Grace For The Graceless Series

Introduction – A Gospel that Begins at the Bottom

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)

What a breathtaking way to open the greatest sermon ever preached.

Jesus does not begin the ladder from earth to heaven with “Blessed are the pure in heart.”

If He had, most of us might close the book and sigh, That rules me out.

But Christ starts where everyone can start: “Blessed are the poor in spirit”—blessed are those who know their need.

That opening beatitude signals the heart of the gospel: God meets us in our need with sheer gift.

Eternity is infinite; finite creatures can never earn it.

Salvation has to be free or we will never have it.

The good news of the gospel is that all the good things we want are free.

This is the essence of grace—God’s unimaginable generosity, reaching down where we are and lifting us where we could never climb.

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1 – The Gospel Is Free

Grace is not a reward for moral athletes; it is God’s initiative toward those who cannot pay.

Paul declares:

> “And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.” (Romans 11:6)

Think of what that means:

Eternal life is not wages for work.

Forgiveness is not negotiated settlement.

The Holy Spirit is not a prize for spiritual performance.

Every blessing in Christ is a gift, purchased by Jesus and received by faith.

If the gospel were only, “Be good and God might save you,” it would hardly travel outside its little hometown of legalism.

But when people hear that God justifies the ungodly, that Christ receives sinners and promises that all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven, the message moves “at almost the speed of light.

This is why you and I can come freely, even on our worst day.

Grace opens the door every morning.

Illustration: a friend once said, “I’ll come back to church when I get my life together.”

That’s like saying, “I’ll shower after I’m clean.”

Grace means you come as you are, and the cleansing is God’s gift.

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2 – News Travels Quickly

Bad news travels fast. Good news that is truly good travels even faster.

The gospel is the best of news:

“God justifies the ungodly” (Romans 4:5).

“This man receives sinners” (Luke 15:2).

“Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men” (Matthew 12:31).

Tell that, and watch it cross cultures and continents.

This is exactly what happened in Acts: a handful of fishermen and tax collectors carried the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome and beyond, toppling idols and changing hearts.

Grace, whenever it's presented as a gift, becomes unstoppable.

It breaks through barriers of race, class, and language.

It outruns the slow foot of law with the swift wings of joy.

Grace is not advice about how to climb; it is news about how God came down.

It does not say, If you improve, God might accept you.

It announces, God has accepted you in Christ; believe and live.

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3 – That’s Grace

Grace is not an abstraction; it has names, faces, and promises.

> “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son… (He) did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)

“This Man receives sinners.” (Luke 15:2) — That’s grace.

“Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men.” (Matthew 12:31) — That’s grace.

“The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” (John 6:37) — That’s grace.

Love is grace. Mercy is grace. Joy is grace.

Indeed, you cannot think of any good thing that is not connected to grace in some way.

And there could have been no grace for us apart from the fact that God the Son volunteered to take our place and redeem us.

Grace is not God lowering His standards.

It is God meeting His own holy standard in Christ so He could justly and joyfully embrace sinners.

Grace is not leniency; it is love paying the price.

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4 – Illustrations of Grace

Scripture is a gallery of grace.

Abraham prayed, “O that Ishmael might live before Thee!”

God gave him Isaac and descendants “as numerous as the stars.”

He asked for the life of one and received millions.

That’s grace.

Jacob asked only for bread and water.

When he returned home he was rich in family and flocks.

That’s grace.

The prodigal son resolved merely to be a hired servant.

Instead he was robed, ringed, and welcomed to a feast.

That’s grace.

Christ told many stories about parties but only one about a funeral (Matthew 11:17).