Our Responsibility To Respect God’s Grace pt. 1 “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! ... (Romans 6:14-15) For each will have to bear his own load. Galatians 6:5 (ESV)

Grace pt. 1 What is Grace?

Grace pt. 1 Grace is the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings Grace is mind-blowing in that it shows us God loves us based on the simple fact that He has chosen to love us, not because we can contribute anything to Him or have earned His love.

Grace pt. 1 How can we misuse God’s grace?

Grace pt. 1 Notice Romans 3:24: “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” It is through Christ that we receive God’s grace; and if we didn’t receive that grace, we would die in our sins and never have an opportunity to live forever. That's the actual story of grace, and it's a million times better than the cheap "sin now/pray later" mentality many of us settle for.

Grace pt. 1 Grace is a free gift. It cannot be earned, but neither can one automatically receive it. Notice some examples of those who receive God’s grace. Those who have faith: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1-2).

Grace pt. 1 Grace-examples of those who receive it Those who are humble: 1 Peter 5:5 says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” James also confirmed this: “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’” (James 4:6). Those who are forgiven: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

Grace pt. 1 While we shouldn’t obey God to earn His love or out of fear, we neglect that we are to obey out of faith. We believe, and His Word proves, that what He says is better than what we want. We’re saved by faith alone, but our faith should lead to obedience

Grace pt. 1 God, through His grace, gives us the blessing of having our sins forgiven and eventually receiving eternal life. But we now have to take the responsibility to change direction in our walk of life, leaving behind our old and sinful ways of life. We can never earn God’s grace, as Ephesians 2:8-9 points out: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Grace pt. 1 With that in mind, notice verse 10: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” After a person repents of sin and is baptized and receives the Holy Spirit, he or she must begin to live by those “good works” as a new creature, whose mind is now focused on serving God and fellow man. We must choose and take responsibility for an outlook and lifestyle that is different from what it had been when we were not saved.

Grace pt. 1 We tend to use the phrase “we’re saved by faith and not works” as an excuse for not living “holy” lives. In reality, our faith should be what drives us to holy living. Trusting that God’s wisdom and knowledge are superior to our own thoughts and desires will lead to obeying what He says.

Grace pt. 1 Although disobedience certainly doesn’t make us lose our salvation, it should create conflict in our hearts because we are acting in a way that is contrary to what we believe. The Gospel is inherently life-changing A true encounter with saving grace will naturally radically change your heart to reflect more righteousness—not to permit more unrighteousness.

Grace pt. 1 This doesn’t mean you will immediately stop sinning or never struggle. It just means that we shouldn't stop struggling. Accepting defeat isn't living as a slave to righteousness but it can mean we are lazy/slothful about our walk with God. An encounter with this grace drastically alters your life. Again, Paul points this out: “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4).

Grace pt. 1 You can’t intimately know the God of the universe and experience the extravagant grace He has poured out and yet, still be convinced that your sin is not a big deal and you’ve got something better going on than what He can offer you with righteousness. An encounter with God’s grace should drastically alter your life.

Grace pt. 1 The understanding of what it has accomplished for you gives you a perspective beyond just your own pleasures and habits. Even more than just changing the way you view life, it changes the way you live as it works in your heart over the course of your lifetime.

Next Week Topic: Our Responsibility To Respect God’s Grace pt. 2 Scrip. Titus 2:7, Rom. 6:14-19; Heb. 12:28

Reference What Is Grace? by Florante Siopan and John Foster (life, hope & truth) Grace Doesn’t Mean You Get to Do Whatever You Want , By Bethany Shaeffer