Amazing Grace Series

"Why doesn't God answer my prayer? I have read my Bible and prayed all this week!" "I need God to get me out of this financial or marital mess, so I'd better get back to church and pray more and read my Bible more." This is the proud flesh thinking we can earn God’s favor through fleshly acts. The motives are faulty. It is nothing but legalism. Christianity is the only system that has hope for the truly hopeless. A merit system capitalizes on greed and guilt.

Do in order to get. Feel bad when you don’t do it. Grace offers favor apart from doing and encourages becoming. When the heart changes, the behavior changes. When the heart is gripped by love and grace it longs to please and enter into deeper relationship.

Each day we eagerly return to the throne room where the God of all mercy and grace extends abundant mercy and dispenses sufficient grace to help us in our time of need. And we are in daily need of such grace to continue to live faithful in a twisted world.

It is a growing process.

grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. 2 Peter 3:18

D. Resurrection Grace

Peter encourages us to keep focusing on a future favor or blessing that will be granted at the return of Jesus.

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace (favor) to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:13

Such a focus motivates us to live differently today in light of tomorrows blessing.

E. Eternal Grace

Later in Ephesians Paul refers to an eternity of favor laid up for us.

so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:7

Application

How do we respond to a message of on God's Amazing Grace?

1. Confess trying to earn God's favor by the works of the flesh.

by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. Romans 3:20

(but we are) justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; Romans 3:24

2. Continually humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God.

3. Continually return to the throne of grace in time of need.

4. Don’t fall short but continually grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.