Grace

You will be glad you took the time to read this. Grace is a commonly misunderstood word. So, we will start by defining how the word is used in this pamphlet.

What is grace?

Grace, as we are using it, means “undeserved favor.” In other words, we get something good we do not deserve. If something given to us is because of something we have done then it is not of grace … we earned it.

Why would we need grace?

Well, in our case, we need God’s grace because we have fallen short of the reason we were created. Mankind was created by God to be the stewards of His physical creation and we were to show forth His glory while obeying Him and being thankful for His blessings.

Romans 1:21 …when they [all humans] knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Adam and Eve were the first man and woman and they disobeyed God. They were not thankful for everything God had given them and disobeyed the boundaries God had given them. This brought sin and death into the world.

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned…

We all are born sinners because of this and all of us die as a result. After we die, we face God and He judges our life and works. If we have not lived a perfect life in the eyes of God then we face eternal wrath from God in a real place called hell.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment…

Some people think that they are good enough to earn God’s favor. But the word of God tells us that nobody is good and nobody is righteous in God’s eyes.

Romans 3:11-12 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

This is why we need undeserved favor from God. In fact, it is of God’s grace that you are reading this now!

Is God’s grace available to us?

Yes! According to God’s word, God sent His son Jesus Christ to die for our sins. He suffered on Calvary’s cross as our perfect substitute and then rose from the dead. God did what we cannot do and He offers forgiveness and eternal life freely to all sinners. This is grace!

John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

How do we get grace from God?

The only “requirements” are to humbly acknowledge our sinfulness, and completely trust in Jesus as our Savior.

1 John 1:8-9 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Romans 10:11-13 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Have you had your first grace day?

You see, grace is good news, but it is also bad news! It is good news because you can come “empty handed” to God for His grace. It is bad news for those who try to come to God with any “good works” of their own. This simply will not work! To do so makes grace no longer to be grace.

Are your hands empty? Are you ready to simply cling to Jesus Christ who died for your sins? If so, then this is your first grace day! If you do not know what to say to God while accepting His gift, feel free to use the following prayer as an example (simply repeating a prayer will not save you; you must make Christ your own by believing God’s Word from your heart).

“Dear God, I come before you empty-handed. I bring nothing of my own to earn your grace. I thank you for offering me the gift of eternal life through your son Jesus Christ. I know that I am a sinner and need Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I accept Him now and I’ll confess Jesus to others so that they may also receive this great gift of grace. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

What do I do now?

Make it known that you have been saved! One way you can make it known you have accepted Jesus as your savior is by posting a tweet on your twitter account (if you have one) with the hash tag #MyFirstGraceDay.

You can post on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HaveAGraceDay or send an email to myfirstgraceday@haveagraceday.org.

The next thing to do is find a local Bible-believing church in your area and get connected with them so you can grow in grace with other believers. They will also introduce you to baptism, which is one of the two ordinances of the local church.

The Adventures of Grace Man is an online ministry (www.graceman.org) that exists to help believers know what it means to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Feel free to visit and share it with others as well.

Welcome to God’s family. We are praying for you and hope to hear from you soon. Have a grace day every day!

“Have a Grace Day” is a trademark of Have a Grace Day Ministries.