See To It That No One Misses The Grace Of God
by Tyler Ellis
Director, English With Friends
“On what basis do you believe God will accept you into Heaven or not?”
This is one of my favorite questions to ask people, and I hope (and predict) it will become one of yours as well.
This question is designed to pinpoint the object of a person’s faith. Will they name the name of Jesus or will they appeal to other things as what makes them right with God?
From my experience, the answer given by nine out of ten people sounds like this:
“God is looking for how faithful you have been; if you really loved Him or not, and if you did your absolute best to follow His commandments.”
“I’m unsure, because there’s always more you could be doing for God.”
“I think effort is the difference-maker. I think there’s a big distinction between those who don’t care and those who try.”
“I feel terrified to meet God because I might not be good enough.”
I’ve found that these responses represent all people, regardless of their religious background.
Many people have misconceptions about Christianity, thinking acceptance into Heaven is based on our ability to follow Jesus’ example and obey his teachings.
In reality, Jesus didn’t come to show the way to salvation; he came to be the way.
This sobering realization brings us back to our responsibility to the Great Commission which is echoed throughout the Bible at different times, in different ways, by different people.
One of those passages is Hebrews 12:15 (NIV, 1984), which says, “See to it that no one misses the grace of God.”
In this 25 minute podcast (with supplement slides), Tyler Ellis walks us through this verse, highlighting each of the four phrases, one at a time, beginning with the last phrase and working to the first.
In other words:
- What is “the grace of God”?
- Why are people “missing” it?
- Who does “no one” include?
- What does it mean to “See to it”?