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The Work of Grace

Previously we established:

  • Grace is a free gift from God 
  • Any blessing in our lives is considered a grace from God 
  • God created man and surrounded him by His grace 
  • Man lost that grace as a result of sin and corruption 
  • Man became uncapable of attaining righteousness on his own 
  • The law could not help man attain righteousness 
  • Man needed divine intervention to be able to attain righteousness 
  • God graced man with the economy of salvation (Incarnation, Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension, etc.)
  • In order to attain salvation, we must have faith (God's grace) and works 
  • Man cannot attain salvation without the work of God's grace 

What is the Work of Grace?

Introduction:

  • Grace is a divine gift, given freely to us in various ways, and at various times 
  • Grace is sent to those who are weak to strengthens them, and those who are strong to increase their strength 
  • In spiritual life, God's grace plays a big role 
    • God's grace leads to repentance
      • Give examples; after St Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost, "Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart" Acts 2:37
    • God's grace stops us from falling in sin 
      • Give examples
    • God's grace encourages us to attain virtues 
      • Give examples
    • Grace is a way of God reaching out to us to help us

Visitations of Grace:

  • At certain times in our lives, God isvisits visitingus youby His grace
  • Sometimes we find ourselves moved towards doing what is good - especially in the spiritual field 
  • This is the work of God's grace
  • The fathers refer to that as a "visitation of grace"
    • We are "visited" by God's grace which encourages us to do good at the moment 
      • Examples
  • The icon of "Christ knocking on the doordoor"
    • describes
  • Fearthe isvisitation also considered a result from God'sof grace
  • AtThe fathers tell us that the visitations of grace come at the right time - in the right circumstances 
  • Some


Reasons for visitations of grace 

  • to wake us up from laziness
  • lead us to repent 
  • enlighten and strengthens our spiritual life
  • correct masar 7ayato
  • call us to service
  • give us a blessing
  • to carry on the service 
  • even with saints to reach higher levels of sainthood

When do theyget happenvisited by God's grace? 

  • We could be "visited" by God's grace at any time
  • It usually can be felt in the heart
  • It could be: 
    • In the middle of the liturgy
    • In the middle of my personal prayer
    • In the middle of sin (i.e. God's calling of Saul while he's going to Damascus)
    • It could be through an event in your life
    • Through a vision or a dream 
    • Through a message from your spiritual father
    • In the midst of hardships or trials 
  • Let us look at the life of St Anthony as an example:
  • We know at least 3 occasions where he was visited by God's grace worksand it was life changing for him
    • At his father's death - He realized that life on earth is temporary and less valuable than eternal life
    • Listening to the gospel at church - He decided to leave everything and head to the desert 
    • When the lady rebuked him by the river - He decided to go far into the desert to live in solitude
  • The same grace who made St Anthony a great saint is inside of me so what is the difference?

Who gets visited by God's grace? 

  • God visits everyone with His grace 
    • Some are more sensitive to it theanGod's grace than others
      •  
      • jonahSome are more tuned to listen to God's voice than other 
        • Jonah - (Was a visitation of grace to nenivahthe Ninevites - He also was a visitation of grace to the mariners in the ship - In the process, the Lord visited Jonah himself)
        • The calling matthewof and Zekkius Matthew
        • stThe maryvisit to Zacchaeus
        • St Mary of egypt
          • Egypt
        • -
      • in the middle of sin (saul's calling)
      • can be feltwhile in the heartmidst
        • of
      • throughher an event 
      • through a vision or a dream 
      • a message from spiritual father
      • trials sin
      • St AnthonyMoses (histhe father's deathstrong - listeningwhile searching for the true God

Reasons for visitations of grace: 

  • To wake us up from laziness
  • Leads us to therepent gospel
    • -
  • Ignites whenand strengthens our spiritual life
  • Corrects the ladycourse rebukedof himour )lives sometimes 
  • Reminds us with the consequences of a wrong do it to stop us
  • Call us to service
  • To aid us to carry on with our the service 
  • Even with saints, to reach higher levels of sainthood
  • Gives us a blessing

What should be our response towards themvisitations of grace? 

  • It is important to note that God's grace works in us to produce good works but it does NOT force us to do good works (Grace and Free will) 
    • Grace is an internal movement towards what is good and Godly, but it does not force or pushes you to do anything, the decision has to come from you 
  • We are in need of God's grace to be able to do anything good.  The Lord Jesus said "without Me you can do nothing." John 15:5
  • God's grace works iswith us all the time. However, the question is do we work with it or not?
  • It depends on my response towards God's grace
  • Let's take the Right and the Left hand thiefthieves Vsas leftan handexample: thief
    • Both were criminals 
    • WithoutBoth Mewere yourightly canpunished do
      • nothing"
    • Both saw the Lord in front of them (visited by Him)
    • However only one responses to that visitation and gained eternal life
  • Sometimes may respond well to God's grace and some may resist God's grace

What prevents God's grace from usus? (Resisting God's grace)

