grace

I’ve been a little at a loss lately.

There’s so many conversations taking place and it seems that we are at odds at how to define this word, “grace.”

Some say it’s love without borders: Love everyone. Love like Jesus. Love ourselves. Love our neighbors. Love those who are on the fringe. Love the rejected. The downtrodden.

Lord, help me love like that. 

Some say it’s acceptance. Going deeper than the labels that separate us.

Lord, help me to see the person standing in front of me, really see them. 

Others say that grace means that there’s not really such a thing as sin.

And that’s where I struggle.

Not with a person or a particular sin, but stripping grace of its beautiful power.

I’m a sinner.

Saved by grace.

That means something, right?

When I’m caught in the crosshairs of a cultural conversation, all I know to do is to climb into the Word and settle there. It’s where I’ve been for the past several days as Facebook posts go viral, and people (good, loving people with all the right intentions) debate back and forth.

I settled in Hebrews 4.

This passage reminds me that we have a Savior who gets it.

It says that Jesus knows what it feels like  to be tempted or to be impacted by sin. He went into face-to-face combat with the enemy and came out ragged and battered on the outside, but overflowing with the power of the Holy Spirit inside.

 

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Hebrews 4 says, “Come boldly to the throne of grace.”

This isn’t depicting an actual throne, but the deity of God Himself as a safe place where I walk in with all my humanity showing and I find what I need.

Grace teaches me to love, because I am well loved by God.

Grace leads me to accept people right where they are, because God meets me right where I am.

Grace rescues me from sin as mercy meets me and grace covers my soul, which allows me to show mercy in the same measure.

But let’s not stop there because scripture doesn’t stop there. We are sinners in a sin-battered world and grace was hard earned on the cross for every single one of us.

Those sins He took upon the cross were weighty. He carried them so we didn’t have to, and too many of us want to hold on (me included) when He offers what we need.

In grace, God gives nothing less than Himself.

And in return, we give Him the same.

That’s where real change begins for every single one of us.

There’s no cultural conversation that can strip this of its power. Maybe we should just stop talking and debating and experience this beautiful gift all over again and watch what God can do.

Suzie


Live Free Thursday


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