Shhhhh! Don't Say the G-Word.

(Originally posted March 14, 2010)


I'm way too old to just now be getting this.

Over the past few years, I've really been trying to wrap my brain around the idea of grace.

I grew up in church my whole life, but didn't hear too much about the “G-word”. I really don't fault our teachers for it. I think their intentions were good – probably along the lines of, “If we tell these young people that salvation is a free gift, they'll just go out and do whatever the heck they want to do!”

And, guess what?

I DID go out and do whatever the heck I wanted to do even without the knowledge of grace, and it led to my developing my own warped idea of earning God's protection and favor.

I think it went something like, “Okay, I did (name a sin) yesterday. So I'm gonna need to drive the speed limit AND be kind to old people for like two weeks make up for that one!” It was a twisted cycle that brought me no closer to God.

I came across this verse this morning: “Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” (Galatians 3:3) In context, the apostle Paul is reprimanding these believers for adopting the idea that they need to follow the old Jewish Law in order to be right with God – living as if His miraculous grace in Jesus' sacrifice was not enough to save them without their own efforts.

What does this verse tell me today? That I cannot – CANNOT! – improve on God's grace. The Law God gave his people thousands of years ago had a purpose (read the rest of chapter 3), just like the rules God gives today are part of His making me who He wants me to be. And faith in Jesus' saving sacrifice is, of course, essential to stepping into that grace. But the fact is that I can never . . . EVER . . . do or be enough to DESERVE for God to save me. He WANTS to. It's so foreign to my thinking, I'm still not sure I fully understand the concept!

I'm seeing now that those teachers from my childhood were wrong. Embracing the truth of grace does NOT make me want to live my own way. In fact, it humbles me to the core to know that there is a Great Creator who would still love me and want me after time and time again I have spit in His face and tried to create my own righteousness – trying to improve on His perfect plan.

Grace only makes me desire to become the creation HE desires.

***Sidenote: The 40 Days of Water challenge is going swimmingly (pun intended). I'm a little scared to see how much cash is in the cookie jar by Easter morning. This may need to be a permanent fix. Wanna get in on it? www.bloodwatermission.com