This is Rob, and since my name is on this blog I've decided to try my hand at making a post. Since the title of our blog is "Grace Of My Life" I thought it would be fitting to give some of my reflections on grace. My dad told me once that mercy is not getting what you deserve, justice is getting what you deserve and grace is getting what you don't deserve. This idea of getting what we don't deserve is a stumbling block and a cornerstone and can lead to a number of different reactions. I've seen grace responded to by grief, guilt, appreciation, apprehension, adoration, indifference, and probably several other ways. I've seen it drive people away from God. I've seen it drive people to do unspeakable things to themselves and others. These reactions of abandonment and evil show a great misunderstanding of grace. Grace was not given to us so that we could bear guilt. Christ bore our guilt on the cross and left it in the grave when He was resurrected. It would be backwards of us to put grace in the grave and guilt in the resurrection. But those who do not understand do such a thing. They turn to false gods to satisfy their guilt. These gods allow them to dig their way out from their guilt so that the individual becomes their own salvation. But if Christ truly left guilt in the grave then in order for one of us to overcome our guilt and earn our salvation then we must overcome death. Grace, then, is the only clear victor in this game. Still, others accept the grace given by Jesus, but there is a correct acceptance and an incorrect acceptance. To incorrectly accept grace would be like spraying perfume on a rotting corpse. Its use is only to mask the stench of death. To incorrectly accept grace is to view it as a means to an end. It's viewed as a tool to live a life of selfish indulgence and personal satisfaction. Church and religion simply refill the perfume bottle in order that they might continue to give off a pleasant aroma to those who refuse to look at their decay. In the end those people that incorrectly accept grace are no different than those who reject it. They both bring the new life gift to the grave. But still others accept grace appropriately. This appropriate response to grace is found in new life. Just as Jesus raised from the grave to new life so too are those who respond correctly to grace. Grace is new life. Grace is your new character, the very essence of who you are and how you respond to all things at all times. It becomes you and directs your very thoughts and feelings. The correct acceptance of grace places you on the path of sanctification and qualifies you as Holy, not based upon your own merits but those of Jesus. When we accept grace correctly we strive to emulate the merits of Jesus in every way possible. We don't do this to earn that which we already have but instead to prove repentance and acceptance.
This post is long enough but is in no way an exhaustive look at grace. It's good to discuss the things of Christ so if you find any errors, heresies, false teaching, etc with what I've said then please respond (with grace). I'd also love to hear your thoughts on grace in order that we might be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. I hope you enjoyed and I hope also to post more soon.
Rob
