Attributes of God - The Grace of God (Exodus 34) (Sermon 14)

Introduction

• I'd like to begin by recalling the gist of a conversation I had with our dear brother Bill Johnson after I'd preached on the Everlasting Nature of God's Love.
• He thought a sermon on the Love of God made a fitting climax to complete the series.
• When I intimated that we were probably only about half way through the series,

Bill asked a very vital question: "But, where do we go from there?"

We'd seen that God Poured Out his Love upon us while we were Still Sinners.

We'd seen that God's Love for his people is an Everlasting Love.

We'd seen that absolutely nothing can separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus.

Where do we go from there? A truly vital question!

The answer is this: We can only experience the Love of God by the Grace of God!

We have considered the Holiness of God and the Love of God.

These two vitally important Doctrines can only be held together in a consistent manner through having an understanding of the Doctrine of Grace.

• The Holiness of God reveals the sinfulness of sin. It also demands punishment for sin.

• A Holy God cannot Love the Sinner without the essential Attributes of Grace & Mercy.

Dr Lloyd-Jones said:

"We shall never really understand the Love of God, until we see

what sin is in the sight of this Holy God whose wrath is upon it."

The next part of this perfectly logical argument is this:

• We shall never understand how a Holy God can Love Sinners without the Doctrine of Grace
• Grace may be likened to a Bridge that joins together God's Holiness & God's Love.

If we were to choose one word which best describes the Gospel, it is this word 'Grace'.

• The Gospel of Jesus Christ is primarily a Gospel of Grace.

• It is the Doctrine of Grace that has caused God's people to rejoice down through the ages.

The Apostle Paul says:

"In him (in Christ) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,

When believers begin to think of the Grace of God their hearts begin to leap for joy.

• They begin to use all the superlatives their minds can muster.

This is why, when John Bunyan, wrote his Autobiography, he called it:

"Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners".

• By Grace we know that we are Victorious over Satan & Sin, Death & Hell.

• This is why Bunyan extolled his God by speaking of Grace which is Abounding.

Neither was Charles Wesley not content with simply saying that he had 'found grace in Christ'. "Plenteous grace with Thee is found, Grace to cover all my sin;

Let the healing streams abound, Make and keep me pure within.

Thou of life the fountain art, Freely let me take of Thee;

Spring Thou up within my heart, Rise to all eternity."

John Newton gives his word of testimony by extolling the Grace of God:

"Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see."

These writers speak of Grace being 'Plenteous & Abounding & Amazing!'

• Not simply 'Just enough grace for our needs', but far more than all of us can ever need.

• All the Grace we need is in Christ, and there is no end to it!

Note that it is this word 'Grace' that sets Christianity apart from every other religion.

• All other religions and all the cults are based on works.

A W Pink defines the Grace of God thus:

"Divine Grace is the Sovereign & Saving Favour of God exercised in bestowing blessings

upon those who have no merit in themselves and for which no compensation is demanded.

Nay, more; it is the Favour of God to those who not only have no positive deserts of their

own, but also who are thoroughly ill-deserving & hell-deserving. It is completely unmerited &

unsought, and is altogether unattracted by anything in or from or by the objects upon which it

is bestowed.

Pink's definition is firmly based on the teaching of the Apostle Paul:

Concerning the Jews, Paul says:

"At this present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is

no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace" (Rom 11;6).

Concerning the Gentiles, Paul says:

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not of yourselves,

it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

To both Jew and Gentile alike, Salvation is by Grace through Faith.

Absolutely no one can be saved through the merit of their own good works.

Absolutely no one can be saved, except by the Grace of God in Christ.

An extremely important point to make here is that there is Only One Way of Salvation,

whether it be in the New Testament or in the Old Testament.

• The New Testament is the fulfilment of the Old Testament.
• What was Prophesied in the Old Testament has actually now come to pass.
• What was taught in the Old Testament through the Law and the Prophets has now been revealed more fully in the New Testament era, through the Work & Ministry of Jesus Christ and the Teaching of the Apostles.
• You cannot drive a wedge between the New Testament and the Old Testament.
• Never forget that it was the Holy Spirit who led the Early Church to incorporate the

Old Testament with their New Testament Literature.

