claim when he said, “I am the way, and the truth,
fail to please him and apologize, but because he
and the life. No one comes to the Father except
wants to be your Father. Nothing more. All your
through me” (John 14:6, ESV). Confess that you
efforts to win his affection are unnecessary. All
have sinned and ask God’s forgiveness. Invite
your fears of losing his affection are needless.
him into your life and ask for God’s help to turn
You can no more make him want you than you
from your sin. If you wholeheartedly believe these
can convince him to abandon you. The adoption
things and want to become a part of God’s forever
is irreversible. You have a place at his table.
family, you can pray something like this:
If you have already accepted God’s offer into
Dear God, I admit that I am a sinner and need
his family through placing your faith in Jesus
your forgiveness. I accept Jesus Christ as my Savior,
Christ, then you can have confidence in your
who gave his life for my sins. I entrust my life to you,
status as God’s child. The Bible promises that
Father God. Please come into my life and help me live
nothing “in all creation will be able to separate
a life that pleases you. Amen.
us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39, ESV).
If you have not yet accepted God’s offer into
his family, you can do so right now. Not because you’ve earned it. But because he loves you and because the gift of salvation is available to all who profess him as Lord. Believe that God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in your place for your sins. Believe that Jesus rose from the dead after three days, showing that God accepted him as your substitute. Believe Jesus’
Good News Tracts 1300 Crescent Street Wheaton, IL 60187 Free Bible Club To learn more about the truth of the Bible enroll in the Truth Chasers Clubsm. (A ministry of CEF®). Sign up at www.truthchasersclub.com or mail your name, age, and address to PO Box 190 Warrenton MO 63383 to get started.
©2013 Good News Tracts. Printed in U.S.A. Taken from Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine by Max Lucado ©2012. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. For more information, visit www.thomasnelson.com. Bible references: Various.
because you try to please him and succeed, or
Max Lucado
MORE THAN WE DESERVE
G R E AT E R T H A N W E I M A G I N E
Long ago, even before he made the world, God
All of grace, I believe, is God’s definitive reply:
choices. You are God’s child. You get to call him
loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without
“Be blessed, my child. I accept you. I have adopted
“Papa.” You may approach God with “boldness”
fault in his eyes. His unchanging plan has always been
you into my family.”
and “confidence” (Ephesians 3:12). You receive
to adopt us into his own family by bringing us
the blessings of his special love (1 John 4:9–11)
to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave
not the case with biological children. When the
and provision (Luke 11:11–13). And you will
doctor handed Max Lucado to Jack Lucado, my
inherit the riches of Christ and reign with him
dad had no exit option. No loophole. No choice.
forever (Romans 8:17).
him great pleasure. —Ephesians 1:4–5 (NLT)
There is something in you that God loves. Not
Adopted children are chosen children. That’s
He couldn’t give me back to the doctor and ask
just appreciates or approves but loves. You cause
for a better-looking or smarter son. The hospital
love. We were wired to receive it. The words I
his eyes to widen, his heart to beat faster. He loves
made him take me home. But if you were adopted,
give you are God’s. Receive them slowly. Don’t fil-
your parents chose you. They wanted you in their
ter, resist, downplay, or deflect them. Just receive
you. And he accepts you. Don’t we all yearn to know this? Or are there times when you feel like asking God, “Do you know who I am? In the great scheme of things, do I count for anything? Do I matter?”
So many messages tell us we don’t. We get laid
family. You object: “Oh, but if they could have seen the rest of my life, they might have changed their minds.” My point exactly.
God saw our entire lives from beginning to end,
birth to hearse, and in spite of what he saw, he was
off at work, turned away by the school. Everything
still convinced to adopt us into his own family by
from acne to Alzheimer’s leaves us feeling like the
bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And
girl with no date to the prom.
We react. We validate our existence with a flurry
of activity. We do more, buy more, achieve more.
this gave him great pleasure (Ephesians 1:5).
It really is this simple. To accept God’s grace is
to accept God’s offer to be adopted into his family. Your identity is not in your possessions, talents,
We never outgrow our need for the Father’s
them.
My child, I want you in my new kingdom. I have
swept away your offenses like the morning clouds, your sins like the morning mist. I have redeemed you. The transaction is sealed; the matter is settled. I, God, have made my choice. I choose you to be part of my forever family.
Let these words cement in your heart a deep,
satisfying, fear-quenching confidence that God will never let you go. You belong to him.
All our wrestlings, I suppose, are merely asking
tattoos, kudos, or accomplishments. Nor are you
this question: “Do I matter?”
defined by your divorce, deficiencies, debt, or dumb
instant, that you are loved by your Maker not
To live as God’s child is to know, at this very
claim when he said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, ESV). Confess that you have sinned and ask God’s forgiveness. Invite him into your life and ask for God’s help to turn from your sin. If you wholeheartedly believe these things and want to become a part of God’s forever family, you can pray something like this:
Dear God, I admit that I am a sinner and need
your forgiveness. I accept Jesus Christ as my Savior, who gave his life for my sins. I entrust my life to you, Father God. Please come into my life and help me live a life that pleases you. Amen.
Good News Tracts Grace Based on the book Grace, Max Lucado explains that there is nothing we can do to deserve or earn God’s love—it’s only by God’s grace. Bible references: Various. Package contains 25 tracts.
GENERAL GOSPEL