Grace is not just a subject

On our latest Growing and Grace program (Grace - The Foundation and Essence of Life in Christ), my friend Mike and I talk about how grace is not merely one subject of many in the Christian life, but is the foundation and essence of every aspect of our life in Christ. Along with our program, I thought I'd post an article that I wrote about 2 1/2 years ago for a church publication, since I think it goes along well with our discussion. I originally posted the article on this blog, on which you'll find all 20 article that I wrote over a period of 2 years.

The Sufficiency of Grace Can you believe it? I actually used to think God’s grace was a part of the Christian life! I thought of it as one of those many topics in the Christian life like obedience, good works, wisdom, devotion, ministry, forgiveness, holiness, giving, discipleship, and so on and so forth. Grace, to me, was a subject worth visiting now and then, especially when I’d messed up pretty bad. But I no longer think of grace as a “part” of the Christian life.

Rather than one topic of many, I believe grace is the ESSENCE of the whole Christian life! Do we really think we’re adequate to live any moment of our life in Christ apart from grace? I love reminding others (and being reminded myself) that we’re saved and “justified freely” by His grace. I have no problem sitting and soaking in that good news for hours on end! But what if the application of grace went even farther than forgiveness and knowing we’ll go to heaven? In the past I’ve been thankful for God’s grace, but it was basically kept “on the shelf” until I thought I needed it (when I sinned). The Bible does more than simply hint at a complete necessity for grace in the 24/7 living of the Christian life.

For example, when it comes to spiritual gifts Paul tells us that we’re each gifted differently “according to the grace given us.” In speaking of his own spiritual growth and ministry Paul writes, “by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.” Elsewhere he testifies, “I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power.”

Was Paul saying, “I put forth my best effort and grace covered the rest?” To me it seems more like, “Every single thing I did was solely the result of grace working in me.” “This is our boast,” he affirms, “our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God's grace.” Paul’s boast in his accomplishments wasn’t really a boast in his accomplishments! It was a testimony to the power of grace. His devotion to his call, his understanding of the gospel, his abundant labor in the Lord, his servanthood, his persistence, his humility, his… you name it, wasn’t sustained for a moment by his own strength, striving or abilities.

Rather than a “strong Christian,” I see Paul reckoning himself as a weak person with complete dependence upon grace. Can you relate? I can! Paul even went so far as to say “I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” The more we yield to grace, the more Paul’s additional testimony and confession of “when I am weak, then I am strong” makes sense! Words like these demonstrate the 180 degree turnaround from his former trust in his fleshly strengths that he recalls (and deems as DUNG!) in Philippians 3. Trying to stir up the flesh in order to make a good outward showing was off limits to Paul. All arrows point inwardly to the Spirit of God who dwells in us and to His grace that powerfully works in us. Paul’s exhortations for the body of Christ are infused with phrases like “according to the Spirit,” “by the power of the Spirit,” “through Christ,” “Christ in you” and countless mentions of grace. What else, besides yielding to grace, can enable us with power for Christian living!

I’ve sometimes been known as the “grace” guy. There goes Joel with that grace stuff again! I guess I just can’t see how the Christian life can bear any fruit apart from full submission to the grace of God. To do Kingdom work, I believe we must all be “grace” people! By His grace, God embellishes us with His own beauty. His life is inextricably woven into ours. His grace is the source of our life, our being and ultimately our actions. This is something we can rest in. As we take the focus off ourselves and turn to trusting in His grace we can be assured that rather than passivity our lives will be fully animated by Him – in His way and in His timing! The Lord Himself described the fullness of the power of His grace: “Sufficient.”

(Verses quoted: Rom 3:24, Rom 12:6, 1 Cor 15:10, Eph 3:7, 2 Cor 1:12, 2 Cor 12:9-10)

Grace - The Foundation and Essence of Life in Christ

For many people, it seems that "grace" is just another topic or just another Christian doctrine, or is simply one "part" of the Christian life. This week Mike and Joel discuss how grace is not simply a topic that should be taught on now and then, but is the very foundation of life in Christ and is the very essence of our daily lives in Him. The gospel (good news) is Grace, and Grace is a Person named Jesus. Hebrews 13:9 says "it is good that the heart be established by grace."

Related article: The Sufficiency of Grace

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Works - Part 3 of 4

We've evolved into a body of believers who don't know what to do or how to do it apart from being told what to do - through reading various biblical instructions, through reading books, through listening to preachers and teachers, and so on. We've evolved from a Spirit-based Life to a performance-based religion. Do we really know God - or who we truly are in Him?

We're so used to equating "doing" with doing teaching - exhortations, methods, principles. In other words, we don't know what to do or how to live unless we're "instructed" on what to do. We've made church that way. We haven't taught identity, but rather "saved by grace, now get to work" - with little or no foundation of where the work really comes from - the life of Christ in us.

And so... what you see coming from me is what I believe is the root of the Christian life. The root is not works. The root is Jesus Himself. The root is grace. The root is our true identity in Christ. The root is all those things intertwined in such a way that they are "one." From the root springs a natural plant that bears natural fruit.

Paul was accused of teaching licentiousness (grace is a license to sin), which is far from what he was doing, so I'm never surprised when the pure message of God's grace, and resting/abiding in Christ is misconstrued by others to mean being couch potatoes. But when the abiding life is lived out, the result that's shown can hardly be said to be the life of a couch potato! However, I wonder if the "doing" is always what the church makes it out to look like!