The story is told that in a great debate about what makes Christianity unique that C.S. Lewis gave the answer, “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.” Lewis stated that Christianity has a unique claim that God’s love comes free of charge with no strings attached. He also said that there was NO other religion on earth that could make this claim. That is true, and yet I believe one of the greatest sins and one sin that is committed more often than many others by God’s people today is that of taking God’s grace for granted. What does it mean to take something or someone for granted? TAKE FOR GRANTED = to fail to properly appreciate, especially as a result of over familiarity; to presume the presence of something or someone; to fail to show gratitude for someone or something. This often happens when we become accustomed to having something or someone around and assume it/they will always be there. As the definition says, it involves a lack of gratitude. Example: An employer may take an employee for granted and then be surprised when that employee quits to go to another job. Example: A child may take his/her parents’ love and constant help for granted, but when he/she gets out on their own, or when Mom and Dad are gone they suddenly realize all their parents did for them and meant to them. We live daily in the grace of God. We know that we are saved by grace - Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.” When we are saved we are “in” Christ, and Christ is “in” us. Colossians 1:27 says “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory . . . ” Now listen to what Paul said to the “superstitious” people of Athens - Acts 17:27-28: “That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: (28) For in him we live, and move, and have our being . . . ” I repeat, we live daily in and by the grace of God! You woke up this morning by the grace of God. Do you Remember what David told Jonathan in I Samuel 20:3? “ . . . there is but a step between me and death.” You will survive this day by the grace of God. All God has to do, for He alone has the power of life and death, is to stop our hearts from beating, and we will leave this life in the flesh. Question: How often do consider, do you think about God’s grace? We sing that wonderful hymn “Amazing Grace,” but do we consider His grace on a daily basis (or just when we sing that hymn)? Do you know when I believe most of God’s people think about God’s grace (if they do at all)? It is probably most often after surviving some tragedy, some accident, or some surgery or illness. Then we may consider, “Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come. 'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.” I say (for a third time) we are to understand that we live daily by and in God’s grace. I want us to consider just two questions today:

I. WHAT IS GRACE?

II. HOW DO WE TAKE THE GRACE OF GOD FOR GRANTED?