We must remember Paul's teaching about the Law:

• The Law is our School-master that leads us to Christ (Galations 3:24).
• The Law teaches us about our desperate Need of Salvation and points forward to

the coming of the One & Only Saviour.

• The Law does two things for us: It convicts us of sin & points us to the Way of Salvation.

• Our School-master teaches us that we cannot be Saved through Good Works;

The Law teaches us that we can only be Saved by Grace through Faith.

• The Law drives us to the Grace & Mercy of a Holy God who hates sin & must punish sin.

Therefore, it is essential that we trace the Doctrine of God's Grace back to the O. T.

We cannot possibly teach the Grace of God without any reference to the Old Testament. Otherwise, we will drive a wedge between the Two Testaments and imply that there are

two ways of salvation - the Old Testament way and the New Testament way.

1. God first revealed his Grace to the Saints of the Old Testament:

1. Note how God taught Moses that Grace is the Essence of his Being

Moses was a man who truly longed to know God & a man who had a close walk with God.

We read how: "The Lord would speak to Moses face to face,

as a man speaks with his friend" (Exodus 33:11)

Moses so longed for the presence of God that he cried out to the Lord, saying:

"Now, Lord, show me your Glory" (Ex 33:18).

This heartfelt longing for God's Presence led to a glorious encounter with the Lord of Glory.

• Early next morning, Moses chiselled out two stone tablets to replace those he had broke in anger when he saw the people of God worshipping the Golden Calf (Ex 32:19-20; 34:1-2).

• Moses climbed up Mount Sinai once again, in accordance with the command of God,

holding the two stone tablets, in readiness to re-write the Ten Commandments (34:2-4; 27-28).

"Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him

and proclaimed his name, the Lord" (34:5).

Take note of what the Lord said when he passed in front of Moses:

What God revealed about himself on this extraordinary occasion is extremely important.

God reveals himself as the One who is 'Compassionate & Gracious.'

• God explained to Moses exactly what his Divine Nature was like.

God revealed the very Essence of his Being.

The Lord used a Hebrew word that is translated as 'Gracious'.

He used a Hebrew word that is derived from a root which means 'to bend or to stoop.'

• This word expresses God's willingness to reach down in love to people who do not deserve it.

• Grace speaks to us of God's Love coming down, or stooping down to save sinners.

• He does good things freely & unconditionally for people who have no claim to Divine Favour

• It expresses God's willingness to forgive guilty people their sins, and to deliver them from the punishment they deserve, when they are totally unworthy of such love & kindness.

As A W Pink reminds us:

"Divine Grace is the Sovereign & Saving Favour of God exercised in bestowing blessings

upon those who have no merit in themselves and for which no compensation is demanded."

• Even though we may serve God with all our heart & soul all the days of our lives,

and even though we will praise the glory of God for Eternity, we cannot possibly do this in

repayment & compensation for the Glorious Grace that God has bestowed upon us.

Think of the context of this amazing statement:

• Moses was about to write down the Ten Commandments. He was about to write down

the Moral Law of a Holy God that would expose the sinfulness of man.

• It was at this point in time that God revealed himself as the God of Compassion & Grace;
• The Lord God revealed himself as the God who is Abounding in Love & Faithfulness;
• The Lord revealed to Moses that, by his Grace, he would forgive wickedness, rebellion & sin.
• But, the Lord also reminded Moses how the Law & Holiness of God demand that:

"He does not leave the guilty unpunished."

The Lord is saying to Moses: "I am about to re-iterate the Law that will expose you as a sinner.

1. God first revealed his Grace to the Saints of the Old Testament:

1. God taught Moses that Grace is the Essence of his Being
2. God taught Moses that Grace is the Basis of his Actions

It is a fundamental principle of Scripture that God's Nature always affects his Actions.

To put it the opposite way round - God's Actions are always determined by his Nature.

God cannot act in any way that is contrary to his Divine Nature.

