As part of the Religion Saves and Nine Other Misconceptions sermon series, I answered Question #6 on January 27: "Of all the things you teach, what parts of Christianity do you still wrestle with? What's hardest for you to believe?" I responded by preaching a sermon on the grace of God and how it appears as both common and saving grace. Then I explored fourteen ways in which I have seen saving grace explained in the Bible. For those of you who had a tough time keeping notes, here is a list of those fourteen aspects: 1. Electing grace 2. Preached grace 3. Regenerating grace 4. Converting grace 5. Justifying grace 6. Adopting grace 7. Ministry grace 8. Sanctifying grace 9. Empowering grace 10. Provisional grace 11. Financial grace 12. Miraculous grace 13. Persevering grace 14. Glorifying grace All you preachers who are reading this, I know your Bible college and/or seminary professor told you to only have three points. But I say preach as many points as you need and take as long as it takes. After all, the Reformation started with a 97-point sermon of sorts, and too many preachers preach pointless sermons. For those wanting to study the whole concept of grace more thoroughly, I would recommend the following:
- All of Grace by Charles Haddon Spurgeon is a classic, simple little book by one of my heroes. I bought this book, along with a stack of others, for one of my assistants, Kaitlin, who is a newer Christian and a great help. She said Spurgeon was her favorite and I could not agree more.
- Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges is an easy to read but packed book. He also wrote The Discipline of Grace, which is also quite good.
- Future Grace by my friend John Piper is an important book because it speaks of grace in terms of not just forgiving our past, but also providing for us in the present and awaiting us in the future. His thesis is that God’s grace should fuel in us not a debtor’s ethic to God marked by gloom and what we must do, but rather a worshiper’s ethic that desires God, marked by passion and joy for what we get to do by God’s grace. For those wanting to sample the book, the first three chapters are available for free here.
- Michael Horton of Modern Reformation magazine and the White Horse Inn radio program has a good article here.
- Brilliant Reformed pastor John Gill has an article on efficacious grace here.
- Jonathan Edward’s Treatise on Grace is here.
- Professor John Frame writes of grace as Christian lifestyle here.
- Sam Storms has some great insights on grace here and here.
- Charles Spurgeon speaks of grace abounding here.
