It's All About Grace

TODAY’S VERSE
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
What happens? When we first become a Christian we revel in His forgiveness. We knew that it only His grace that could ever clean and forgive us from our past sins. And yet as time goes by we get sucked into believing we somehow “earned” His forgiveness. We live as if God’s love was conditional and we were good enough to earn it. Then we begin to feel the pressure to keep us in this “earned salvation” position. So we begin to play a game of hiding our sins, pretending to be “perfect” instead of perfectly forgiven. The authors in the book, “TrueFaced” write, “As we try to hide the sins we can’t control, we are unwittingly inviting blame, shame, denial, fear and anger to become our constant companions. A theology of more right, less wrong behavior creates an environment that gives people permission to wear dozens of disguises and masks. It triggers and complicates the chain reaction of unresolved sin, causing us to lose hope.” This thinking leads to us trying to “please” God by trying to be something we aren’t. We play a role of “perfect pleasing Christian” instead of being grateful and trusting God for our full forgiveness. It is our trust in His sacrifice and forgiveness that pleases God, not some sanctimonious pretense of being righteous. It is our trust that in this world God has us in a process of being changed more and more into His likeness. Today, quit performing and trust the love that God has for you. Rejoice that your name is written in the “Lambs Book of Life.”

​ TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, if you were to judge me according to my sins, I would never be able to sit here, praying in Your presence. Instead You have lavished Your unconditional love upon me. I am forgiven! I am a new creature. I am loved. Thank You for Your grace. Thank You for my new identity in You. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN