Bible Studies

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Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.( John Newton 7-24-1725 -- 12-21-1807 )

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound...” So begins one of the most beloved hymns of all times. The author of the words was John Newton, the self-proclaimed wretch who once was lost but then was found, saved by God's amazing grace. ( Ephesians 2:8-9)

Yes, it is by this same grace that we all come to know God, through His Son Jesus Christ's sacrificial death at Calvary's Cross, as payment for our inbred sin. ( Ephesians 2:4-5 )

I started out marking scriptures, addressing God's free grace, and gave up as I found that I was marking up the entire Bible. For you see, God's grace is found everywhere in the Bible. ( 2 Peter 3:18)

Human nature, being what it is states, " my life is my own and I can do with it what I choose". Oops, there's no room for human pride, in God's plan of Salvation. ( Romans 3:23 )

Realizing, of course, God gave us all life and also the power to choose right from wrong. So, we either choose the love of God's free grace and give our life over to Him, by our faith in Jesus Christ. Or, we choose to continue with our prideful sin, trying to work our way to heaven, buy our way to heaven or rely on a friend to get us into heaven. However, this just will not work as there is only one way in, ( John 14:6) regardless what is being taught in some "religious" circles now-a-days. You noticed

I said "religious" not "Christian ". I hope and pray that no Christian church, holding to the true gospel, ( 1 Cor 15:3-4 ) will ever preach anything but the way to salvation, is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

You see, we must all, at some point in our lives, choose to follow God or continue in the sinful ways of man. This is due to the inherited sin, from the Garden of Eden. ( Geneses 3:1-7) ( Romans 3:23) One way is easy, the ways of man, while the other way is hard, following God. The easy way leads to destruction, While the hard way leads to eternal life with God. ( Matthew 7:13-14)

To enter the narrow gate, mentioned by Jesus, one must leave "self' behind. On the other hand, to enter the broad gate, there is no limit to ones traits, such as self righteousness, pride, hatred, envy, discord, etc.
The narrow way is all about God offering His free grace to an underserved world. While the broad way, is Satan's fake prosperity ( 1 Thess 5:21) ( Rev 12:9) .

I even believe God had His free grace in mind, as He formed our first parents, Adam and Eve. He stated they were created in His own image. ( Genesis 1:26) And one of the attributes, of His image, is His free grace.

In addition, God needed a way for man to be redeemed, after the fall in the Garden of Eden.( Genesis 3:15) So, the free grace has always been a part of God's plan for mankind. ( Ephesians 2:8-9)

The Apostle Paul alone talked more about grace, than any other subject. It was by God's free grace that Paul was gloriously saved. ( Romans 1:1-5) ( Romans 5:1-2) ( Ephesians 2:4-9) ( 2 Cor 12:8-9 ) ( Acts 4:33) 9 Acts 20:32)

Once we are saved by God's free grace, we need to continually come to God's throne of grace, so that we may have spiritual help when it's needed. ( Hebrews 4:16)

Let us now look at the characteristic of God's free grace.

WHAT IS GRACE?
It is the free unearned, unmerited favor of God. In other words, it is God's goodness that we don't deserve. ( Ephesians 1:3-6)

WHAT DOES GRACE DO?
Grace saves us by way of nothing we could do. We can't earn grace, we can't work for grace and friends can't give it to us. ( Ephesians 2:8-9) Grace also justifies us because of the grace of Jesus. ( Romans 3:24) ( Titus 3:7)

GRACE SANCTIFIES AND KEEPS US
As we grow in grace, we grow in faith. As we grow in grace, the Lord perfects, establishes and strengthens us
As we grow in grace, we receive Gods power. ( 2 Peter 3:18)

GRACE IS GIVEN AS NEEDED God gives us grace, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to meet any propensities. God defiantly sets Himself against the proud and haughty, by giving grace as needed. ( James 4: 6) God's grace also enables us to stand firm against the evil opposition.( 2 Tim 2:1) ( Ephesians 6:10-11)

Often times from a human perspective, we worry about what God has done and what we should be doing. Thus, we tend to fall short of our ideas, our principles, our convictions, and our hope. We feel that we don’t have the power to make the Christian Life and ministry practical and real. And we don't feel it is possible to talk about love, when we may be bound by selfishness. This is mainly due to a misunderstanding and neglect, concerning God's free grace. (Ephesians 3:19) ( 2 Peter 3:18) ( 1 John 5:3)

Then again, grace is not a cover for rebellion and willful disobedience. Grace is not a license to commit sin, as grace both pardons us and empowers us to live right, without falling into temptation. And grace teaches us Godliness. ( Romans 6:15)

God has never given any commandants to follow Him, without giving us the ability to live out what He is talking about. ( 2 Peter 1:2-4) ( 1 Cor 10:13)

REMEMBER, GRACE IS:
G--God’s
R--Redemption
A--At
C--Christ’s
E--Expense

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