Grace

I was just thinking about something I've been reminded about lately - Grace.

Isn't it so easy to forget about Grace? Us humans are so innately religious. We love our little rituals that we think will make God love us more, or that just make us feel good. And much of the "love" out there in the world is condition based, "You perform well and do things right, I'll love and accept you. But if you mess up...". There are many other examples like that. We're so surrounded by it, it's pretty much the norm and can become quite ingrained in our thinking.

It's easy to forget that that's not how God works. There is nothing any human being in all the world could ever do to bridge the gap that sin (disobeying God) has put between us and the infinite God that no words could ever even adequately describe. Where does that leave me by my own efforts? Completely helpless, of course.

But, that's exactly where Grace comes in:

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
- Romans 5:6-8

Jesus still died for me, even though I can't possibly do anything to earn His approval or acceptance. And it is through Him and Him alone that I am accepted, forgiven, and loved. Grace.

And what about us who have already experienced His Grace?

Have you ever fallen into this trap:

"I messed up again. I keep messing up. This isn't changing. Maybe I'm not really a Christian..."
"Why did I do that? A real Christian wouldn't do that..."
"I still have so many problems. How could I still be accepted by God?"

It is not just enough to be saved by Grace. We must also live by Grace. Being a new person, yet still struggling. Probably the most frustrating thing there is. Does this sound familiar to you? It sure does to me.

"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do...For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. for what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep doing...When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am!"
- Romans 7:15, 18-19, 21-24

What hope is there?

"Who will rescue me from this body of death?"
- Romans 7:24

Here it is:

"Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
- Romans 7:25

I'm not quite perfect yet - far from it actually. And in my own strength, I can't add much improvement. Just as I was saved by Grace, I must also live by Grace. A total surrender to God. A giving up of myself and a complete reliance on Him. A sweet helplessness.

"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
- Philippians 1:6

So that is one of the many things that has been on my mind lately. Pray for me, that I will live more and more by God's Grace and have a greater understanding of this amazing thing God has done for me.