Introduction

Good morning, church family. It is indeed a joy to be in the house of the Lord, gathered together as one body, one spirit, under one faith. We are here because we have been touched by an extraordinary love, a love that knows no bounds, a love that is so profound, so deep, so wide, that it surpasses human comprehension. This love, my dear brothers and sisters, is the gift of grace.

Grace, that divine favor unmerited, undeserved, yet freely given. Grace, that golden thread woven into the tapestry of our faith, binding us to our Creator. Grace, that cornerstone of our Christian walk, upon which the edifice of our faith is built.

Charles Spurgeon, the prince of preachers, once said, "Grace puts its hand on the boasting mouth, and shuts it once for all." Indeed, grace humbles us, it silences our pride, it reminds us that we are not the authors of our salvation. It is a gift, a precious gift, freely given by a loving God.

Let us read together from the book of Ephesians, chapter 2, verse 8: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God."

This verse, dear friends, is a profound reminder of God's unmerited favor. It is a beacon of hope, a testament of God's unfailing love, a declaration of our salvation. We are saved not by our works, not by our deeds, not by our righteousness, but by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.

Today, we will be looking at three main points. First, we will grasp the gift of grace. We will seek to understand, to appreciate, to cherish this divine favor that God has bestowed upon us. Second, we will guard against ungratefulness. We will ensure that our hearts do not become hardened, that we do not take for granted this precious gift. And third, we will aim to grow in grace through acceptance. We will embrace this grace, we will let it shape us, mold us, transform us into the image of Christ.

Let us bow our heads in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for your grace, for your unmerited favor. We thank you for your love, for your mercy, for your compassion. As we delve into your word today, open our hearts, enlighten our minds, guide our thoughts. Help us to grasp the gift of grace, to guard against ungratefulness, and to grow in grace through acceptance. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Transition. So, let's begin, dear friends. Let's immerse ourselves in the Word. Let's allow the Holy Spirit to guide us as we seek to understand, to appreciate, to cherish the gift of grace.

Grasping the Gift of Grace

In the heart of the gospel message, we find a treasure of immeasurable worth. It's not a treasure we've earned or a prize we've won. It's a gift, freely given, yet priceless beyond measure. This gift, dear friends, is grace. Grace is the unmerited favor of God. It's the love of the Creator reaching out to His creation, not because of what we've done, but because of who He is. It's the divine hand of mercy extended to us, not because we deserve it, but because He is merciful.

Examples. It's like a father who forgives his wayward son, not because the son has earned his forgiveness, but because the father's love is greater than the son's mistakes. It's like a king who pardons a guilty prisoner, not because the prisoner has paid his debt, but because the king's mercy is greater than the prisoner's crime. This is the picture of grace.

But how do we grasp this gift of grace? How do we hold onto this divine favor that is so freely given, yet so hard to comprehend?

First, we need to recognize our need for grace. We are all sinners, fallen short of the glory of God. We have all missed the mark, we have all strayed from the path, we have all turned our own way. But God, in His infinite mercy, reaches out to us with grace. He doesn't wait for us to clean up our act or get our lives together. He meets us where we are, in our mess, in our brokenness, in our sin. And He offers us grace.

Second, we need to receive this gift of grace. It's not enough to simply recognize our need for grace. We need to accept it, to embrace it, to make it our own. We need to let go of our pride, our self-righteousness, our self-sufficiency. We need to admit our need, our weakness, our inability to save ourselves.

Third, we need to rely on this grace. Grace is not just for the moment of salvation. It's for every moment of our lives. It's for the times when we stumble and fall, when we make mistakes, when we fail. It's for the times when we're weak, when we're tired, when we're weary. In all these times, and in all the times in between, we need to rely on God's grace.

Finally, we need to reflect this grace. As recipients of God's grace, we are called to be conduits of His grace. We are called to extend grace to others, just as God has extended grace to us. We are called to forgive as we have been forgiven, to love as we have been loved, to show mercy as we have been shown mercy. We are called to reflect God's grace in our words, in our actions, in our lives.

Transition. So, let us grasp this gift of grace. Let us recognize our need for it, receive it with open hearts, rely on it in every moment of our lives, and reflect it in all that we do. For it is by grace we have been saved, through faith, and this is not from ourselves, it is the gift of God.

Guarding Against Ungratefulness

As we continue to immerse ourselves in the Word, we find ourselves standing at the precipice of a crucial juncture in our faith journey ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO