There isn’t a 23-part answer to the question. You don’t need to go to seminary to discover it.

The Bible gives an easy, three-word answer for how you receive the grace of God: by trusting Christ.

The Bible says in John 1:17, “For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ” (NLT).

God’s grace is entirely wrapped up in a person: Jesus. You can’t get it through religion or ritual. You can’t get it by following the rules.

You get it through Jesus.

God’s grace is free. You simply need to accept it.

But let me be very clear: God’s grace is not cheap. It cost Jesus his life. Grace is the most expensive commodity there is. Jesus died on the cross to pay for it.

Jesus’ death on the cross accomplished three things in our lives:

• It paid the penalty for sin. Someone had to pay for the penalty for our sin. If you have a relationship with Jesus, he has taken care of your penalty.
• It broke the power of sin. Jesus’ death on the cross gives us the power to change the habits, hurts, and hang-ups that derail our lives.
• The presence of sin will be obliterated. One day all who follow Jesus will go to heaven, where there won’t be any sin.

The costly grace God offers will change everything about your life.

You just have to accept it!

God put you on Earth for a purpose. He has a mission that only you can fulfill. Part of that mission is to tell other people the Good News of God’s grace. You know Christ because somebody told you about him. Who will you tell?

If somebody died for you, wouldn’t you want to know about it? Jesus died for every single person in the world. This weekend, the typical American will sit at home watching TV, with a soda or beer, maybe reading the newspaper, kicked back and relaxed—and totally unaware that Jesus Christ died for them and unaware of the grace that is available to them.

The Bible tells us in 2 Peter 3:9 that the Lord is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. God wants everybody in his family, and because God cares, we must care.

The way we show our gratitude for the grace of God is by making our own lives count, by living a life of extravagant generosity, and by telling as many people as we can about the Good News.

Isaiah 1:18 says, “No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow” (TLB).

If ever there were a sin you’d think was unforgivable, it would be denying Jesus three times on the night he was betrayed. But Jesus knew Peter would deny him, and he even knew Peter would come back to him. In fact, before it even happened, Jesus said to Peter in the Upper Room, “I have pleaded in prayer for you that your faith should not completely fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and build up the faith of your brothers” (Luke 22:32 TLB).

Jesus knew that Peter’s ministry would be more effective after his denial than it was before. And, sure enough, it was! Peter wrote two of the books of the Bible called 1 and 2 Peter. Then he shared his memoirs with a relative, and that’s the gospel of Mark.

You may think God’s forgotten you. He hasn’t. The Good Shepherd leaves the 99 sheep to go after the one. He knows how you’ve fallen away. Whether it’s happened through one giant step or a series of petty steps that have left you not as close to Christ as you used to be, you need to pray what David prayed when he came back to God after committing adultery. He said, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation” (Psalm 51:12 NLT). David did not have to pray, “God, restore to me my salvation,” because he hadn’t lost his salvation. He had lost the joy.

Why not come home to Christ today?