I. MAN BY NATURE IS IN DISGRACE.

1. His speech is a disgrace; Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats. Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues.

2. His walk is a disgrace; heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong,

3. His life is a disgrace; This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.

II. MAN BECAUSE OF HIS NATURE NEEDS SALVATION.

1. He needs to be saved from his sin; For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

2. He needs to be saved from the law’s curse; But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.”

3. He needs to be saved from God’s wrath; And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.

III. MAN’S MEANS OF CHANGING FROM DISGRACE TO GRACE.

1. By the Word of God; For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.

2. By the Holy Spirit; Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

3. By coming to Jesus; However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.

IV. MAN CAN BE SAVED BY GRACE.

1. Grace is sufficient; We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”

2. Grace is the means of forgiveness; He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.

3. Grace is the means of justification; Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.

V. MAN’S JOY CHANGING FROM DISGRACE TO GRACE.

1. He is a new man; Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

2. He has a new standing; 1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

3. He has a new position; So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”

VI. MAN NEEDS TO GROW IN GRACE.

1. Growth comes by the study of the Bible; Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.

2. Growth comes by prayer; There he told them, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.”

3. Growth comes by separation; 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil. 23 Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

VII. MAN IS KEPT BY GRACE.

1. His hands are kept by grace; If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.

2. His mouth is kept by grace; He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.

3. His walk is kept by grace; For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.

AMEN