Chapter 7 - The Gospel of Grace (Acts 20:24).

1. RIGHTEOUSNESS is the door to life, peace and joy (Romans 14:17, 5:1,2,5,2).

2. The main issue for man is how to find righteousness (right-standing with God). Only then can he have peace.

3. There 2 exclusive WAYS - by our WORKS or by God’s GRACE. You either earn it (save yourself) or receive it as a gift (grace) by faith. The WAY of GOD is grace through faith. The WAY OF MAN is to seek to JUSTIFY HIMSELF by his own goodness, to earn the blessing. All works with this motive are DEAD WORKS. 

4. God gave the LAW to bring man to the END of his self-righteousness. We must come to point where we realise we can’t save ourselves by our works (Galatians 2:16) and look for another way. “We have before proved ..all under sin (in Romans 1 and 2). 
‘There’s none righteousness, no, not one’ (Romans 3:9,10).
“the things the law says, it says to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (v19,20). We must come to an end in trusting our works, to fully embrace God’s way (Galatians 3:22).

5. God’s WAY of Grace was revealed in CHRIST and His GOSPEL.
‘I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe...For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith: as it’s written, ‘The just shall live by faith’ (Romans 1:16,17). 

“Now the righteousness of God (not man) apart from the law is manifested...even the righteousness of God.... by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned....(that’s why we can’t save ourselves). Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that’s in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:21-24). ‘Where is boasting then? It is excluded ...So we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law”. (v27,28). 

“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we who have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified”. (Galatians 2:16). (Also Romans 10:4, Ephessians 2:8,9). 

It’s the GOSPEL of GRACE - a revelation of salvation by grace through faith, apart from works. God shows man the end of his way - the cross (curse - Galatians 3:13,14) and shows us His way (opened by his blood and resurrection - life). This life paid for by the blood is available freely to all who believe. The gospel is ‘Christ has done the work, he has died and rose again, only believe and receive his life, available now through the Spirit’

6. DEPENDING ON YOUR WORKS CUTS YOU OFF FROM GOD’S GRACE The 2 ways are incompatible. This is why many fail to receive the benefits of the gospel. The gospel isn’t just for ENTRY but is the BASIS for the whole Christian life. (The gospel is for the saved and unsaved). The kingdom operates through faith. Trying man’s way cuts off from grace. We enter by grace, a death blow to our pride, and must continue the same way). 

*1. If you trust in yourself, you can’t trust in Christ alone. 
Your FAITH hands are filled with your works (faith is simply the hands receiving the free gift). We fail to receive for 2 reasons:
(1) IGNORANCE - of the facts of the Gospel
(2) UNBELIEF - not trusting in Christ fully (but in self). We must transfer our trust from the CHAIR of our works to sit in the chair of Christ and His work. To receive the Gospel blessings, we must remove the barrier of our dead works and TRUST CHRIST ALONE and receive salvation as a FREE-GIFT. It’s easy to receive when our hands are not filled by our dead works. The extent we abandon our self-righteousness, is the extent we can receive GRACE. People find it hard to believe and receive when looking at their own works rather than Christ on the cross. (Romans 10:1-4).

*2. For it to be a free-gift, God can’t allow you to earn it (or it wouldn't be free). He refuses to give His blessings other than on a free-gift basis. He only operates on the basis of grace. (Romans 6:23). “If by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work”.(Romans 11:6). Take your pick! If you add any work - its not grace. (Galatians 2:21. 5:4).

*3. It’s an insult to God when He offers us a FREE-GIFT and we want to pay Him with our filthy rags! 
If we try to earn or pay for our salvation we are saying the Cross is not enough. Holding to our works is an insult to the cross, saying it’s not a finished work (unbelief). In pride we want to add something. “I don’t frustrate the grace of God, for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain”(Galatians 2:21).

*4. The more you try to justify yourself - the further you go from God in pride. 
We’re piling up sin. The CROSS was God’s final verdict on MAN and his WAY. We crucified the Perfect One. Our sin and dead works were nailed to the cross and condemned. It marked the END of man’s efforts. If we accept His verdict, we receive Grace in new resurrection life. We die to ourselves our own righteousness and rise to a new-life God’s way. 

7. The necessary RESPONSE to the gospel is faith and repentance. GRACE is how we’re saved and it’s the basis for life in the kingdom. ‘Repentance from dead works and faith toward God” (Hebrews 6:1) are required to receive it. They are 2 sides of the same coin. 

To believe we must repent of unbelief (trusting in self rather than in God). To ‘REPENT is to CHANGE our MIND (valuation) about DEAD WORKS. 
“The things (used to promote, justify myself) were gain to me, I counted loss for Christ... and do count them, but DUNG, that I may win Christ.... not having my own righteousness (of my works) but....the righteousness of God by faith” (Philippians 3:7-9). 

