God Looks at You Through Eyes of Grace

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES The Hope of Easter

God Looks at You Through Eyes of Grace By Rick Warren — Apr 4, 2015 “Don’t treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.”(Galatians 2:21 NLT) The Bible says in John 1:17, “The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (NCV). Why through Jesus Christ? Why is Jesus Christ the only way to Heaven? Why not Buddha? Why not somebody else? Jesus Christ is the only way for you to get into Heaven because he paid the price of admission. On the cross, he paid for your sins. Grace is free, no doubt about that. But it is not cheap. It cost Jesus Christ his life. The law tells me when I do wrong. It says, “You blew it!” But Grace says, “You’re forgiven. Here’s how to get back on track. Let’s get going in the right direction.” In the Bible, the favorite description for someone who’s accepted God’s grace is the term “in Christ.” That phrase is used more than 120 times in the New Testament. It refers to somebody who has found salvation through the grace of God. Imagine a notecard that represents my life and a Bible that represents Jesus Christ. In my life, there are a lot of things I’ve done wrong that disqualify me to live in a perfect place like Heaven. There are sins I’ve committed, thoughts and actions that have been hurtful to my relationships. There are things that I’m really ashamed of, things that have left me broken and scarred. When you look at my life — that dirty, torn, ugly notecard — it’s easy to think, “There’s no chance of this getting into Heaven. It’s nowhere close to perfect.” But Jesus Christ takes my life with all its scars, guilt, and shame. When I accept God’s free gift of grace and salvation, I am in Christ. When I’m in Christ, can you see my imperfections? When you put the notecard in the Bible, can you see how messed up it is? All you see is the Bible. And all you can see when I’m in Christ is Christ. When God looks at me with eyes of grace, he only sees the perfection of Jesus Christ. “Don’t treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die” (Galatians 2:21 NLT). If you could have made it to Heaven without any help from God, Jesus wouldn’t have come and died on the cross for you. But there was no other way. You’re either going to get into Heaven in Christ or you’re not going. Grace is God’s riches at Christ’s expense. It’s a free gift. Just accept it in faith! Talk It Over What is it about Jesus’ sacrifice that sets him apart from other religious figures?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38EVco7eba0 Why is it important to understand the relationship between the Law and God’s grace? In what ways do we often treat God’s grace as meaningless? Come to the Father TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]” (Matthew 11:28, AMP) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria Does your soul need refreshing today? You can come to the Father and find what you need. Are you facing challenges in your relationships? Finances? Career? The Father wants to refresh you. He wants to give you rest. Think about that for a moment. What would cause you to rest? If you knew everything was going to work out for your good, you would stop worrying. You would rest! Even if things don’t work out the way you planned or on your timetable, you can trust that God will turn things around in your favor. Today, come to the Father today with thanksgiving. Thank Him right now for taking your burdens and giving you peace. Thank Him for loving you today and giving you new life. Thank Him for His faithfulness! Go out today with an attitude of expectancy. He always has a plan and you can always can come to Him! A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father, I come to You now and give You my cares and burdens. I thank You for working behind the scenes on my behalf. Thank You for loving me and setting me free. Thank You for giving me rest for my soul and peace in my heart today in Jesus’ name. Amen.