To put this truth in the context of Grace:

• God's Grace will cause him to seek out undeserving people upon whom he can bestow Grace. He will seek out people to whom he can act Graciously.
• Scripture and our own experience make it obvious that God doesn't have to look very far to find Rebellious Sinners upon whom he can bestow his Grace.
• The world is full of sinful rebels who have turned their backs upon God, resisted his Will, defied his Sovereign Authority, and deserve nothing from God except Eternal Punishment.

When God revealed his Gracious Nature to Moses, Moses understood the implications.

• Moses knew that he lived among a Rebellious People, the Nation of Israel.
• He knew that this nation had turned their backs on the Living God, Yahweh, by worshipping the Golden Calf - a god made by the hands of sinful men.

Take note of Moses' Reaction to this Revelation of God's Grace:

"Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshipped. 'O Lord, if I have found favour in

your eyes,' he said, 'then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people,

forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance'" (Exodus 34:8-9).

Moses is pleading with God, saying:

"Lord, if you really are a God of Grace, then be with me and the Nation of Israel,

even though we are a stiff-necked & sinful people. Show us your Grace by making this

Nation your special possession, even though we deserve to be cast off from your presence

and be totally destroyed because of our rebellion against you."

Moses was asking the God who had revealed his Gracious Nature to Act in a Gracious Manner.

The Question to ask ourselves is this:

• How can a Holy God forgive people who Deserve to be Condemned to Eternal Punishment?

• How can a God of Wrath show Mercy to Sinners who Deserve that Wrath?

The answer is that none of God's Attributes operates in isolation.

• All of God's Attributes are interwoven & intertwined so that he always acts according to the totality of his Divine Being.
• The Holiness of God cannot operate apart from his Love.
• The Wrath of God cannot operate in isolation from his Mercy.
• When the Unconditional Love of God is expressed toward rebellious sinners, that is Grace.
• When the Mercy of God is shown to people who deserve nothing except the

Eternal Wrath of God, that is the Grace of God in Action.

• In other words, Grace is the Bridge between God's Holiness and his Love.

• The Grace of God allows a Holy God to act in loving ways toward sinful & guilty people.
• So, you see, we cannot possibly end this series on the Attributes of God when we have only considered his Holiness and his Love. We must go on to God's Glorious Grace.

1. God first revealed his Grace to the Saints of the Old Testament:
2. God revealed the Fullness of his Grace through his Beloved Son

• One of the first things we learn about the Eternal Word is that he is Full of Grace (John 1:14)

• Jesus came to earth as the Personification of God's Grace.

Why is this one of the first things we learn about Jesus?

The Reason is that Grace is the Motive for God's Plan of Salvation.

It is also the Ultimate End of our Salvation.

The Apostle Paul makes it perfectly clear that the primary reason Jesus came to earth to

save sinners was because of the Grace of God:

"For you Know the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for our

sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich" (2 Cor 8:9).

The whole of his ministry, from beginning to end, was founded upon the Grace of God.

• It was Grace that allowed Jesus to relinquish Heaven's Riches & Glory to come to earth and live in poverty & humiliation, in order that rebellious & hopeless sinners might be

provided with the Riches of Eternal Salvation.

• It was Grace that led Jesus to his Humiliating Death on the Cross of Calvary.
• It was Grace that led the Lamb of God to offer himself as a Sacrifice for Sin, to Shed his Blood so that we might be Forgiven our Sin and be Delivered from the Penalty for Sin.
• It was Grace that caused Jesus to take upon himself the Punishment for Our Sin.

Remember the teaching of the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians:

"In him we have Redemption through his blood, the Forgiveness of Sins,

Jim Packer points out that 'Grace' & 'Salvation' go together as Cause & Effect.

In other words, we cannot receive Salvation without the Grace of God.

"Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us,

God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in

transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved" (Eph 2:3-5).

This is Paul's Definition of Grace:

The fullest account of God's Grace to Undeserving Sinners is given in Ephesians 1:3 to 2:10.

• Paul starts with his usual summary statement in 1:3:

• In his analysis of God's Grace, Paul traces it back to the Electing Purpose of God,

• Paul then proceeds to Redemption and Remission of Sins in Christ.