If we value them highly, we’ll spend time, attention and energy on them. But if we see them as DUNG (worthless, disgusting and harmful) we’ll stop presenting them to God and throw then away! We won’t treasure or trust in them. LET GO YOUR DUNG (devalue it) and LAY HOLD of GRACE. The repentance needed is to devalue our self-efforts. Accept God’s conclusion - it’s all sin. A necessary part of receiving God’s promise is to stop trying to earn it. Repent and accept God’s way then you’ll receive His gift easily.

8. CHRISTIAN LEGALISM is a major problem, coming from a lack of revelation of the gospel. Man’s way is so ingrained in our flesh that preachers often say. ‘DO THIS to keep God’s love, approval and significance’. We need to build our Christian life upon a foundation of grace not works. 

 Legalistic churches 
(1) Make certain works a requirement for full entry into the kingdom and their church (baptism, giving up certain things, be in our group, etc)

(2) Put Christians under laws in order for them to qualify for blessing and God’s love. Paul faced this. The Judaisers wanted to make circumcision a requirement for entry Christians under the law. Pail was amazed the Galatians had turned from the grace of Christ to legalism and called down a curse on anyone who preaches a false Gospel of FAITH + WORKS for salvation (Galatians 1:6-10). In pride we love to add our works to earn God’s blessing, so we can boast, but God’s way excludes boasting. 

Marks of being in legalism are - 
(1) Pride in my performance feeling superior to lesser Christians who don’t follow my rules so well.
(2) Focused on externals (God looks on the heart).
(3) Easily hurt and upset by criticism (insecure), for their self-worth depends on their performance.
(4) They find it hard to receive grace.
(5) Despair at failure.

9. Once we see God’s grace we realise we don't need our dead works. He’s already done the work. We don’t have to earn God’s love and righteousness - it’s ours for the receiving. It’s nothing to do with us and everything to do with God. We’re designed to live from a well-spring of grace. Until we 1st receive God’s unconditional love we can’t truly love. Babies in Romania left without love and touch have something lacking in their brain and their behaviour is destructive. 

Our DEAD WORK behaviour patterns include: 
(1) Trying to find our meaning and security in relationships. 
Depending on people gives no real security and puts strain on relationships. It’s better to be secure in God and base the relationship on our giving rather than on our need to receive it. The need to control and possess others comes from insecurity.

(2) Worry (not believing in God’s love)

(3) Self-assertion for approval and significance, always trying to impress, blowing one’s own trumpet.

(4) Judging, putting others down.

(5) Self-depreciation - used in order to cause others to affirm us.

(6) Trying too hard over-ambition, working to prove our worth and significance. The purpose of the Sabbath was to rest in God’s grace, remembering He created us and everything we have came from Him. It was given, so after working all week we don’t think our work makes us - it’s God’s grace. It’s given so we don’t trust in our works but in the God who made is and gives us grace.

(7) Strange behaviour to get attention.

(8) Drugs and escapism to fill the vacuum of lack of love. God’s grace brings righteousness, peace, security and joy of acceptance, so we don’t have to do these things any more. Dead works are ultimately selfish. Only when we accept God’s love and are secure, can we forget ourselves and truly love without self-interest. When our heart is established in GRACE we’re cleansed of these efforts and Jesus shines through. We grow in grace as we let go of dead works and trust in grace as the basis of our life and personality. We come to an end of all our self-justification and accept God’s approval and unconditional love. Relax. You can’t deserve it. As we abandon our DEAD works, we can enter into GOOD works. When we do this, God’s Grace comes through to motivate us to do God’s will from the heart.

10. GOOD WORKS. Preachers may encourage legalism to motivate people to do what they want (witness, give, live-right, pray etc) by telling them, if they don’t God won’t accept them or bless them. So people start trusting in their works to deserve blessing and are motivated by fear. it just produces dead works that weigh us down and sap our life. The true motive for godly living is love and gratitude. The difference between a GOOD and a DEAD WORK is in the motive (WHY do you do it?) Are you trying to establish your own righteousness or are you responding to God’s love? Then it will be a true act of love to God and man. Receiving God’s grace will cause us to for God’s will from the inside. We’ll live better, give more and work harder than if God was holding a big stick over us, because we want to, not because we have to. 

We are a new-creation with God’s love (Romans 5:5, 2 Corinthians 5:17). If we live in grace rather than our works that love will flow out in GOOD WORKS. ‘We love because He first loved us.’ 

Good works are important, but they don’t add to our salvation but flow out it. because we are already saved and blessed: “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it’s the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus FOR GOOD WORKS which God has before ordained that we should walk in them”. (Ephesians 2:8-10). 

Titus 3:4-7 gives a wonderful description of our complete salvation by grace alone. Then he adds: “This is a faithful saying....affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain GOOD WORKS. These things are good and profitable to men” (v8) 

Titus 2:11-14 says that “the grace of God that brings salvation’ teaches and empowers us to live a godly life for Christ died to create a people of love ‘zealous for GOOD WORKS”. (Titus 2:11-14) (See Titus 3:14, Hebrews 10:24). 

“Work out your own salvation...for it is God who works IN you both to will (motivate) and (empower you) to do His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12,13).