"Monuments of God’s Grace"
Corinthians 15:9-10

INTRO. Whatever Grace is Paul says, "I am what I am" by it. Think of it. What a
Christian he was, what a giant for God. Paul has gone down in Christian
history as probably the greatest hero of faith the world has ever known.
Let me ask you, What is Grace? It is God doing for us what we could not
do for ourselves, and giving us what we do not deserve. A young boy stood
with back arched, head cocked back and hands clenched defiantly. "Go
ahead, give it to me." The principal looked down at the young rebel. "How
many times have you been here?" The child sneered rebelliously, "Appar-
ently not enough." The principal gave the boy a strange look. "And you
have been punished each time have you not?" "Yeah, I been punished, if
that’s what you want to call it." He threw out his small chest, "Go ahead I
can take whatever you dish out. I always have." "And not thought of your
punishment enters into your head the next time you decide to break the
rules does it?" "Nope, I do whatever I want to do. Ain’t nothin you people
gonna do to stop me either." The principal looked over at the teacher who
stood nearby. "What did he do this time?" "Fighting. He took little
Tommy and shoved his face into the sandbox." The principal turned to
look at the boy. "Why? What did little Tommy do to you?" "Nothin, I
didn’t like the way he was lookin at me, just like I don’t like the way your
lookin at me! And if I thought I could do it, I’d shove your face into some-
thing."

The teacher stiffened and started to rise but a quick look from the principal
stopped him. He contemplated the child for a moment and then quietly
said, "Today, my young student, is the day you learn about grace." "Grace?
Isn’t that what you old people do before you sit down to eat? I don’t need
none of your stinkin grace." Oh but you do." The principal studied the
young man’s face and whispered, "Oh yes, you truly do…" The boy con-
tinued to glare as the principal continued, "Grace, in its short definition is
unmerited favor. You cannot earn it, it is a gift and is always freely given.
It means that you will not be getting what you so richly deserve." The boy
looked puzzled. "Your not gonna whup me? You just gonna let me walk?"
The principal looked down at the unyielding child. "Yes, I am going to let
you walk." The boy studied the face of the principal, "No punishment at
all? Even though I socked Tommy and shoved his face into the sandbox?"
"Oh, there has to be punishment. What you did was wrong and there are
always consequences to our actions. There will be punishment. Grace is
not an excuse for doing wrong." "I knew it, sneered the boy as he held
out his hands. "Let’s get on with it." The principal nodded to the teacher.
"Bring me the belt." The teacher presented the belt to the principal. He
carefully folded it into and then handed it back to the teacher. He looked
at the child and said, "I want you to count the blows." He slid out from
the desk and walked over to stand directly in front of the young man. He
Gently reached out and folded the child’s outstretched, expectant hands to-
gether and then turned to face the teacher with his own hands outstretched.
One quiet word came forth from his mouth. "Begin." The belt whipped
down on the outstretched hands of the principal. Crack! The young man
jumped ten feet in the air. Shock registered across his face, "One" he whis-
pered. Crack! "Two" His voice raised an octave. Crack! "Three…" He
couldn’t believe this. Crack! "Four." Big tears welled up in the eyes of the
rebel. "OK stop! That’s enough. Stop!" Crack! Came the belt down on the
callused hands of the principal. Crack! The child flinched with each blow,
tears beginning to stream down his face. Crack! Crack! "No please," the
former rebel begged, "Stop, I did it, I’m the one who deserves it. Stop!
Please. Stop…" Still the blows came. Crack! Crack! One after another.
Finally it was over. The principal stood with sweat glistening across his
forehead and beads trickling down his face. Slowly he knelt down. He
studied the young man for a second and then his swollen hands reached out
to cradle the face of the weeping child (E-Mail Ministry). That’s Grace!
That’s what Jesus did for us (Isaiah 53:5-6)! Paul considered himself a
"Monument of God’s Grace." If you are saved today, you also are a "Mon-
ument of God’s Grace."

