"Grace? Grace died nearly 30 years ago." That's the famous line from National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. Aunt Bethany was tasked with saying "grace," but she gets confused. Once it's cleared up, she begins to say "grace." However, it wasn't what everyone thought. It was the pledge of allegiance.As my years as a pastor, I've discovered there's a lot of confusion about grace. People get it confused with mercy. Some people think grace is like a paycheck. Others think grace is a gift with strings attached.So what is grace? Romans 4:4-8 gives an answer: "Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”Grace is unmerited favor. It's a gift. It's not earned. It cannot be bought. That's what our salvation is: a gift from God through Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:1-10).Reflect: What is the greatest gift you've received? Why? How does God's gift to you change your life? Respond: God's gift of salvation is not meant to be kept secret. How will you share your gift of salvation with those around you? How can you remind yourself of this gift?We look forward to your comments and questions below!