The understanding of grace is the foundation for a love motivated relationship with God, rather than one that is works motivated. People from a religious background or having grown up in the church can struggle with having a Pharisee mind set, knowing the requirements of Christian life, but missing the heart motivation.
Similarly, overachievers (in the world or the Kingdom) are valued by others and themselves based on their performance.
The purpose of this study is to build security, self- esteem and worth based on God’s forgiving love and not on their Christian duty or perfect performance.
Introduction:
1. What is grace?
A. Undeserved forgiveness & unmerited favor.
B. An “in-spite-of” kind of love.
C. Acceptance even without perfect performance.
D. Real Love
Share examples from own life.
2. Where does grace come from?
A. A Christian receives the substitution of Jesus’ righteousness for their sinfulness.
2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
B. After baptism, the blood of Jesus covers over my sins allowing me to be justified: ” just-as-if-I’d-never-sinned”
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
INPUT = OUR PART. OUT = GOD’S VIEW
Sin. G Forgiveness
R
Imperfection. A Perfection
C
Filthy heart. E A sinless heart
Bottom line: Grace is almost too good to be true, but it is! The goal of this study is to help you see the real God who loves you and how valuable you are to him. He valued you at the cost of his son, who he gave up so that there could be grace to forgive your sins and restore your relationship with him.
3. How does God actually treat us?
Psalms 103:8-10
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
Q: What are some of the sins in your life?
Q: What do you deserve for them?
A. Punishment, what sort? removal of privileges, gifts of God, jail, blessings taken away.
B. Not to be trusted by people?
Bottom line: God sees everything that we do and think, and he knows what we deserve, yet, it is his grace that gives us forgiveness rather than punishment.
Romans 8:1-2 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
Q: What does “no condemnation” mean?
A. No punishment.
B. Not feeling “in the Dog house”
C. Not feeling like God or others are looking down on you.
Bottom Line: We can never earn Grace. Grace comes through Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins and frees us from the condemnation that we deserve because of our sins.
Galatians 3:26-27 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Q: What does it mean to be clothed in Christ?
Q: What are we without Christ? Naked before God?
Analogy of putting on shirt over leprosy so that your able to talk without distraction.
Bottom line: We are never good enough, healed enough to come and talk to God, yet we always can unless we take off the clothing of Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:9-11
For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them –yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.
Q: What is Paul because of Grace?
A. A forgiven man.
B. A Christian.
Q: What effect did God’s grace have Paul?
A. He worked hard for God
B. He lived his whole life for Christ.
C. He was a very grateful man.
Bottom line: When we get Grace, it completely changes our lives (Analogy do net under Golden Gate Bridge)
There is no fear in grace and there is incredible security.
Q: What should God’s grace produce in you? Does it?
Q: How should you respond to God’s grace? Will you?
Challenge:
Write a one page letter to God expressing your understanding of his grace and your gratitude for his grace. What you will change and why.