Let us learn, as we look at Paul’s life, what the Grace of God can do, not
only for Paul, but for all who will by faith receive Christ as Savior.

WE ARE:

(1) A Monument Of Saving Grace
1 Timothy 1:15—"This is a faithful saying and worthy of all accep-
tation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners;
of whom I am chief."

Paul considered himself the chief of sinners. Someone has said, "The begin-
gining of greatness is to be little; it increases as we become less and is perfect
when we become nothing" (1). Paul was a monument of what God’s grace can do. Look at Paul’s life before God’s grace saved him (v13)! He was a
Blasphemer-Paul was a blasphemer of Jesus, not knowing He was God. A
Pharisee couldn’t slander God. He "did it ignorantly in unbelief" and thus
obtained mercy. A Persecutor-the idea is of pursuing as one chasing an ani-
mal. Injurious-One whose contempt breaks forth into outrageous acts of
harm (2). But Paul obtained mercy.

B. John Bunyan preached a message using the subject, "Grace Abounding To
The Chief of Sinners." He considered himself to be like Paul, the rank and
file of sinners, and he pointed out that grace found him, convicted him, broke
him, brought him to Christ, and changed him. The truth is that all of us apart
from the Grace of God are horrible, hopeless sinners. We are estranged from
God and enemies of His. But Thank God, Grace changes all that (Cols. 1:21)!

C. Paul was a monument of God’s Saving Grace. And SO ARE YOU if you are
saved today! The same GRACE that saved Paul and changed Paul’s life will
save and change the life of whoever will receive it (Revelation 22:17)!

D. God’s saving Grace cuts out the flesh, and lays all the glory for saving a soul, at
the feet of God (1 Corinthians 1:18, 21, 27-31)! Every born-again Believer in
Christ Jesus is a testimony of what God’s Grace can do. A Monument of
God’s amazing Grace!

(2) A Monument Of Securing Grace
2 Timothy 1:12—"…For I know whom I have believed, and am per-
suaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed
unto him against that day."

If anyone gets saved it will be by God’s Grace, and it is equally true that if
anyone stays saved it will be by God’s Grace. We are kept not by our own
power, but by the power of God (1 Peter 1:3-5). The word KEPT Peter
uses there in the Greek is a military term for the protection of a city by means
of a military garrison. In the picture here, the power of God corresponds to
an army base with the sole function of protecting believers (3). We who be-
lieve possess salvation now, but will sense its full significance at the return of
Christ. Until that time we are secured, "kept by the power of God."

B. WE are all saved by the Grace of God and we are secure by Grace of God.
When we all get home to Heaven we will never hear one person say, "I am
here by my own merits." But we will hear all say, "I am here by the Grace of
Almighty God."

C. Paul was trusting his own destiny to the same One who entrusted him with the
stewardship of the gospel. We too, have all our hopes of Heaven placed upon
the Grace of Almighty God!

D. Although this world may not see it, by our faith and the Grace of God we are
"Monuments of Securing Grace." Nothing can severe us from the security we
enjoy because of God’s Grace (Romans 8:35-39).

(3) A Monument Of Serving Grace
Ephesians 2:8-10—"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works,
lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath
before ordained that we should walk in them."

A. Just as soon as Paul was saved he went right to work for the LORD. He was
baptized. He witnessed. He sacrificed. He lived right. He prayed. He gave.
isn’t that what all Believers are supposed to do!

B. A complete transformation had taken place in Paul’s life. Instead of working
to obtain salvation, because he was saved, Paul went to work for the LORD!
We are saved apart from God works, but saved unto good works. Good
works should be the end result of our salvation and the evidence of our faith
(James 2:17-18).

C. Grace enabled Paul to serve God. Grace enables us to serve God (Hebrews
12:28-29). Our service for God involves love and gratitude, but also rever-
ence and godly fear; for our god is a consuming fire.

(4) A Monument Of Suffering Grace
Acts 9:16—"For I will show him how great things he must suffer
for my name’s sake."

