Infant Grace & Giant Sin
The sermon emphasizes that despite our struggles with sin, we can trust in the power of Christ's life in us to ultimately overcome and achieve victory.
Anne Dutton preaches about the power of grace in the midst of overwhelming sin and opposition, likening it to an infant facing a giant. She emphasizes that the life of grace in believers is inseparably united to the fullness of grace found in Christ, ensuring its preservation and ultimate victory despite the attacks of sin and Satan. Dutton encourages believers to take up their spiritual armor, knowing that the Lord within them is stronger than any enemy they face, and that through God's omnipotence, sin will be eternally defeated.
Text
Dear Madam,
Do not fear because you see so little grace in you that you have not the truth of grace; and because you see so much sin that you are all sin. For consider, grace is yet but in its infant state; and corruption, that makes against it such great opposition, is like an enraged, mighty giant. And is it any wonder to see an infant knocked down frequently, and laid for dead sensibly, by the wrathful hand of a giant, and especially by a giant, an irreconcilable enemy, that dwells with the infant, and seeks its destruction continually? No! A marvelous wonder it is that the power of sin, influenced by Satan, has not long since utterly slain the life of grace in you, in me, in all the called of God, and left it neither root nor branch!
And whence is this? Oh, it is because that little spark of the life of grace in us is in an inseparable union to an immense fullness of ever-flaming grace--life in Christ! So that, until sin and Satan can pluck Christ down from His high Throne in Heaven, they can never totally destroy the life of grace which is His life in us! Attempt it they will, and prevail against us in part, and for a time they may; but we, like Gad, though overcome by a troop, will be overcomers at last, and made more than conquerors through the love and blood of our incarnate God, our all-triumphant Head!
Therefore, dear Madam, in the Lord's name let us set up our banner against sin and Satan, and go forth to the fight as those that are already blessed with a complete victory in Christ. And to cheer our spirits, let us consider that stronger is the Lord who is in us than all the force of the enemy that can possibly be against us; that 'infant grace' is and shall be maintained in life, and raised to its perfection by an Almighty arm; and that by the omnipotence of an Infinite God, the 'giant sin' shall have a full and eternal destruction! And then to Him we will forever shout Salvation! Mercy and peace be with you.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Nature of Infant Grace
- A. Grace is in its early stages
- B. It is vulnerable to opposition
- C. It is inseparable from Christ's life
- II. The Power of Giant Sin
- A. Sin is a formidable enemy
- B. It is influenced by Satan
- C. It seeks to destroy the life of grace
- III. The Victory of Christ
- A. Christ's life in us is greater than sin
- B. We are overcomers through Christ's love and blood
- C. We will be made more than conquerors
Key Quotes
“A marvelous wonder it is that the power of sin, influenced by Satan, has not long since utterly slain the life of grace in you, in me, in all the called of God, and left it neither root nor branch!” — Anne Dutton
“Stronger is the Lord who is in us than all the force of the enemy that can possibly be against us;” — Anne Dutton
“And then to Him we will forever shout Salvation! Mercy and peace be with you.” — Anne Dutton
Application Points
- We can trust in the power of Christ's life in us to overcome sin and achieve victory.
- We must set up our banner against sin and Satan, and go forth to the fight as those that are already blessed with a complete victory in Christ.
- We will be made more than conquerors through the love and blood of our incarnate God, our all-triumphant Head.