...whats in a word

Grace.  I was challenged in my 1st semester in seminary to consider the true nature of God's grace.  It seemed to be an innocent enough endeavor but what I discovered has rocked my world.  I can not get it out of my mind.  I find myself constantly tearing apart scripture, talking about it, and wanting to [attempt to...] understand it.  It keeps me up at night and yearning to know more about the free gift of grace.

I think that is what really rocked me.  Grace makes  God the center.  I can do nothing to earn it and I have done nothing to deserve it, it is a free gift.  If I am being honest, I hate that.  I hate that I can't be in control and make God love me.  The truth is that God is in control and out of his infinite love, He gives grace to those who have done nothing to deserve it.  It has nothing to do with our works; IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH GOD'S LOVE AND GOODNESS.

Check out Ephesians 2:1-10

Matt Carter, pastor at The Austin Stone, defined grace as the unmerited love of God. Unmerited...that just blows me away.  It blows me away that God loved us when we were still sinners.    It blows me away that when we were dead in our sins, God redeemed us through his grace.  It blows me away that God made us alive to Christ through his grace.  It blows me away that we have been called to salvation by grace.  And it blows me away that God could possibly love me...because I know my flaws, and issues.  He says come and know Christ because grace is enough.  Grace is a free gift that comes from the unmerited love of the Trinity.

I just never quite understood it.  I thought the whole point was to have God become part of my life.  But the real truth is that through grace, we have the opportunity to be a part of God's story of redemption in the world.  

Grace should change the way that we see the world.  Grace should stir our hearts so that we share the gift of grace to the world.  Grace should cause us to humbly worship the Father.  Grace allows us to be still, to rest, and realize that we don't have to carry the world on our shoulders.  Grace should stir our hearts.  Grace...

My all time favorite movie is Good Will Hunting (go see it...) and there is a scene in which Robin Williams character is counseling Matt Damon's character (Will) and is telling him that the crap in his life is not his fault.  He keeps telling him that its not his fault and Will eventually just breaks down weeping.  So here it is...it is our fault...it is our fault that the world is broken, and that things are not perfect BUT GOD GIVES GRACE!!!

Grace is a free gift that is given out of the abundant love of God.  That causes my mind to spin.  Do I live in a way to display that grace has changed me?  Do I show grace to the world? I don't know...but I want too. I pray that I do.  I pray that God allows me to see just a glimpse of the nature of grace.  I pray that I never underestimate grace.  I pray that grace is always prevalent in my life, my ministry, etc.  I pray that we are all transformed by grace.