God’s grace is one of the most important and liberating concepts in the Christian faith. However, Pastor Kyle Idleman says we often live with false assumptions about God’s grace that keep us from experiencing it the way God intended. Kyle shares two false assumptions about grace.

Assumption one: Jesus wants nothing to do with me.

Kyle says that when we first get introduced to God’s grace we usually react to it in one of two ways.

“We either think, I don’t really need it, or we say, that might be true for everybody, but it’s not true for me, I’ve done too much, I’ve said too much, I’ve gone too far. That’s where the attitude of Jesus wants nothing to do with me can sneak in.”

According to Kyle, it’s not that we don’t want grace, it is that we don’t think grace wants us.

“We think we’ve somehow disqualified ourselves from receiving God’s grace. If you go apply for something like a car loan, great rates are available, but it’s to those with approved credit.  You get your credit checked and you find out that it’s not for me, it’s for other people.”

Grace, however, is not a car loan, it is a priceless gift.

“It’s not about being good enough, it’s about what God has done for you through Jesus that allows Christ to meet us where we are at.”

Assumption two: Jesus’s offer is too good to be true.

“It doesn’t take long for us to put up walls when someone breaks our trust. I think our culture very much has a cynical approach towards life. We don’t want to be the person that buys into the late-night infomercial and we end up buying something we regret later.”

As a result of this, Kyle says that many in the church have a spirit of cynicism because deep down they buy the lie that God’s offer of grace is too good to be true.

“It’s the arms-crossed spirit, people are listening to it and there’s just this spirit of unbelief. This may not seem real, it might not seem possible, but it’s true, here’s how it’s been true for me, and it can be true for you as well. The beauty of God’s grace is that no matter where you are, it will meet you there.”


Kyle Idleman is the Teaching Minister at Southeast Christian Church located in Louisville, Ky with over 22,000 in attendance every weekend. He’s a guest speaker for regional and national conventions around the country and regularly speaks for some of America’s most influential churches. Kyle shares more thoughts on God’s gift of grace in his book  .

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False assumptions about grace