All About Grace Series

“Life is like a box of chocolates you never know what you are going to get.” Oh how true is that statement that Forest Gump makes. In this world you never will know what will happen next and even truer is you never know what kind of hand will be dealt to you. When you look at the story of Forest Gump it simply baffles you. This poor man you started out in life with difficulty walking. Forest was not a very intelligent man and some would say what good is it for someone to go through life like that. Why would God allow that to happen? But what you see with a man like Forest is a person that would tackle life with a child like faith that was all his own but understand it was by God’s grace that anything can happen.

Because the truth for us is everyday is brand new and everyday I do not know what is going to happen. But one thing I do know is this: But God.

Last week we came to understand the power and love God has for each and every one of us. Through the power of two little words “But God” Today we come to the true realization of all that God has done for us and more importantly how because it is all about Grace and God. And that life is not random but purposeful.

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (NIV)

When we look at these two short verses (two verses that are just as famous as John 3:16 and probably memorized the most behind John 3:16) we see that there is three Biblical truths to understand:

 By Grace: χάρις charis

 Through Faith: πίστις pistis

 Of God: θεός Theos

These are three critical areas in discovering our beliefs as Christians. Grace / Faith and God.

In recent times there have been lot’s of polls have been taken in recent years which have asks questions regarding people and their relationship with God.

• 57% of Americans believe salvation is earned through good character or behavior.

• 77% believe there is a heaven

• 76% say their chances of going are good or excellent

• 85% considered themselves to be Christians

USA TODAY: Man on the street survey asking ‘what do you think your chances are of getting into heaven’

• 50%, the older I get the more my chances will improve

• 85%, I don’t think the entrance exam will be that tough

• 50%, you have to be a nice person so I think I am still in the running.

Folks that is freighting I don’t know about you but I want to know my destination and how I am going to get there.

In the 1960’s a very famous Song: that the chores went: ‘Where, O where can my baby be? The Lord took her away from me; She’s gone to heaven so I gotta be good, so I can see my baby when I leave this world’.

What false hope there is in that line of thinking?

When we live with a worldview that says well I need to just be good and do good things. I cannot be a murder, rapist, and drug addict. The bible has clearly stated:

Romans 3:10-12 “There is no one who is righteous, not even one; there is no one who has understanding, there is no one who seeks God. All have turned aside, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, there is not even one.” (RSV)

The truth is we all have become worthless and useless for a relationship with God.

Being a good person, doing the right thing, acting a certain way will never save you or me. Our key to understanding salvation comes by understanding verse 8 of Ephesians and God Grace!

1. BY GRACE – For by grace you have been saved.

1. The only way to be saved is by GRACE: God’s Riches at Christ’s expense – unmerited favor – Undeserved honor or position.

This past week I read this story about grace that I would like to share with you all this morning. This story is about a man named Henry Moorehouse

“One evening as Henry was walking along the street he saw a little girl coming out of a basement store carrying a pitcher of milk. She was taking it home. But when she was a few yards away from Henry she suddenly slipped and fell. Her hands let go of the pitcher of milk and it fell on the sidewalk and broke and the milk ran into the streets. The little girl began to cry instantaneously.