GRACE

In Christianity we are saved by grace and not by works. What does that mean, saved by grace? First of all, let's establish what it isn't. Most religions of the world base their beliefs on "achieving" or "earning" higher levels as a progressive means or pathway to reach heaven. In other words, the main vehicle to attain heaven is themselves or self reliance. Either they earn their salvation through achievements or strict adherence to certain traditions, believe they can obtain salvation through accomplishing certain levels or degrees of enlightenment until they reach Nirvana, others strive to accomplish man-made goals of goodness set for themselves, and still others believe they reincarnate over and over until they reach liberation through ethical living by meditation or other spiritual practices. 

Religions are a type of theology. They are doctrines that teach salvation is gained through changed behavior, good behavior, good deeds, or benevolence. But true Christianity is a belief that only through Christ and a relationship with Him do we receive salvation as a free gift. We don't earn anything by good behavior, ethical living, achievements, reaching goals, meditative states, or good works.

Christianity is different because of one important thing: GRACE! A grace freely given which is not earned! 

After a person becomes a believer by believing in the sacrifice of Jesus dying on a cross on their behalf, they have been saved and former sins completely forgiven and absolved. They hold the truth that Jesus was the a pure, unspotted, sacrificial lamb whose blood was free of sin and therefore worthy to be offered as our stand-in, our advocate, our propitiation, leading to an unearned and undeserved salvation because of love. We cannot earn heaven through goodness or right living because we are not perfect nor can we obtain perfection in the sense of accomplished goals for "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23. We know we are sinners saved by grace. And though saved, we will still fall into sin now and again because we are human with a fallen nature. A key note to true Christianity is, we won’t stay there!

If we slip up, we have the Holy Spirit at work in our lives which makes us actually want to obey God and walk worthy of our calling. A true Christian will always feel led to acknowledge and confess their sin through prayer, then get back up and keep pressing forward. Even so, because of God's grace we are absolved of 'slip-up's. Christians will immediately confess slip-up's/sins not because they think they will be lost if they don’t, but because they want to please the Lord. Christians will avoid sin and make efforts to avoid it through the holy Spirit within them. Isn't that how you feel? I certainly do. My love for God drives me to obey. I want to obey! I feel awful when I disappoint Him. In reality, it is not fear or a set of rules that keep me in line. Fear does not keep me in line. LOVE DOES!  And that because of His grace toward me.

When we follow Jesus, we understand that we owe all to Him and so out of our love for Him and being forever grateful, we also desire to love others as ourselves. We know we are not saved by meditation, adhering to a set of rules, working toward achieving Nirvana, or any self-means.  Rather, we are saved by grace to do "works" as explained in Ephesians 2:10. Those works meaning we seek to do good works in the CHARACTER OF CHRIST for God’s glory, but even still it is not those works that saves us. It’s not our own agenda anymore. We have the joy of living an obedient life and because of Gods love bestowed on us, it's easier. Remember how it felt when you gained victory over some sin in your life, whatever it was? You were set free and there was joy in that! That joy is found in obedience. God takes pleasure when He sees His children living a godly (although, not perfect) life. The Grace that set us free when we came to Christ is the same Grace that literally assists us from even wanting to commit or remain in sin. Sin literally becomes an abhorrence to us. Sin is detestable and disgusting. As believers, it’s not that we’re suddenly sinless, but we discover, looking back over time, do realize we do sin less and that brings joy. It's amazing how the Holy Spirit works! Obedience sets us free to live a joy-filled life, but it’s not a blind obedience or obedience because we dread the circumstances. Obedience flows naturally out of a Spirit-led believer.

Love can show up in simply little things like opening doors for people, letting someone else go first at a four-way stop, and it allows others to speak first not interrupting while they’re talking. It's the little things that begin to blossom in your life which is spiritual fruit! Now this is important because this is how Christianity changes you. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control (Galatians 5:22-23). Grace infiltrates the life of a believer to produce a life of good "works" (which is the named spiritual fruit- Galatians 5:22-23 above) that naturally flow out of a generous, tenderized heart, leading to obedience that comes from Gods power in helping us. We participate with God in a shared relationship. Christianity is a relationship with God. Philippians 2:13 says, “It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” 

When someone says they are saved, yet produce no fruit (Galatians 5:22-23), James says that person’s faith is dead. He is saying, godly fruits are the evidence that your faith is real, so in a sense, obedience is the evidence that our faith is genuine. The definition of earthly works where a person has to strive in some physical way to EARN heaven is r-e-l-i-g-i-o-n. But the definition of works spoken of in the Bible which is evident in the life of a true Christian (and who's salvation is not earned) flow freely from them by God's grace. James connects faith and works by writing, “as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead” (James 2:26). A person can say they are saved, but if their only production/fruit is bad, then the root is also bad and the whole tree is then useless. Not every person who claims they are a Christian are CHRISTIAN! There is bad fruit among us. If anyone claims to be saved, yet their behavior shows no change, then that prsons faith is dead or, it’s not real. We can’t see the root of a tree or a person, but we can see the fruit, or a lack thereof!  Likewise, we cannot see the roots of a tree but we can identify the tree by the fruit that hangs from its limbs IE: whether it's apple, lemon, grapefruit, pear, peach, etc! Some believers require more time to bear fruit than others just as in nature a peach tree matures faster than an apple tree and peaches will bloom out before apples ever will. Jesus, in speaking of false prophets, said, “You will recognize them by their fruits” (Matt 7:16). Recognize them who? The character and behavior of a true believer as opposed to a countrfeit - a person in word only. Look at this scripture, “every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits” (Matt 7:17-20).

I want to end this blog with a perfect illustration of God's grace I read recently:  

FIRST. Let's say that I go over to your house and I steal your bike. You catch me and I go to jail. That is justice. I got what I deserve.

SECOND. I go to your house and steal your bike. You catch me but you set me free. That is mercy. I did not get what I deserved. 

THIRD. I go to your house and steal your bike. You catch me, but you set me free AND you give me the bike! I got what I did not deserve. So in justice, we get what we deserve.  In mercy, we don't get what we deserve. In grace, we get what we do not deserve. GRACE IS GETTING WHAT WE DO NOT DESERVE FROM GOD.  We do not deserve forgiveness of our sins, but He gives it to us through Jesus. We do not deserve to go to heaven, but we are able to do that through Jesus.  So to be saved by grace means that the judgment due to us because of our sins against God (lying, stealing, adultery, fornication, coveting, lusts, hatred, etc.) will not befall us. THAT IS FORGIVENESS! That is the Grace of God without earning it!  Maybe you can use this illustration for other friends or family members that do not realize how glorious and wonderful God's grace really is!  

Until He Comes,

-Pat-