Perhaps His Grace IS Sufficent

The older I get and the longer I live my life as a Christian I realize more and more how frail and hopeless I am in myself. All the achievements that I have had and all the service that I have done fall completely short when it is matched up with the inner voice inside my heart that tells me "You know who you are deep down here". Being raised in a good Catholic family, I was taught the importance of works in my daily life. These works were meant to help me achieve my salvation, atone for my sins and get me to heaven eventually. In my twenties I had the "born again" experience which emphasized the doctrine of grace through faith. I realised that I was saved purely by the grace of God. What a shift? Or so I thought. The truth was that the doctrine was right, but practically I realized that works occupied a lot of my Christian life. Without stepping on any toes (which would be difficult) I have to say that evangelical Christianity while preaching a doctrine of Grace enforces on daily life a doctrine of works more evidently. Let me give some examples, "you must have a quiet time with God, you must attend the services, you must serve etc. etc." Please don't misunderstand what I am saying here. Ministry is important but is our service to the Lord done because of requirement or from a grateful heart as an act of love to the One who loved us and gave Himself for us?

When Paul spoke to the Corinthians about giving he said, "2 Cor 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."(KJV) Sometimes this kind of statement blows our religious mindset but it is clear that God loves the gift that is given freely from a heart that would give it out of love and gratitude. We "purpose in our hearts". No requirement compels us to do it and if we did it under compulsion of any kind it would not be an acceptable gift. The gift that is given in gratitude from a cheeful heart purposed by the giver is one that states, "this adds nothing to my salvation or status as a Christian, I just want to give it to You because I love You and I love doing it" That almost sounds like so much fun! Chuck Swindoll, in his book The Grace Awakening puts it appropriately when he said that "the most dangerous heresy on earth is the emphasis on what we do for God, instead of what God does for us."

I guess what I am trying to bring our minds to is the lack of emphasis we have placed on Grace. When we continually plow the fields of our ministry and walk with the Lord, we will because of our human frailty and inconsistency fall short of the standards that we have placed on ourselves. This in turn brings heavy condemnation. We eventually ask ourselves, "how is it possible to serve God and how is it possible to remain holy?" Remember the small voice? " You know who you are deep down here." However if we realise that Christ died for us while we were in that state, we can be assured that His grace sees us through this life even though those frailties remain. "Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him."(KJV)

Some of us may never have had the problem in believing this way but, it would be wise to check and see how many deeds we do as Christians are done with atonement in mind. Dr Ron Chung who preached recently in our church made a brilliant exposition of the contrast between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. The Old Covenant (Mosaic) was conditional in that it was dependant upon the people to fulfil the words of the Covenant. The New Covenant is unconditional and is dependant on a gracious God who fulfils His promise to His people.

This is why the writer of Hebrews says, "Heb 8:6 But now hath He obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises."(KJV) This promise is one of grace and mercy and unconditional love not based on what we do but solely upon what God has desired for us.

Consider one last verse from Hebrews. "Heb 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more."(KJV)

Well I hope this has helped some of you. As we grow I hope we will learn and never stop seaching out our unsearchable God. For just when we think we know Him, He surprises us again with mind blowing revelations of Himself.

The Grace of our Lord be with you........and I pray that we all understand with each passing day what that Grace really is.