Thankful for God’s Grace

Title: A Thankful Heart for God’s Unfailing Grace Scripture: Ephesians 2:4–9, 2 Corinthians 12:9–10

Introduction

When a person works an eight-hour day and receives a fair day’s pay for his time, that is wage. When a person competes with an opponent and receives a trophy for his performance, that is a prize. When a person receives appropriate recognition for his long service or high achievements, that is an award. But when a person is not capable of earning a wage, can win no prize, and deserves no award—yet receives such a gift anyway—that is a good picture of God’s unmerited favor. This is what we mean when we talk about the grace of God. (Clip-Art Features for Newsletters, G.W. Knight, p. 53). “Sometimes, we are overwhelmed when someone shows us kindness we didn’t earn. That’s just a small taste of God’s amazing grace, the undeserved favor He pours out on us every day. Today, we’re going to explore what it means to have a heart full of gratitude for God’s grace.”

Point 1: Understanding the Gift of Grace (Ephesians 2:4–9)

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Explanation: Paul writes that we are saved by grace through faith, not by our works. Grace is God’s unmerited favor—His love and salvation offered freely to us despite our sin. When we grasp the enormity of this gift, our natural response should be profound gratitude.

Supporting Scripture:

Romans 3:23–24 - “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”Titus 3:5–7 - God saved us because of His mercy, not because of anything we have done.

Illustration: Share the story of John Newton was an English evangelical Anglican cleric and slavery abolitionist. He had previously been a captain of slave ships and an investor in the slave trade. He served as a sailor in the Royal Navy (after forced recruitment) and was himself enslaved for a time in West Africa.

As former slave trader who experienced God’s grace and went on to write the hymn Amazing Grace. Newton’s transformation demonstrates how God’s grace reaches even the most broken and undeserving.

Application: Encourage the congregation to reflect on their own salvation story. Challenge them to thank God daily for the grace that saved them, even when they didn’t deserve it. Suggest they share their testimony with someone this week to express gratitude for God’s work in their lives.

Point 2: Living in the Power of Grace (2 Corinthians 12:9–10)

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Explanation: In 2 Corinthians, Paul writes about his “thorn in the flesh,” a weakness he asked God to remove. God’s response was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” This shows that grace is not just about salvation—it’s the daily strength God gives us to endure and thrive in our weakness.

Supporting Scripture:

Hebrews 4:16 - “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”Psalm 46:1 - God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Illustration: There is a story about Bob Vernon, formerly with the Los Angeles Police Department, he would tell of how the Department would test bullet-proof vests and demonstrate to rookie officers their value by placing them on mannequins and then shooting round after round at them. They’d then check to see if any of the rounds penetrated the vests. Invariably the vests would pass the test with flying colors. Vernon would then turn to the rookie officers and ask, “So who wants to wear it now instead of the mannequin?” (Lou Nicholes - Missionary/Author).

Application: Ask the congregation to identify areas where they feel weak or inadequate. Encourage them to bring these areas to God in prayer, trusting in His grace to sustain them. Gratitude for God’s daily grace grows when we experience His power in our weaknesses.

Point 3: Extending Grace to Others (Colossians 3:12–13)

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Explanation: As recipients of grace, we are called to reflect God’s grace to others. Colossians 3:12–13 tells us to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, forgiving as the Lord forgave us. Thankfulness for God’s grace should inspire us to be gracious in our relationships.

Supporting Scripture:

Matthew 5:7 - “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”Luke 6:36 - “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Illustration:

A mother once approached Napoleon seeking a pardon for her son. The emperor replied that the young man had committed a certain offense twice, and justice demanded death. “But I don’t ask for justice,” the mother explained. “I plead for grace & mercy.” “But your son does not deserve grace & mercy,” Napoleon replied. “Sir,” the woman cried, “it would not be grace & mercy if he deserved it, and grace & mercy is all I ask for.” “Well, then,” the emperor said, “I will have grace & mercy.” And he spared the woman’s son. (Luis Palau, “Experiencing God’’s Forgiveness“, Multnomah Press, 1984)

Application: Challenge the congregation to practice extending grace this week—whether it’s forgiving someone, showing kindness to a difficult person, or helping someone in need. As they do, they can thank God for the grace they’ve received and allow it to flow through them to others.

Conclusion

Reflect on the hymn Amazing Grace, which captures the heart of this message.

Imagine yourself invited to a banquet in the White House by the president of the United States. You are seated at a table that is filled with choice foods. Every effort is made to give you a most enjoyable evening. At the end of a lovely visit, the president stands at the door to bid you good-bye. What do you do? As you leave do you press a dime into his hand and say, “Thank you very much for your kindness. I realize it has cost you a lot of money, and I want to help you pay for the meal.” Is that the proper response to his kindness? On the contrary, it would be a very rude and insulting gesture. So, it would be with God’s grace. (William MacDonald, The Grace of God - Swindoll’s Book of Illustrations, p. 250).

To seek to earn, merit, or purchase salvation is to insult the Giver.