Yet again, this is accomplished because it was 'in accordance with the Riches of his Grace

that he lavished upon us' (1:7-8).

• He moves on to the future by speaking of our Hope of Glorification in Christ (1:11-12).

• He tells us that the Holy Spirit is the Guarantee of our Inheritance & Future Hope (1:13-14).

• In the latter part of this great passage Paul concentrates on the Power of God, that Regenerates Sinners and brings us to Faith in Christ (1:19; 2:7).

In order that we might show the Incomparable, or Unsearchable, Riches of his Grace (2:7).

• Paul depicts all these elements of salvation as being part of the Eternal Plan of God to

• Throughout the administration of this Plan of Salvation the Lord constantly pours out the Riches of his Grace (1:7; 2:7).

When the Apostle Paul summarises his argument at the end of this Glorious Passage,

what else do you think he would have to say? The Answer is Obvious!

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -and this not from yourselves,

it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (2:8-9).

Paul says: From beginning to end, our Salvation Depends upon the Grace of God.

• Grace was the beginning of our Salvation from before the creation of the world.

• Grace is the Origin & Source & Fount of everything in the Christian Life.

This is why Paul explains how Grace had ravished his heart, & moved his entire being.

• He never mentions Grace without going into some kind of ecstasy.

• The word Grace compels Paul to pour out his heart with all the superlatives that come to mind
• The thought of God's Grace had so amazed & moved him, he could scarcely control himself

Such jubilation at the very thought of God's Grace is not surprising when we think of

Paul's Conversion Experience on the Road to Damascus.

• Paul never ceased to wonder at the manner in which God had shown Grace to the one who had been a persecutor and a blasphemer. He was shown Grace when he was in the process of breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples (Acts 9:1-6).
• He was shown Grace when he was a proud & arrogant Pharisee, with his self-satisfied & smug attitude, sure that he was abounding in self-righteousness.
• The change in his heart & life was so dramatic that Saul of Tarsus now said:

This same man became "a servant of the gospel by the Gift of God's Grace" (Eph 3:7).

• He praised God because, although he was less than the least of all God's people, this Grace was given him: to preach to the Gentiles the Unsearchable Riches of Christ" (Eph 3:7-8).

Dr Lloyd-Jones says:

"Grace is one of the most beautiful words in every language."

Philip Dodderidge, in his glorious hymn, says about Grace:

"Grace, 'tis a charming sound, Harmonious to the ear;

Heaven with the echo shall resound, And all the earth shall hear.

And all the steps that grace display, Which drew the wondrous plan.

Grace first inscribed my name In God's eternal book;

'Twas grace that gave me to the Lamb, Who all my sorrows took …

Grace taught my soul to pray, And made my eyes overflow;

'Tis grace that kept me to this day, And will not let me go.

Grace all the work shall crown, Through everlasting days;

It lays in heaven the topmost stone, And well deserves the praise."

1. God first revealed his Grace to the Saints of the Old Testament:
2. God revealed the Fullness of his Grace through his Beloved Son

1. God's Grace must be Made Manifest in the Lives of God's Children

Getting to know the God of All Grace, and experiencing the Unsearchable Riches of his Grace being poured out upon us, will obviously have a profound effect on our daily lives.

• The more we get to know the God of Grace, the more Gracious we will become ourselves.
• We will want to become Charismatics - in the right sense of the word.
• A person who has true charisma is someone who possesses the Grace of God and

seeks to manifest God's Grace in every aspect of daily living.

The Scriptures teach at least two areas in which believers ought to manifest God's Grace:

1. God's Grace must be made manifest through our Worship

Commenting on Paul's teaching on God's Grace in Ephesians ch 1, Dr Lloyd-Jones says:

"I assert that no man can appreciate the wealth & riches of God's Grace without

responding to it in amazement. One of the most delicate and sensitive tests of our

Christian profession is the extent to which we are amazed by the Riches of God's Grace."

If we are honestly Amazed at God's Grace, we will have a Song of Grace in our Hearts.

