Grace

What is grace?

John 8:1–11 NLT

1 Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. 4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” 6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. 9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

The leaders bringing the woman in front of Jesus here speaks of who Jesus is and how He was perceived

Jesus was perceived as someone who would give grace above all else

If He would have said to stone her, He would have looked harsh

also, The roman government had taken the ability to enforce capital punishment from the jews.

If He where to let her go, he would be validating her sin

The law for capital punishment for that time was extremely strict.

Explain

We are favored as a child is favored to their parents

Ephesians 2:1–6 NLT

1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. 4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

This interaction shows us what His heart is for us

It is not by works we are saved

it is not by our own merit we are saved

it is ONLY by HIs grace

God’s grace is unmerited divine favor

Unmerited- not deserving, not earned

His love for us transcends our understanding and our laws

THIS is what changes hearts

Romans 5:8 NLT

8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

It is His undying, unchanging love for us that my heart years to be with Him

what other relationship in the world is this loyal?

while we where apart from Christ, our sin putting Him on that cross, He still died for us, for His love for us.

He has provided a way for us, to be with us

Where are your accusers?

They are no more

so it is with us, when we give Jesus our lives, we are no longer owned by our sin and flesh

No-one can condemn us and no-one can separate us from the love of God

Romans 8:38–39 NLT

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This is the love of our father

even death could not stop His love for us

it is undying and forever

His love inspires me to follow Him, not out of duty or religion, but for His love alone, it impacts my heart on a level beyond anyone else

We get caught up in temperamental love, superficial love, and love that is purely emotion

When love that will never fail, last forever, and was paid with life itself approaches us, we tend to not understand the reality of it.