet Paul endured. Why? Because of Paul? Because of all of these things? No. No. Because of God and his grace. And it was not only grace. It's grace upon grace upon grace. Paul needed Jesus every day.

And so do you. And so do I. You need Jesus and his grace at the beginning. You need him at the end. You need him every step in between. So hold fast, church. Hold fast. Do not receive the grace of God in vain.

And he says, behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. Let's close in prayer. Lord, we thank you for your word and I thank you for the clarity of it. I pray that you would use it to save the lost and to sanctify your people.

Help us, Lord, to hold fast the faithful word and to persevere in the midst of trying times. We thank you again. And we ask all these things in Christ's name. Amen. Thanks for listening. I'm Pastor Michael Grant from Morris Cornick Church.

If you'd like to listen to the complete message or if you'd like more information about the ministry, visit our website, MorrisCornickChurch .com. We'd love to have you join us some Sunday morning here in Leverett.

Until next time, may the grace of God be with you.