Meet him at the mercy seat Gaze upon the lid With a mystery of Christ in you is no longer here. He wants for you to see. The blood he shed to give to you. God's riches at Christ's expense. All grace and not of merit. The mercy seed, the mercy seed. God's wrath was satisfied. His precious cleansing, saving blood were justified through Jesus Christ who died. Meet Him at the mercy seat. Gaze upon the cross where you were crucified with Him when Jesus paid your cost. Right standing with God could never be Because of sin's infection The man Christ Jesus paid in full Allowing reconciliation The mercy seat, the mercy seat, God's wrath was satisfied. His precious cleansing, saving blood were justified through Jesus Christ who died. That's going to be my new favorite song. Vicki wrote that this week. Thank you, Vicki. It's beautiful, really beautiful. I've entitled the message this morning, Under Grace, Part 10. Subtitle, Great, Greater, and Greatest. All terms used, the perfect, the comparative, and the superlative. to refer to the grace of God that is ours in Christ Jesus. We finished up the references to grace in Ephesians. The last verse of Ephesians, Ephesians 6.24, is a very important verse that says, grace in all of its glory be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love. It reminds me of our passage in 1 John 2, which says that, "...whoso keepeth his word." In this one, The love of God is truly perfected. Here it says, grace be with all those who love our Lord Christ, our Lord Jesus Christ, with incorruptible love. Perfect love, incorruptible love, I think he's referring to the same love. It's reciprocal love, receiving and reciprocating the love of God. That's what grace is all about. Grace is the expression of love, and very practical and very meaningful. and very sustaining. So gracious is the Lord our God. He's the God of all grace who is able to make all grace abound toward all of us. That's for sure. Grace is the fertile field. God's doing, man's gratitude that spawns love. It does. It's the Word of God's grace. that declares His love for us and what He has in store for the future, the inheritance that's ours among all those who are sanctified. What reveals that? The Word of His grace builds you up to a maximum degree. See, that's what we're trying to do here. We're trying to build you up to a maximum degree. You need it in these days we live in. Because everything will come against the progress of the believer, starting with the devil and his wiles. We're not to be ignorant of his devices or wiles. but so many are. So we need to be built up to a maximum degree. And that building up occurs by the Word of God's grace, which is able to build us up and to reveal the inheritance that's ours among all those who are sanctified, those who take in the Word and the Word of His grace. Grace is the fertile field that spawns love. It's the Word of God's grace that declares His love for us, our obedience to keep the Word. always results in the full development or perfection of love. That's 1 John 2.5. Here we have the positive, the comparative, and the superlative. Great grace, which is toward and upon all, and we'll get into more detail on that later. I just want to introduce it early on. Greater grace, which is always expressed toward the humble believer, James 4.6, and the greatest grace of all, 1 Timothy 1.13, which is the gracious reward of eternity for winner believers in 1 Corinthians 9.25, who listen to this, get the incorruptible crown, or incorruptible love, love that's fully developed, are perfected, the incorruptible crown, for the one with incorruptible love. That's your goal. The goal of all doctrinal instruction is what? From a pure heart. So that's what we do. The Word of God purifies your heart. It's love from a pure heart. So the incorruptible crown, 1 Corinthians 9.25, the winners get Those who run in a race and finish, not come in first. It's not a competition. But it is, there is a finish line. And who stands at the finish line but the prize himself, Christ, probios. He's the prize and the prize giver. So, 1 Corinthians 9.25 says, every man that strives for the mastery is disciplined, temperate in all things. Now they do it, that is, athletes, Olympic athletes, other athletes, professional athletes, amateur athletes, train and do it to obtain a corruptible crown. But we as believers an incorruptible crown, which is a crown of glory. Those who grow in the grace will glorify God and receive a crown, incorruptible crown, a glorious crown, on that day, the day of the evaluation. Romans 14.10, 1 Corinthians 5.10, or something like that. Now, that was the end of our grace passages in Ephesians, now Philippians. You can turn to Philippians. There's only a couple passages in Philippians, three actually, where the grace word is found, grace term is found, charis, C-H-A-R-I-S. You should know all about this by now and be growing in that grace and your knowledge of grace. as it's being presented in at least 102, 122 