In today’s world, and even in many of our churches, grace is no longer amazing; it is boring, just as J. I. Packer has diagnosed: “The thought [of grace] means nothing to them; it does not touch their experience at all” (Knowing God, 129).
It is true that, in this age of human rights and animal rights and every other kind of right, grace is neither needed nor appreciated. People are no longer enthralled with the grace of God because they believe they are good without God and that everyone has the right to go their own way. Therefore, the world rejects any concept of sin—not to mention the judgment such rebellion deserves. And so, it spurns the awesome grace of God.
Out of His love, God came to us.
This grace is the defining characteristic of Christianity, making it absolutely unique among all religions. For, whether we are talking about the Eightfold Path of the Buddha, the Hindu doctrine of karma, the Jewish ceremonial laws, or the Islamic sharia law, all other belief systems tell the story of how mankind is striving to earn God’s favor, to earn salvation. But Christianity is the story of how God reached down to mankind out of His great love.
In Christianity, no one can reach God.
He is holy, divine, righteous, and mighty. Therefore, no one can buy or earn his way into heaven; it is simply impossible. So, out of His love, God came to us. The notion that the God of the universe saves sinners with no strings attached goes against every human instinct and runs contrary to every other religious system in the world.
You see, Adam and Eve’s temptation is precisely the temptation of today. They sought to be masters of themselves and tried to establish their own authority—their own way to reach (even be) the divine. This refusal to obey the commands of their loving, holy Creator ushered in death, just as they had been warned (see Gen. 2:16-17). Through their rebellion, Adam and Eve scorned the extravagant love and grace they had experienced as they walked with the one and only God.
If we were speaking of any other human-made god, that would be the end. But we are speaking about the God of grace, whose love is so great that He made the universe. Even now, He extends grace daily by revealing Himself and His ways to us.
Before God’s grace came into our lives, we were spiritual corpses; we could not even make a move toward God (see Ephesians 2:1-8). Physically, we were alive, but our lives were spent rejecting God as we chose our own foolishness over His wisdom. We were dead in our sins, enslaved in sin, powerless to remove our chains, and justly subject to the wrath of God.
But now, if you have received the gift of God’s grace, the gift of salvation for eternity from the hand of God through the blood of Jesus Christ, you have been made alive. You have been set free from the power of sin, and you will never again be under the wrath of God (see Colossians 2:11-14; Romans 6:1-14). Indeed, “because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-6). You have been set free!
You are already seated in the heavenly realms with Christ so that, as the recipient of God’s grace, you have victory over anger, greed, lust, jealousy, envy, fear, anxiety, doubt, and addiction of any kind. For, you are no longer a slave to sin, but an ambassador for the King of glory. What an astonishing power is the grace of God. Far from boring, it obliterates our dismal past and gives us a glorious present as we walk in new life with the King of kings residing in our hearts. But even this is simply a taste of the indescribably fulfilling future to come. For, one day, we will see the God of grace face to face.
Even before he was born, it was evident that God had a vision for Michael Amerhom Youssef. His mother was in poor health at the time she became pregnant with Michael, and because her life would be jeopardized by the birth, the doctor recommended terminating the pregnancy. An abortion procedure was scheduled. But God intervened, and sent the family pastor to reassure them the night before the procedure was to take place that God was involved in this pregnancy, not to be afraid, and that this child would be "born to serve the Lord." Michael's parents accepted the pastor’s message as a message from God and obeyed. His mother gave birth, and lived to see him surrender his life to the Lord in 1964 at age sixteen.
Believing that God was calling him out of Egypt, Michael sought an exit visa at a time when no university student was permitted to hold a passport or leave the country. God intervened again, and miraculously provided approval of his application. He immigrated to Australia, where he studied at Moore Theological College in Sydney, was ordained as a minister, and met and married his wife, Elizabeth.
The Youssefs came to America in 1977 and in 1978, Michael received a master's degree in theology at Fuller Theological Seminary in California. He later earned a doctorate in social anthropology from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Michael served for nearly ten years with the Haggai Institute, traveling around the world more than 32 times, teaching courses in evangelism and church leadership to church leaders. He rose to the position of Managing Director at the age of 31. The family settled in Atlanta, and in 1984, Michael became a United States citizen, fulfilling a dream he had held for many years.
He founded The Church of The Apostles in 1987 with fewer than 40 adults with the mission to "Equip the Saints and Seek the Lost." The church has since grown to a congregation of over 3000. This church on a hill was the launching pad for Leading the Way's international ministry. Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef passionately proclaims uncompromising Truth through radio and television programs, the Internet, and through books, periodicals, and other resources. Programs are translated and broadcast into 20 languages, covering more than 200 countries. This Atlanta-based organization partners internationally with in-country follow-up teams to encourage believers in their faith, helping God's kingdom to grow around the world.
The path he has walked has given him a thorough cross-cultural understanding and a firm grasp of Scripture. He preaches, teaches and exhorts with a straightforward and uncompromising delivery, based on the authority of the inspired, infallible Word of God. His unique, firsthand understanding of the Holy Land, its history and culture, brings the Bible to life for listeners.