THE GOSPEL OF GRACE

Without grace Christianity is just another religion in which people spend their lives wondering if they measure up and fearful that they don't.
Attempting to follow Jesus without first being rooted and grounded in grace is sure to produce more failure than success.
~Gary Marchinke

 

1) GRACE IS LIFE

"The substance and essence of the true Gospel is the doctrine of God's grace. If you take away the grace of God from the Gospel you have extracted its very life blood from it. And there is nothing left worth preaching, worth believing or worth contending for.  Grace is the soul of the Gospel. Without it the Gospel is dead.“  Charles Spurgeon

I am obsessed with grace because I see it as my one and only opportunity to succeed,

When religion and church fail, there is grace
When relationships and careers fail, there is grace
When all human effort fails, there is grace.
In a world full of failure there exists a God full of grace.

~Gary Marchinke

 

WE ARE ALWAYS UNDER GRACE
"For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace."
(Romans 6:14)

Grace is the good news that sin can't win, and you can't lose.

Every believer is under grace. You may not look like it, act like it, understand it, or appreciate it. But you are under grace.

You are not under law
You are not under bondage
You are not under punishment
You are not under wrath
You are not under judgment
You are not under condemnation
You are under grace

•      Being under grace is like swimming under water. When we are under water we are surrounded by water. Water is everywhere. In God's kingdom we are under grace. We are surrounded by grace. Grace is everywhere! 

      2)  GRACE KEEPS US IN THE RACE

The wisest, most honest, most helpful words ever spoken to me came many years ago from my friend Oyvind, when he said, “Sunny, you will never make it without grace."

 

      3) GRACE OFFERS EVERYONE A FRESH START

"I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants. And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him."
(Luke 15:18-20)

 

      4) GRACE IS EXCEEDING ABUNDANT

EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANT GRACE
"And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant..."  (1 Timothy 1:14)

After studying the Bible for 40 years
I am glad to make the following statement:
The only God I can find in there is the God of
 Exceedingly abundant grace
 Exceedingly abundant mercy
 Exceedingly abundant love
 Exceedingly abundant goodness

LOOKING UNTO JESUS - JESUS DID IT ALL!

"Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God."
(Hebrews 12:2)

• Looking unto Jesus. In these three words we find the secret of life. In these three words we find the key to living by grace.
  
  Grace is all about looking at Jesus. Not at ourselves, not as our sins, not at our weaknesses, not at our failures, but at Him.
  
  Grace is all about receiving from Jesus. Receiving strength from him, Receiving forgiveness from Him, receiving mercy from Him.

Grace is all about knowing Jesus. Knowing how faithful He is. Knowing how friendly He is.

Grace is all about abiding in Jesus. Abiding means resting, not striving.  Abiding means resting, not working.  Abiding means resting, not struggling.

Grace is all about the finished work of Jesus.  His work that brings us into God's Kingdom.  Work that keep us in God's Kingdom.  Work that makes us righteous in God's Kingdom.

 

MAY THE GRACE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST BE WITH YOU ALL.

Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. – Galatians 6:18