passages, but more than that because there's 305 altogether. If you include the mention of Chesed in the Old Testament, singular and plural, translated loving kindness or loving kindnesses. There's 305 all together. When you add two chesed, caris. Caris and chesed. Old and new. So, Philippians 1-2. If you've arrived there, take a look at this one. Grace. G-R-A-C-E. Grace. More than God's riches at Christ's expense, although that's very true in every way. So much more goes into it. More than God's righteousness at Christ's expense, more than God's riches at Christ's expense, it is all that love is able to do for a wicked person like me and you. It rhymes. It's all He's able to do. And it's a lot, so much, so much more than we ever dreamed possible. Therefore, we must learn all about it. We must read all about it. That's what the New Testament's about. It's about grace. It's about God's grace. God was always gracious, but He's more gracious entirely so. more than ever because of Christ and what He's done, because of the grace of Christ. So, Philippians 1-2, grace to you and peace. I like grace and peace. Grace and peace are wonderful. Grace is the provision of God. Peace is the inner tranquility and stability of your soul. It's engendered by the word of His grace, and peace, peace, great peace, have they that what? Love your word, and nothing shall offend them. Then he says, I will keep him in perfect peace, whose His mind is stayed upon thee. And how is that accomplished? By taking in the Word. See? Grace and peace. The Word of His grace brings great peace. Equal parts, grace and peace. Here once again, we're met and greeted by the Apostle as he sends this personal letter to the Philippians, but to us. I call us the little Houstonians. because that's where the church is located. Grace and peace to us. And it's not only said, these are not only words that someone says. Oh no, they're much more than that. They're words invested with omnipotent power that also convey the blessing. They convey the blessing. It's a far greater greeting than, hi, how are you? I don't know about you, but I will gladly receive every blessing, spoken and otherwise. If I greeted you this morning with a lesser greeting than, grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, I'll try to do better the next time. That's Philippians 1.2. Philippians 1.7, Paul says, "'For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all.'" He loves them so. He'd do anything for them. "'Because I have you in my heart continually.'" He prays for them. He makes mention of them every day. in his session of prayer, and his list's getting longer and longer and longer. You know what I'm talking about? Our list is getting longer and longer. We just added several more people to it, and people ask us, please pray for me. So we write it down, put it on the list, and we just mention them by name. Do we know anything or tell God what to do for them? Never. In some instances, he may reveal something that you should pray for them, like I pray for Judy that she would have a wonderful meeting starting next Thursday and that this place would be filled to capacity with ladies from all over the world. they will be on Sermon Audio and in person here, but then in most cases I just mention you by name, and that works because God hears and answers those prayers. So, it's only right for me to feel this way about you all because I have you in my heart since both in my imprisonment, Paul's in prison, And in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you are all fellow partakers, partakers together of grace with me. The same grace that's toward and upon Paul is toward and upon all. Yes, it is. The gifts and callings of God upon each and every believer that are without recall, They're irrevocable, irrevocable. The love of God, which is toward us, the goodness, kindness, favor, and blessing of God, no more or less than anyone else. We are all partakers, according to our verse in Philippians 1, 7, participants of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word is sug, S-U-G. Koinonos, K-O-I-N-O-N-O-S, where we get the word koinonia, which means fellowship. Here, sug means together with, and koinonia, sharers, sharers together with, partakers, partakers together, partaker, partakers, Partakers together, that's what he means. We're partakers together of grace, Paul says. You are partakers together of grace with me, with Paul. Philippians 4.23, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, this is the final verse in Philippians, be with your spirit, bearing about the blessedness of a vigorous and generous and contagious an infectious spiritual life, dripping, as it were, with grace and truth, like the Lord Himself, who people recognize. They don't know how to define it, but they recognize something remarkable, something unusual. Yes, even in you and in me. Acts 4.13, now as they, Pharisees, and political leaders in Israel that hated the message of salvation because it destroyed what came before and showed it was obsolete and had no power for its fulfillment. Now, as they observed the confidence of Peter and John, yes, even Peter who was such a dolt. This was after Pentecost. Now he has the fullness, pleroma, of the Spirit and has been called and appointed by Jesus Christ to proclaim His name and to proclaim His Word to all. Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men." I resemble that remark. They were amazed. and began to recognize them, this is a good one, as having been with Jesus. They sound just like Him. They say the same things He said. They talk about grace. They talk about salvation. They talk about blood, they talk about the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He talked about often. And no one listened, and perhaps they still don't listen very well. John 13, 34, Jesus said, a new commandment I give to you, who? You, me, that you love one another even as I have loved you. So loving one another with the love that Jesus had and expressed toward us, that you also love one another. And by this, all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. So that's the end of Philippians, that's 4.23. Colossians 1.2, here we go. to the saints set apart by the Word of God, and receiving a revelation of the inheritance that's ours among all those who are saints, sanctified by the Word of His grace. The faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae, grace to you and peace from God our Father. By grace and peace set apart to be faithful and fruitful believers. lovers of God and mankind, made possible by grace, the resonance and circulation of grace and truth in our souls, bearing about in our bodies, as Paul says, the dying of the Lord Jesus, so that likewise His life might be manifest in our mortal bodies. Here's a good one, for your meditating pleasure. This is your assignment. You say, do you give us assignments? Do you mean this? Somewhat, tongue-in-cheek. Your assignment is to meditate upon this verse and prepare a dissertation explaining its meaning. I'll expect it no later than Tuesday at 7 o'clock so I can peruse it and use it in my Tuesday message when you explain this. It's 2 Corinthians 4, 10. to 15, always – I'm just going to read it – always caring about in our body the dying of Jesus, always caring about in our body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death, death to the old, for Jesus' sake, so that the life, newness of life, of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you is a way of doing that. But having the same spirit of faith according to what is written, I believe, therefore I spoke, we also believe, therefore we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. Same grace is upon all. For all things are for your sake, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks." That's our part in grace is to be grateful and thankful, to abound to the glory of God, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and to Him be the glory both now and unto the eternal ages, 2 Peter 3.18. Okay? Notice Colossians 1.2, Colossians 1.6 says, which has come to you, this grace which has come to you, just as in all the world also, it is constantly bearing fruit." He said he'd be faithful and fruitful. Grace bears fruit. It bears fruit and increasingly so, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it. and understood the grace of God in truth." The grace of God in truth, that's a curious phrase. Grace in truth, grace of God in truth, refers to the many categories, facets, tints, or hues, H-U-E-S, of grace, 1 Peter 4.10, as each one has received a special gift employed in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold, poikilos, variegated, tinted, many-tinted grace of God. Take a look at this real quick. I prepared this for you. Stay. Stay. It's at least eight categories of grace. It's many categories, all of which are beautiful and beneficial. Saving grace, of course, Ephesians 2, 8, 9. Logistical grace, He provides everything that you need that pertains to life and godliness through the promises of His Word, through His grace, through the Word of His grace. 2 Corinthians 12, 9. Hebrews 4, 16. Go to the throne of grace to receive all the grace that you need. The grace to help in your time of need. Strengthening grace. Paul says to Timothy, be strong, my son, in the grace which is in Christ Jesus. And number four, stabilizing grace. In Hebrews 13.9, it's good for the heart to be stabilized by grace, not by strange and varied teachings. There's lots of those around. Then governing grace, for the grace of God which brings salvation governs us, teaches us, trains us to deny all ungodliness. Then gifting grace, in Romans 12, 6, everyone receives a gift of grace determined by the Lord and by the Spirit of the Lord. How about living grace? You say, what's living grace? It says, husbands, treat your wives as they are in truth. joint heirs of the grace of life. We'll do that. We'll start doing that immediately if