Our Grace Full LIves

Intro
- Not all people are graceful (bike story)
- But God is full of grace

What is grace?
- Mercy vs. Grace (thing)
- God's presence (Spirit)
- Relational (response)

God is present throughout our lives on earth
The question is: Have we responded to God's grace

1. Prevenient grace (universal)
- Prevent defense (keeps disaster from happening, common grace, annuls original guilt)
- Prevent offense (prepares, makes ready, creation, conscience)
- Age of Responsibility

2. Convicting grace (universal at one point or another it seems)
- Convict (you realize your guilt, HS makes you aware, John 16:8, 13)
- Response is repentance instead of other methods of dealing with sin

3. Justifying grace (many)
- Pardon by faith in Jesus' blood
- Romans 5:1-2 "this grace"
- Response of peace (5:1) and security (5:9)

4. Sanctifying grace (a process toward perfection)
- 1 John 1:9 (forgiveness AND purification)
- Romans 6:19-23 (now go on to holiness/sanctification)
- 1 Thes. 4:3 (God's will that you be sanctified)
- Fruit of the Spirit

5. Empowering grace (ready for service)
- Gifts of the Spirit
- Service in the Spirit
- You become prevenient grace to others

Conclusion
- When we try to do it ourself, we end up like my bike story
- But when we respond to grace, we can reach the summit