  • Free will dictates that we are free to respond to the God's grace or not 
  • There are many things that prevents God's grace from me:
    • Being careless with the word of God (Not listening carefully to sermons, SS lessons, Bible study, etc.)
    • Focusing on the speaker instead of listening -(i.e. this abouna is too strict, that abouna is too spiritual for me, etc.)
    • Lack of circumspection when it comes to my spiritual canon  (i.e. not listening to the advise of my spiritual father)
    • Not living a true life of Obedience (i.e. I listen to my parents, servants, or abouna with no intention of obeying them) 
    • Resisting spiritual messages and warnings 
    • Not learning from previous mistakes  (repeated confessions)
    • Not participating in spiritual days or conventions (i.e. friends are not going)
    • Giving into strange ideology (i.e. the Church is living the stone age) “Those who regard worthless idols Forsake their own Mercy." Jonah 2:8
    • Lack of thanksgiving (i.e. Not considering the multitude of blessings in one's life)
    • Lack of faith - (i.e. doubting the presence of God's grace) "But without faith it is impossible to please Him" Hebrews 11:6
    • Negativity - (i.e. God doesn't love me)
    • Responding to the grace but not following through - (i.e. like Pharaoh in letting the people go)
    • Satan opposes God's grace - (i.e. You hear God's voice saying go reconcile with your friend, then you hear another voice saying "how about my dignity?")
  • “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts" Hebrews 3:15
    • "Hear His voice" is the work of grace, "harden your hearts" is our response towards it
  • Pharaoh return then changes his mind - response to grace then abandons it 
  • Satan opposes God's grace 
    • go reconcile - how about my dignity 

Resisting God's grace

  • "grace is the devine role in our lives
  • free will dectates that we are free to respond to the grace or not 
  • the same grace who made st anthony is inside of mre so what is the difference 
  • focus o the speaker instead of listening 
  • lack of circumspection - not listening to the advise 
  • obediance with no core - shallow
  • resisting spiritual messages 
  • not learning from previous mistakes - repeated confessions
  • not participating in spiritual days or conventions
  • giving into stange idology "“Those who regard worthless idols
    Forsake their own [b]Mercy." Jonah 2:8
  • Lack of thanksgiving - when churches were open
  • lack of faith - trials (hebrews 11:6
  • negativity - god doesn't love me 

Can God's grace abandon us?

  • asSometimes, out of God's love, He allows His grace to abandon us
    • To send us a message - to learn from
    • asAs a worningwarning in order to straighten our ways 

  • As a result of continuous resistance to the visitation of grace
    • King Saul
    • "Do not quench the Spirit." 1 Thessalonians 5:19
    • How to benefit from the visitations of grace

  • Do not say my will is weak, God's grace can strengthen your will - but you should respond to it 
  • Do not say my sin is too big
    • "where sin abounded, grace abounded much more" Romans 5:20
  • We have to work with God's grace 
    • Grace and works 
      • God's grace will plant a seed, you need to water and care for the seed to grow
      • God's grace will tell you something, and you do it
      • God's grace will save you from falling into sin, you do not return to that sin again 
  • Pray for God's grace and to grow in God's grace
  • "My Grace is sufficient to you"
  • "ou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. " 2  Timo 2:1
  •  Humility "“God resists the proud,
    But gives grace to the humble.”" James 4:6
  • prayer
  • intercession of the saints 
  • work of the church with you 
  • ready heart " But as many as received Him, to them He gave the [e]right to become children of God" John 1:12
  • strive to be worthy of that grace "to the praise of the glory of His grace" Eph 1:6
  • spend more time and enjoy the visitation
  • give thanks - consider that everything good in your life is a result of God's grace with you 
  • Hold fast to every oppertunity to listen to the word of God - to any means of grace


"grow in the grace" 2 Peter 3:18

  • There is a commandment that we are asked to obey 
  • Not only to use the grace given to me but to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord 
  • So how can we enjoy and grow in God's grace?
  • Any growth can be measured - the measure of growing in grace is fruits 
    • Fruit of repentance - real change "Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance" matthew 3:8
    • Fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:22-23
      But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
    • Fruit of the service 

 

Where do we get grace?

  • We receive grace on a personal level and on a church level 
  • Everything that happens in the Church (storage of grace) 
  • The church has the authority to despense to us God's grace - baptism 
  • The grace of baptism - takes us to the grace of myron (temple of the holy spirit 
  • Repentance and confession - getting rid of sins 
  • No salvation outside of the church 
  • Church sacraments - graces 
  • No one can come to the sacraments without repentancee -and without faith 
  • On a personal level - God gives according to the need - my grace is suffesient to you 
  • I didn't do anything to recieve any of these graces by my role is to use them and to bring fruit 
  • Each person's response to the sacrament is different

Faith - prayer - humility (almotawade3oon yagedon ne3ma - nazar ila eteda3 amato - momtale2a ne3ma 

What is grace?




  •  Grace leads to repentance - encourages us to attain virtues 
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