Grace

Hebrews 10:26, “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,”

1 John 3:8, “the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.”

Grace is one of those spiritual truths that, like all spiritual truths swings out of the middle of God’s will, plan, and purpose to the left as justification for all manner of behavior, and to the right as bearing too little importance as it relates to sin. But grace as the unmerited, undeserved favor of God is an essential component in Christian salvation. As well, this grace does not end at the moment of salvation. Grace is there from before our existence into eternity allowing Christ's blood to atone for ALL of our sins past, present, and future.

Yet even though we are already forgiven of future sins, it does not allow us to go about “willfully” sinning. Grace is not an entitlement to “practice” greed, lust, gluttony, laziness, anger, pride, or envy. That does not mean that when we as Christians, when we are on a path pursuing Christ stumble and fall that we fall under condemnation. Because there is no condemnation in Christ. Grace is what allows us to fall into sin, to pick ourselves up, and to once again approach the throne of God.

Let’s face it. We are sinners. Every human being ever born sins, and it is impossible for us to stop sinning in some facet. If it were possible for a human to stop sinning, then God would have no need to send Christ. Instead stop sinning would be the standard, but it is not. Christ is the standard, and that is grace. I believe what God is saying is that there is a difference between the Christian who pursues Christ and falls from time to time, even daily; and the person who is a Christian in name only. A person that in their heart uses their faith as a stepping stool perhaps, or club membership, but that continues in the life and lifestyle they had prior to encountering and choosing to follow Christ. The Christian must struggle, must strive against the world in their heart, and if there is this struggle then there is also the assurance of grace.

Why must men make lists of sin? Jesus when questioned about the commandments and which is greatest said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all you mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Hello? Who is not guilty of violating this every day of their life. You say you love God with all your heart, soul, and mind but I promise you that if you will become aware of His presence, that and that alone will show you how incompletely you are loving Him and what is your heart stands between you and God. Love you neighbor as yourself? Just drive in Houston traffic for a few minutes and see if that’s true. And yet men make lists of sins to condemn others with. List and doctrine like drinking, music, movies, tv. Folks there is a much bigger sin we are all guilty of… failing to love as Christ loved. This is no something learned in church, this is experienced in relationship to Him. This understanding of your own sin is a consequence of being aware of His presence. Of practicing His presence. 

So we depend on this grace, knowing we are going to sin, but all the while striving to know Christ, and to allow Him to move in us. And this is the key between sin and grace… the key is Jesus.

We have got to be aware of His presence. In this awareness the sin falls to the side. If we will not focus on sin, and focus on Christ the sin will take care of itself through the Holy Spirit. Relationship with Jesus will change your character inch by inch. Struggles of yesterday will fade painlessly, and today’s struggles will be as new as the image He presents of Himself today. We come to Christ and discover what today’s, this week's, this year’s surrender is to be. And patiently He accompanies us on the path. But we must rely on grace to keep coming to Him even in our failures.

If you are in Christ, walking the path of surrender to perfect love, then you are not of the devil.  You are not “practicing” sin when you stumble. You are simply being human. Stop thinking in terms of tomorrow, and start thinking in terms of today. Christ came to destroy the works of the devil, and that is done, complete, finished, not tomorrow, not after Armageddon, but right here, right now. Armageddon is the beginning of Satan’s judgment as the battle is already won. Sin and death were defeated when Christ rose from the dead. The kingdom of God is not to come… it is here inside of you for those who are in Christ. Allow grace to allow you to be aware of it. Stop condemning yourselves and others and go to God.

Jesus did not come condemning the sinner. He dined with the sinner, He forgave the sinner, He had compassion for the sinner, He healed the sinner. But Jesus did condemn the religious, the Pharisees. He condemned the group that held everyone accountable to a list, yet in their heart had no relationship with God. Their god was the list of sins. Will we be like the Pharisees and join the choruses calling for the adulterer to be stoned, or will we join Jesus and draw in the sand waiting for the judges, the jury, and the executioners to walk away in their own judgment of themselves.