While I tittled this Rediscover Grace, it’s more like tripping and falling over it. Sometimes, you’re just awed by the patience and love of the Creator.

For some reason, although grace is the soul of Christianity, it can get shoved into a cobwebbed corner of your mind. I hear the message of grace often – but how many times is it in one ear and out the other? It barely even touches the heartstrings.

“Oh yes, we are saved by grace alone – but does God even care? Why is He so distant? Am I good enough?” While maybe not in these exact words, questions like these can plague me.

The absolute love of God is forgotten all too much.

Prayer, which should be like talking to a loving parent, is either flat-out intimidating or thoughtless.

Death is scary, because sometimes I don’t really know if there’s an afterlife. I doubt. Besides, there’s no way I’ll be let into Heaven, if there is one. I know what side of the afterlife I belong to. How much faith do you have to have? There’s no way I’m enough.

… Oh, wait that’s the whole point. I’m not enough, but it’s not all on me. Christ came to live a perfect life (with perfect faith) for me and died for my sins. And yours. He traded our sins for His righteousness.

He knows we’ll screw it up ourselves. Our lives without Him are an ugly mess of sin, and even with Him, we still sin. We still mess up. But the blood of Christ saves us.

To use the love story analogy, He knows we’ll be unfaithful, we’ll cheat on Him, but His arms are open wide when we repent. He doesn’t keep score. And He doesn’t punish us or play tit-for-tat. There may be discipline but that’s for our good, not vengeance. He loves us.

And because we’ve been loved like that, we try to be better.

But it’s a get-to, not a have-to. Pursue righteousness, but know that you’re not saved by works. I’ve found Galatians 3:3 especially helpful when I slip into works = righteousness thinking.

Basically, don’t keep on intentionally sinning, try to do better, and accept God’s grace when you fail. Know that you are saved and loved by God, even when you have a really hard time feeling/believing it.

Grace is undeserved love. You are not enough, but Christ is. Trip and fall over grace often.

Scripture

• Romans 3:21-31; 6-8.
• Galatians (the whole thing)
• Ephesians 2:1-10
• Psalms 40 and 103
• Isaiah 49; especially verses 14-16.
• 1 John 1:9 – 2:2
• Hebrews 4:14-16

Peace and love to you,

Blue Pail Bloggers.

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