1/14/17 – Genesis 3:20-24

“Were it not for Grace”

I’m an 80’s child, born in 1980 to be exact. My mother however, born in the 50’s, loves music and musical plays. I know most of the 1950-1960 musicals; The Sound of Music (The hills were alive on the deer stand this morning, ha), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Singing in the Rain, Mary Poppins, Fiddler on The Roof. You get the point.

Also, during the 80’s all Christian women were drawn to one (1) female singer in particular, Sandy Patty. My mom would try to sing like Sandy and every other person (sorry mom). I had to listen to Sandy Patty all the time. I think I knew her songs better than she did. But I once heard someone sing with Sandy Patty and it brought me to tears, literally. His name is Larnelle Harris, the song, “I’ve Just Seen Jesus”.

He has one of the most amazing tenor voice and I wanted to hear other things he has done. Then it happened, I was about 14 (not even a believer) and I heard a song that I continue to be reminded of. Even last night laying in the bed after I had been reading on “The parable of the lost Sheep” and knowing what we would read today during devotion, I just turned it on and went to sleep.

The song, “Were it not for Grace.”

I would like for you to listen to it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6FH5oq3J-M

But read the chorus with me:

Were it not for grace, I can tell you where Id be, Wandering down some pointless road to nowhere, With my salvation up to me, I know how that would go, The battles I would face, Forever running but losing this race, Were it not for grace.

Were it not for Grace. 2 Things that God showed me about His Grace in Genesis 3:20-24

1. God Clothed Them – v.21

They no longer had to hide under fig leaves in Shame. He (God) slaughtered one of His created kinds to cloth His imaged creation. Now we could think about and talk about the theological stance that this one verse means for them and for us even today, but I don’t have the time nor the space. It has to do with the shedding of blood. Now just think of the New Testament implications in light of Genesis 3:15.

I was sitting in the deer stand this morning, singing “Were it not for Grace”, and a scripture came to my mind.

Isaiah 61:10 – I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness

The thought came to me. How can I, a sinner, be clothed in Righteousness? The only logical answer I can come up with is GRACE. That’s it. WOW, This word now has a greater effect on my life. So I sit and sing, with tears in my eyes, “Were it not for Grace.” I don’t deserve to be clothed. I deserve to be naked in my Shame but now because I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ and I desire to live for Him, I’M CLOTHED. That is Huge. Bigger than Donald Trump H-U-G-E. I don’t have to live in SHAME. WOW, That Is Freeing.

2.  God Showed Compassion and Grace – v.23

There were consequences to their sin and breaking God’s rule, yes. But, He showed them Compassion. Here is how, get this. By putting them out of the garden so they would not eat of the fruit again. What? Yeah, He sent Adam and Eve out of the garden because they had already “fallen” and if the ate of the tree again they would never die and have been “fallen” forever. Well that’s crazy, we may think. But think of this that God showed me.

It is to my benefit that I die – In Christ, WOW. I can live in Grace and I can die in Grace. And though I will die a physical death in Christ I will live a Glorious, Heavenly, Eternal, Complete life WITH CHRIST. Man I’m about to shout. Why would I want to stay in a “fallen” world forever? No thank you.

One last thing that this has taught me.

The word Grace means, God blessing us despite the fact that we do not deserve it – extending kindness to the unworthy.

It’s one thing to know what the word Grace means but it’s another to experience what the word means. I’ve preached on Grace before, knowing by definition what it means. But, not experiencing at the time what it means.

So, I have to think (would you think?). How many times have I sinned? How many times have a lived in sin? How many times have I given two rips about anything other than myself? How many times have I been arrogant, proud, unloving, uncontrollable? Sin is easy. Yet, GRACE.

Grace has recaptured my heart today. Don’t just know it – FEEL IT.

You can. Let the words of Ephesians 2 come alive.

Ephesians 2:1-9 – 1And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 

Bro. J