A. The man who had caused so much suffering for the early Church, would now
suffer for the cause of Christ. From the very onset of his Christian life he
suffered!

B. Paul gives us a list of the sufferings he endured in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28. As
we read all that befell Paul we can’t help but wonder how on earth could a
person go through all that and still live to tell about it? I’ll tell you how, by the
Grace of God!

C. God’s Grace saves us, secures us, and sustains us in suffering. Paul was a testi-
mony of what God can do in a life. The will of God will never lead us where
the grace of God cannot keep us. When we suffer as a Christian as we all do
then to this lost world we are a "Monument of God’s Grace."

(5) A Monument Of Forgiving Grace
Ephesians 4:32—"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath
forgiven you."

A. Paul had been hurt, and hurt bad, by John Mark, but near the end of the
the journey he write to Timothy, "…Take Mark, and bring him with thee:
for he is profitable to me for the ministry" (2 Timothy 4:11). After what
Mark had done to hurt him, he wants to see him. He wants to renew the
sweet fellowship they had known in the past. What does this tell us? It tells us
that Paul had forgiven him. How could Paul do that? Was it not the Grace of
God? Paul had long before forgiven and forgotten what had happened bet-
ween himself and Mark. Too many today pout over trivial things and are
never reconciled.

The Bible has much to say about forgiveness. But Ephesians 4:31-32 says it
best. The word "forgive" is built on the same root word as the word "grace"
in the Greek and means "to bestow favor unconditionally." This means that
a Christian will always treat the offending party graciously, letting the wrong
go without any claim for punishment or reparation. It means pardoning the
guilty person instead of displaying resentment or exercising retaliation. For-
giveness is not probation. Forgiveness is not a reprieve. Forgiveness results
in complete reconciliation and restored fellowship (4). We are to forgive as
God has forgiven us. God’s forgiveness is Free, Full and Final. When God
forgives, He also forgets; so should we!

ILLUS. During the Revolutionary War there was a minister by the name of
Peter Miller who lived and pastored in Pennsylvania. There was a
man there who hated Miller, the Church, and God. It was also
learned that he was a traitor to the country. He was convicted and
sentenced to hang. Rev. Miller set out on foot and walked sixty
miles to meet with General George Washington to intercede for the
condemned man. Washington said, "Rev. Miller I’m sorry but I
cannot grant your request to free your friend." Miller said, "Friend!
Why, that man is my worst enemy." Washington was touched by
such a forgiving spirit, and granted the pardon, and gave it to Miller
to deliver to the proper authorities. Upon his arrival back home he
saw a crowd had already gathered to see the hanging. He saw the
condemned man on the gallows with the rope around his neck. He
rushed up the steps and handed the pardon to the man in charge,
and his life was spared.

Think of what God’s Grace did for you (Psalm 40:2-3). Someone has
said, "God saves from the guttermost to the uttermost." How much has God
forgiven us? ALL, EVERYTHING! How much should we forgive others?
ALL, EVERYTHING!! When we do we are "Monuments of Forgiving Grace."

D. God forgive us for being so unforgiving. An unforgiving heart is the blight of
Christianity today!

CLOSING: WE who are saved are "Monuments of God’s Grace." Because of that
we are to be Monuments of Saving Grace, Securing Grace, Serving

Grace, Suffering Grace, and Forgiving Grace. Christian, are you
being a reflection of His grace? Are you willing to Serve Him, Suffer for
Him, and show forgiveness like Him? Can others see Jesus in you?

NOTES: 1. Edward Dobson, Charles L. Feinberg, Edward E. Hindson, Woodrow
Michael Kroll, Harold Wilmington. The Complete Bible Commentary. Pg. 1640.
IBID. Pg. 1640.
IBID. Pg. 1730.
IBID. Pg. 1574.

PREACHED BY BROTHER BRYAN L. BROWNING, PASTOR OF BEECHMONT BAPTIST CHURCH

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