My Thoughts Today - Response to Grace

For months now all Pastor Tim has been preaching and teaching is the doctrine of grace. Having heard nothing but that, my thoughts can't help but ponder what grace truly is and what it means in my life. Today, these have been my thoughts.

First, a definition. Grace is an undeserved gift; it is receiving something even though you haven't earned it or deserved it. More specifically, God's grace is His gift of His righteousness, given to us freely through faith in His Son. "God's love is demonstrated in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

How does one respond to such a gift? That God Himself would give His own life in order to buy our freedom...

To turn back to sin and live there shows this: a lack of appreciation or understanding of the gift given. "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free," not that we could continue to do as we please.

Picture this. Imagine a man in so much debt that he could never work his way out of it. He is without hope, without a job, without any resources... he has nothing in and of himself that could contribute to getting himself out of the hole he's in.

But in spite of this, a rich friend freely gives him enough money to pay his debt, and more so. How should the former debtor live? Surely not in such a way as to squander the extra money or to get into debt again. But the man does anyways... And again, the rich man pays the debt in full, and with extra money. And the debtor goes off and squanders it again... What would this say? That the debtor doesn't appreciate the gift of his friend. Or, that the man doesn't appreciate his friend, only his friend's money.

Do we show the same kind of unthankfulness, by trying to take advantage of grace? That we would continue to try to use the relationship with the Father as a means to enjoy sin more? That makes no sense whatsoever!! What great insult that must be to God when we only want to take advantage of his generosity!

So how then should we live? Thankfully.

Thankful for the life that Jesus Christ gave and the blood He spilt for our sins. Thankful that he paid our debt in full, once and for all! Thankful that we have been set free from sin, and set free to live for God. And thankfulness will not take a generous gift in vain, but with gratitude and love for the one who gave it.

I need to dwell further on the Cross of Christ, on the gift of the Father. To make myself feel guilty for my sins? No. But that I may come to better understand and appreciate all the Father has given me.

It has been in hindsight that I've come to appreciate my parents more and more for all their sacrifices. Here again, I will look back at the gift of Jesus Christ, and do it again, and love the Father even more for it.