Re-getting Grace

Let’s talk grace.

Completely undeserved gift, completely free, completely.

I remember a few years back understanding grace in a new and beautiful way. The phrase, “Free grace,” was what I lived under. The teachings through Galatians were what I sat under, and all the while a banner of unmerited grace was flown high for any and all to see. Those were some amazing months.

Since then my understanding of grace hadn’t grown too much.

There’d been no further study or understanding of grace. No other facet of the diamond of grace had been shown to me. Nothing had pushed it forward in my brain.

But I can’t say that anymore.

Again, and differently I’m seeing grace and re-understanding the verse at the top of this blog. Knowing myself to be wretched and undeserving but God to be in total control and loving. But I want to be in control of the grace being given to me…

Weird. I want to concretely know that grace will be there tomorrow and the next day and forever. I want to ration it out to myself. I want to be so sure of it that I can hold on to it. But I can’t hold on to this free gift – it holds on to me.

So here I sit, lavished by grace, undeserved and beautiful and scary too.

Timing Fight

“Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Luke 23:42

No time for training; no time for development; no time for baptism. He had no time for understanding the deep Theological nuances of the faith, no time to proclaim this gospel boldly to others, no time to read the Bible. Only enough time to die. Simple (and by simple I mean miraculous) belief was all that saved this man.

Just as Paul informed the Galatians as to the foolishness of their striving to be accepted rather than their striving from (or because of) acceptance so it is here. Nothing may be or can be added to this one unassailable fact: “It is finished.” Not it is finished but you need to do a wee more, not it is finished but you need to pray the prayer but simply and astoundingly just, “It is finished.”

And it remains so now for us. There has been no special revelation to the Church to begin to earn your salvation (and the likelihood of that happenings is zilch). As if the world full of iPhones and iPads and cars could change the message and reality of Jesus’ finished work.

Either there is belief or unbelief, belief being the understanding of the finality of Jesus’ work, and unbelief being the since of legalistic religion, trying to earn or gain the position of acceptance. On the one side is the understanding of striving because you’ve been loved the other side is to work for (to gain) that love – which is an altogether sad story.

Fight to believe the work as done. Cling to the hope that Jesus is sufficient for salvation. Strive to see the cross as wonderful. Press on to know this God of Victory. For, “My God has broke the serpent’s teeth, and death has lost it sting.”