we haven't already. And then die in Grace in John 8.51. You won't taste or see death. There's just a few. That's to name a few. So you got that? I'll send it to you if you want it. All of them valuable. even collectible. People collect things. I collect the Word of God. As I said, I just got two new verses. Proverbs 28.9 and 13, two new verses on why you should confess your sins so the Lord can hear you, first of all, because if you consider iniquity in your heart, the Lord can't hear you. And then what you're to do is you're to confess and forsake your sins so that the Lord can have compassion and mercy upon you. Because it won't happen, you won't experience it. That's the way it goes. That's the way it works. For those who hate the doctrine of rebound, put that in your pipe and smoke it. You say, ah, that was the Old Testament. Really? 1 John 1.9 is in the New Testament, along with many other passages that say that's a good idea to be honest and to have a clear, clean conscience and a clean slate every single day, yea moment by moment. That's how it works. That's the only way you get one. And then you can make good choices instead of bad ones and do the right things instead of the wrong things. So, there's much to know about grace, much more than we presently know, unto the fullness. And from His fullness, we have all received grace upon grace, grace against grace. The word is ante, or grace instead of grace. Great, greater. and the greatest grace of all." Now Colossians 4.6, let your speech, this gets a little too practical, a little too personal. It does for me anyway, so I assume it's the same for you. It's my tongue that ruins my life. You can't tame it. You can tame any wild animal, but you can't tame the tongue. So you have to bite it. Hold it. Bite it. Cut it out. Cut it off if it makes you sin. If your tongue causes you to sin, cut it off. Oh, that was your hand or your foot. How about your tongue? Just keep it in. Keep your teeth clenched, your mouth shut. Let your speech always, always, always, not sometimes, not once in a while, but all the time, always be with grace. That's what it says. Gracious words should proceed from your mouth. If you're filled with grace and truth, then gracious words will come out of your mouth, because the mouth speaks from the abundance of the heart. Jesus said it, I didn't. He says, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should answer or respond to each person. This is way too convicting for me. I hope it is for you, too. We're all in this together, don't you know? When governed by grace from a growing inventory, or even vast inventory that's ours, from the abundance of grace in store, in store in our souls, the thoughts we think, the words we speak should be kind and gentle and yet truthful, even thought-provoking. We should study to answer. Not sickening sweet, but salty and sweet. Because grace is sweet, but it's salty and sweet. Having a unique flavor that will somehow move the hearer in the direction of truth. Not empty words, thoughtless, careless, or reckless. Rather, words fitly spoken. That's Proverbs 25, 11. I love this. It paints such a wonderful picture. Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word fitly spoken. That's enough to carry you through the week. Get you to next Sunday. Ephesians 4.15 says, but speaking the truth in love, gracious words, words of faith, that's gold, gold always stands for faith, pure gold, gold refined in a fire, and pure words, that is silver, sterling, words of pure silver. Gracious words, words of truth, speaking the truth in love, speaking like Jesus did. I go, you must have been with Jesus. Talk like he talks. Ephesians 4.15, speaking the truth in love, we're to grow up in all aspects unto him. Did you hear that? I said, speaking like Jesus did. But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into him who is the head, even Christ. So that's Colossians 4.6. Now let's move on to Colossians 4.18. This tells a story, a beautiful story. Straight line right down the pike. 4.18 of Colossians. I, Paul, write this greeting with my very own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace. be with you." Here giving and receiving grace is the order of the day, every day of our lives. Paul's in prison for proclaiming the gospel and is placed there by the Lord Jesus. That's Ephesians 4.1, Philemon 1.1 and 1.9. He's a prisoner of Jesus Christ. Not a prisoner of men. Not the prisoner of men for alleged malfeasance, but the prisoner of Christ. sent there for the defense and confirmation of the gospel to speak in court, high-ranking Roman officials, in the court of Caesar Augustus, the most powerful place on earth where Satan has his throne. Philippians 1.7 says that. He's sent for the defense and confirmation of the gospel. At least a couple of ways this was necessary. First, to protect him from the Jews, Paul from the Jews, who vowed to kill him. And secondly, in order that he should have the solitude to pen the 13 