Simple, Yet Profound Series

Series: Amazing!

“SIMPLE, YET PROFOUND”

EPHESIANS 2:4-9

This morning, we start a new message series called, “Amazing.” We’re going to attempt to grasp the meaning of grace, how it works in our lives, and how we begin to accept God’s grace and extend his grace as we live our everyday lives

Grace is a simple word – only five letters. Even though it’s simple to spell, its meaning is profound. Here are some adjectives that have been used to describe God’s grace: amazing, marvelous, wonderful, matchless, saving, all-sufficient, and mysterious.

Eph. 2:4-9 – But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

We’re going to start off today by making an acronym out of the word “grace.” An acronym is an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word all of its own.

Some acronyms have become part of our vocabulary through the years. One notable is the word “laser” which is an acronym for “light amplification by the stimulated emission of radiation.” Another notable example is the word “scuba” as in scuba diving with a scuba mask and scuba tanks. “Scuba” stands for “self-contained breathing apparatus.”

As we look at the word “grace” as an acronym, we begin to see some of its complexity. We also begin to see how amazing, marvelous, wonderful, matchless, saving, all-sufficient, and mysterious it is.

GOD

In this acronym, “G” stand for God. We can’t understand grace until we understand God’s role in grace and how grace emanates from God. The whole process of grace starts with God.

What is grace? The word “grace” in the original language of the New Testament simply means “gift.” Grace=gift. A gift is not something we earn. It is not something we deserve. A gift is something we receive because of the graciousness of the person who gives the gift.

If grace is a gift, what gift does God want to give us so fervently and passionately that he would go to great length so that we get this gift? To understand that gift, we have to understand God’s ultimate desire for our lives. Some people believe that God exists to give them things – material possessions. Others believe that God wants to give them a good life. God may graces us with either or both of those two things but neither one express God’s ultimate desire for our lives.

One of the things that make birthday parties and Christmas mornings so pleasurable is that we get to unwrap our gifts. Are you ready to unwrap God’s gift and see what it is? Alright, here we go.

The gift that God wants us to have above all else is himself. God wants to give me himself. That’s what grace is all about. God wants a personal and intimate relationship with us. God’s grace arises from his love for us.

In 2 Cor. 9, Paul talks about the importance of giving from our resources to help those in need. In vs. 14, he describes God’s grace as “surpassing grace.” God went above and beyond in giving this gift. Then in vs. 15, he says: Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

REACHING

Grace is all about God reaching out to us. God takes the initiative in this grace relationship. God did not wait for you to come to Him. God pursued a relationship with you.

In fact, God created you for the purpose of having a relationship with you.

We are not here by blind chance and evolutionary processes. God is a Creator God

Gen. 1:1 – In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Then later in Gen. 1:26-27 – Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

We’re not accidents of nature but creations of Almighty God. When God went to the drawing board and designed you, He did it with the express intent of loving you and of having a relationship with you.