GRACE
UNDERSTANDING CHURCH UNIVERSAL & LOCAL
I will build my church; and all the powers of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18 – Living Bible)
I have the constant worry of how the churches are getting along. (2 Corinthians 11:28 – Living Bible)
The Bible speaks often of the importance of church membership.
In the New Testament, believers clearly identified themselves with a specific local body and were challenged to become devoted participants.
At LifePointe, we have summarized the components of church membership using what we call -
THE 6 G’S
GRACE
GROWTH
GROUP
GIFTS
GIVING
GOING
GOD IS A GOD OF GRACE
Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be His through our union with Christ . . .
because of His love, God already decided that through Jesus Christ He would make us His children – this was God’s pleasure and purpose. (Ephesians 1:4-5)
WHY WE NEED GRACE
ISSUE: We think that salvation is something we can achieve on our own
PROBLEM 1: I can be good enough to get to heaven
For I was born a sinner--yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
(Psalm 51:5 – New Living Translation)
Everyone has sinned and fallen short of God's glorious standard. (Romans 3:23- New Century Version)
Anyone who tries to keep all of the Law but fails at one point is guilty of failing to keep all of it.
(James 2:10 – Contemporary English Bible)
PROBLEM 2: I can work hard enough to get to heaven
We're all sin-infected, sin-contaminated. Our best efforts are grease-stained rags. (Isaiah 64:6 – The Message)
All of us have been sinful; even our best actions are filthy through and through. (Isaiah 64:6 – Good News Bible
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this . . . Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (Ephesians 2:8-9 – New Living Translation)
GOD’S GRACE IS REVEALED THROUGH CHRIST’S DEATH
But your wrongs have separated you from your God, and your sins have made him hide his face so that he doesn’t hear you. (Isaiah 59:2 – God’s Word Translation)
That’s what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others’ sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones.
He went through it all— was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God. (1 Peter 3:18 – The Message)
But God is so rich in mercy; he loved us so much that even though we were spiritually dead and doomed by our sins,
he gave us back our lives again only by his grace have we ever been saved . . . all because of what Christ Jesus did. (Ephesians 2:4-8 – Living Bible)
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8 – Living Bible)
Our sin separates us from God, but when Christ died on the cross, he brought us back to God
When Jesus died on the cross, he proves how much God loves us
RESPONDING TO GRACE WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
DO vs. DONE
He saved us because of his mercy, not because of any good things we did.
(Titus 3:5 – Easy To Read Version)
ACHIEVED vs. RECEIVED
He gave the right and the power to become children of God to those who received Him. (John 1:12 – New Life Version)
RELIGION vs. RELATIONSHIP
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in.
(Revelation 3:20 – New Century Version)
Let’s Pray