epistles, which otherwise we might not have. He would have been too distracted to do so. His imprisonment ensured the time and contemplation necessary for verbal plenary inspiration. Imagine a world without the epistles of Paul. Imagine a life without the epistles of Paul. You wouldn't have a spiritual life, because it defines the Christian spiritual life like nothing else does in the entire Word. They are the very words of Jesus Christ. And if you're spiritual, you'll recognize that. It's no less than the letters in red. equal to them. His imprisonment ensured the time and contemplation necessary for verbal plenary inspiration, an extended season of meditation and reflection upon the mystery of Christ and His body, the church. When He was up in the third heaven receiving and came back down in a time warp, got right up after He was crushed by stones Walked into the city, and the next day, 40 miles to Derby. So something wonderful happened that day. He said, I know a man in Christ who, whether in the body or out of the body, I don't know. I can't tell you for sure exactly how it happened, but I just know I was there and heard unspoken, spoken words that no one had ever spoken because no one had ever heard them ever before. And it was that which was hidden in God from ages and generations past, from men and from angels that were given to one man, the Apostle Paul, which he declares. in the epistle we know as the epistle to the Ephesians, which was the encyclical, which is meant for all of us. I said last week, you've got to get Romans in your soul, and you've got to get Ephesians in your soul. Philippians, Colossians, 1 Timothy, 2 Thessalonians, Philemon. Oh, Philemon's a good one. We're going to do that one next, Philemon. He said, you've never taught Philemon, have you? Well, maybe. I don't remember. If I did, it was really quick, because it's very short. Anyway, that's what we're here for. So, this is the formulation of a new way of thinking, speaking, choosing, and living. That's what Paul wrote about. Called what? Grace. It's called grace. The life of grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, and you shall shout unto the mountain, grace, grace, and it will become a plain, and you will take the pinnacle from the mountain and put it on the temple, Zechariah chapter 4 verse 6. First Thessalonians, let's go to 1 Thessalonians. Those are the verses, those are the grace verses in Colossians, 1 Thessalonians. Paul and Silvanus, he has Silvanus with him. Who's Silvanus? Silas, same guy. His real name is Silvanus, but they call him Silas, and everyone knew him as…never mind. He's not Rocky Raccoon. Rocky was Peter. That's what his name means, Rocky. He's just like Rocky, wasn't he? I picture his voice sounding like Rocky. Sylvester Stallone, Paul and Silvanus, and Timothy. There's a good team. To the church of the little Houstonians, I mean the Thessalonians. in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, grace to you and peace." There's grace and peace again. The same grace that was toward and upon the Colossians is toward and upon the Thessalonians, and all the rest, then and there, here and now. Names are interchangeable, and every epistle was for all the churches, even down to us, to the little Houstonians. This town is known as Little Houston versus Houston, like Houston, Texas. So it's Little Houston. Even as the city, which is the county seat for government, which is Washington, PA, is called Little Washington versus the big one, Washington, DC. So we're Little Houston and Little Washington, the Little Houstonians. Grace brings peace and contains peace. It brings peace because it contains peace. They come together in grace. That's why they appear so often in tandem. Grace is favor and protection. Peace is tranquility of soul and stability of mentality under a wide variety of difficulties. in order that one might not only bear up under difficulty, but might even take pleasure in it. Is that possible? We're admonished to do so. Here's a verse that our beloved brother Jim Siler. brought to my attention, and pray for Jim. I don't think he's feeling well. I have to call him this afternoon. I'll check up on him. But pray for him. I don't think he's feeling well. And pray that the Lord would send him back to us as soon as possible. We need him here. He's a wonderful portion in the body of Christ here at Grace and Truth Church, the Houstontonians. He's a Houstontonian. I exegeted it. I told him I would, and then I forgot, and he reminded me, so I exegeted it. And what emerges is an amazing truth. 