• Remember how Paul tells us that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing -

to the Praise of God's Glorious Grace (Eph 1:3-6).

• The very thought of Grace should give us an inner compulsion to Praise the God of All Grace.

This is what the Apostle Paul exhorts us to do:

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach & admonish one another with

all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns & spiritual songs with gratitude

(literally with grace) in your hearts to God" (Colossians 3:16).

• To know that our Eternal Salvation depends upon God's Grace, and not upon Our Works,

should give us a Song of Praise in our hearts every day.

• The experience of God's Grace ought to Enhance our Worship of the God of All Grace.

The Scriptures teach at least two areas in which believers ought to manifest God's Grace:

1. God's Grace must be made manifest through our Worship
2. God's Grace must be made manifest through our Speech & Actions.

The Apostle Paul gives an exhortation to the Colossians:

"Let your conversation (or speech) be always Full of Grace, seasoned with salt,

so that you may know how to answer everyone" (Colossians 4:6).

The Word Grace is Full of Meaning, and it must touch every area of our lives.

One of the most sensitive areas to manifest grace is the way we speak to one another.

• The lack of graciousness in our speech often causes strife & division among God's people.
• Even just a single word spoken in an ungracious manner, or even an innocent word taken in the wrong way, can lead to a major crisis in the Local Church.

It is comparatively easy to allow harsh, critical & complaining words to come out of our mouths.

• But, the God who is Full of Grace commands us to converse with one another

using words that are Full of Grace.

• Our speech must be Full of Grace, meaning that our speech must be 'Saturated with Grace.'
• This does not mean that we should talk as if we had a plum in our mouths, or that we should use speech that is sentimental, sugar-coated & sickly-sweet.
• Rather, Paul is saying that we should use speech that is genuinely kind, considerate, pleasing, favourable & beneficial. We ought to speak to one another in a loving & gracious manner.

Note how Paul says that our Speech, or Conversation, should be Full of Grace, Always.

• God's Grace should affect everything we say to everyone - our wives, our husbands,

our children, our parents, our friends, and even those who would claim to be our enemies.

• Knowing the God of All Grace, whose Actions toward us are Always Loving & Gracious,

should help us to Act Kindly & Speak Graciously, even to those who have wronged us.

Paul exhorts the Ephesians, saying (4:2-3):

Being humble & gentle, patient & loving, will help us to maintain unity in the Local Church.

• However, this isn't something that comes easily or naturally.

• Paul says: "We must make every effort to do it."
• We don't become Full of Grace overnight. We must work at it until we become more & more skilled in gracious speech & gracious actions.

In order to be Full of Grace we must 'Put On' all forms of Gracious Speech & Actions.

But we must also 'Put Off' every kind of Ungracious Speech & Actions.

"Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbour …

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for

building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen … Get rid

of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

Be kind and compassionate (or gracious) to one another, forgiving each other, just as in

Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:25-32).

Again, we must make a conscious effort to put off all forms of ungracious speech & actions.

We must concentrate on ways of building one another up, instead of pulling each other down.

Note the example that is set for us:

"Be kind and compassionate (or gracious) to one another, forgiving each other,

just as in Christ God forgave you."

To place in this example in the context of grace, Paul is saying:

"Be Gracious to one another, pouring out grace upon one another, after the same manner

• The God of All Grace has Lavished his Grace upon us.
• He has bestowed Grace upon Grace upon us.
• He constantly causes us to experience the Unsearchable Riches of his Grace.
• Now, the God of All Grace commands us to treat one another in exactly the same way!

1. God first revealed his Grace to the saints of the Old Testament:

God taught Moses that Grace is the Essence of his Being and

that Grace is the Basis of his Actions

2. God revealed the Fullness of his Grace through his Beloved Son

One of the first things we learn about the Eternal Word who became flesh is that

he is Full of Grace & Truth (John 1:14). The Reason is that Grace is the Motive for

God's Plan of Salvation & the Ultimate End of our Salvation.

3. God's Grace must be Made Manifest in the Lives of God's Children