A) GRACE IS LIFE

Galatians 2:21 Amplified Bible (AMP)

I do not ignore or nullify the [gracious gift of the] grace of God [His amazing, unmerited favor], for if righteousness comes through [observing] the Law, then Christ died needlessly. [His suffering and death would have had no purpose whatsoever.]”

"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

Grace is not a doctrine or teaching but is in a Person Jesus. Grace is a lifestyle, grace itself is LIFE whereas the law is dead. Grace is something for us to LIVE in and MANIFEST through us. Paul says, "I am what I am by the Grace of God".

In Galatians 2:21 Paul says, "The grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain." Paul actually says, I do not want to frustrate and nullify (makes it nothing) the Grace of God in my life. In other words, "No grace, no life." God does not want to pour out His grace for us for no reason. There must be a reason he died for us and gave us His grace. His grace is power - power to perfect us, power to establish us; strengthen us and even settle us for eternity.

B) 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. (Jesus)"

C) 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)

D) 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

5. LIFE ESTABLISHED BY GRACE

Hebrews 13:9 says,  "Let your heart be established by grace".

God does not want our hearts to be full of cares and questionings, worries and fears tossed and turned by every challenge that comes our ways. He wants our hearts at rest and established by His grace.

We no longer have to worry about whether we are good enough. Our dependence is upon God's goodness for us now. Our part is to believe and receive. God part is to give and give graciously and generously.

God does not want our hearts to be full of cares and questionings, worries and fears tossed and turned by every challenge that comes our ways. He wants our hearts at rest and established by His grace. We no longer have to worry about whether we are good enough. Our dependence is upon God's goodness for us now. Our part is to believe and receive. God part is to give and give graciously and generously.

6. CONCLUSION

Ø  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.

Ø  Grace is all about receiving from Jesus. Receiving strength from him, Receiving forgiveness from Him, receiving mercy from Him.

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

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

Ø  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.