2 Corinthians 12.10. You don't have to turn there, but you can if you'd like. It's close by. Paul says, therefore, I take pleasure. This is sick. In weakness. With insults, man, I got a long way to go. With distresses, with persecutions, and with difficulties, for Christ's sake. For when I'm weak, then I am strong. Here's what it says, it says D-O-D-I-O. which is a superordinate conjunction, translated, therefore. Therefore, he says, eutachia, I'm well pleased. Present active, first person singular, I am well pleased. That's what eutachia means. Doceo means, doceo means to think, and ewe means good, good thinking. I think well about all these things. Weakness, distress, insults, persecution, I'll tell you what they mean, actually mean. He says, therefore I am well-pleased, and he says en, e-n, which is the dative preposition, which could be translated by, in, or with. So, therefore I am well-pleased by, in, or with, and then he says asthenius. Astenius is translated weaknesses with my weaknesses, my moral weaknesses, my physical weaknesses, even my spiritual weaknesses. I'm satisfied, happy with them, actually. Why? Well, because Christ has to augment all those things. He has to do it all. That's grace. He has to do it all. So then he says, So, therefore, I am well pleased in, by, or with weaknesses. And then the same verb should be used for each of these in this list. He says, I am well pleased, once again, in, by, in, or with. Then he says, hubris. What? H-U-B-R-I-S. What is that? It's arrogance. He's not talking only about His own, which He has. Everybody does. Subterranean oceans of it in most of us. And if you say, no, I don't, God will show you that yes, you do. And He loves you anyway. He knows your frame, that you're but dirt. Don't forget, He does. He has high aspirations for you, but low expectations, should you attempt to do this on your own, or if you think you can, because you can't. It's supernatural. So he is well-pleased with hubris. Here it means arrogance, insolence, and violence carried out by him and against him, both. And then the same verb is used in the next entry. He goes, I am well pleased by, in, or with, and he has enagke, A-N-A-G-K-E, enagke, which is translated, let's see, what did he, how did he translate that? Oh, distresses, or insults, no, distresses, yeah, distresses. Here, and I think the King James says necessities. which is necessities or difficulties. Here we have crises or emergencies of all kinds that require God to rescue me time and again. He says, I'm well pleased with those, because then he comes shining through in the nick of time, every single time, and keeps me going, snatches me out of the jaws of the lion. Then he says, the same verb is used, I am well pleased by, in, or with. Then he says, diogmos, which is persecutions. I love when people persecute me. I love it. Because then God rescues me. He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies. He anoints my head with oil and my cup overflows. David said that. He was hard pressed on every side. No one more than the Lord Jesus. From the day he emerged from the womb, they wanted to kill him. And they couldn't for 33 and a half years try as they did. Same for you. They can't touch you. That's persecutions. And then he says, and. I am well pleased with stenochoria, S-T-E-N-O-X-O-R-I-A, stenochoria. X is pronounced ka, like key, ka, co, C-H, okay. Stenochoria, which means tight spots. or spaces. I like the word, I like the term dire straits. I love dire straits, not the band dire straits, but being in tight places. Then he says, all on behalf of Christ. In other words, he's looking to Christ in all these things. He says, for you see, That's the explanatory conjunction, gar, for you see. Then he says, hotan, which means when, for you see, when. And then he says, estheno, which means I am weak on behalf of Christ, for you see, when I am weak. Then you have tote, then dunatos, strong, I am, then I am strong. For you see, when I am weak, then I am strong. You probably never had this taken apart like this before. I know I had never seen it quite the same way. Isn't that wonderful? I think so. So that's the end of that one. So we just have a couple more. And I think we'll just wait until Tuesday. For first Thessalonians, I mean Houstonians, The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, or grace to you and peace from God our Father. We said we covered those before. We'll take another whack at it. 2 Thessalonians 1-12, it's endless. It's infinite and completely connected to every other word and phrase. in the universe, which is God's Word, a universe unto itself, beautiful in its meaning, beautiful in its structure, beautiful in its mathematic, and in every other possible way. Don't you just love it? Let's pray. Father, thank You for Your Word. It's a beautiful thing that You've given us and done. Thank You for Your grace, great grace, greater grace than the greatest grace of all, which we touched upon. That's all. We'll do more on it. So you say, you really never got to it, did you? Nope, I really didn't. Father, just thank You. Vicki, if you would get ready, please. And Father, we just thank you and ask you to bless each one here with grace and peace, growing grace and peace in receiving and retaining and reciprocating your love. as we are just completely undone by the magnitude of your goodness, kindness, favor, and grace. In Jesus' name, amen.