Living in Grace is Learning to Live
What is the difference between living and surviving? Sadly, so many people view living and surviving as the same thing, but the truth is that they mean two different things. To survive implies a "released into the world on one's own devices" mentality; "The survival of the fittest", doing what it takes to remain physically alive, where "living" implies that step beyond simply surviving. In our broken world, so many people only know how to survive, rather than how to live. Ever heard that popular phrase "Live a little"? It is a phrase that is often directed at people who are viewed as rigid "fuddy duds" who are more concerned about following the rules and playing it safe, then "letting loose" and having a good time.
I used to view the concept of grace as mainly applying to those people who colored outside the lines. Those people who consistently made poor choices, but hid behind "cheap grace". But the more years that I live on this earth, I have come to realize that just for the mere fact that we are alive warrants our desperate need for grace. That even when our intentions seem honorable, our choices are made out of what we believe to be the right inclinations, or we are trying to be completely selfless in a situation, we sin. Although sin can often be intentional, it is also the unintentional sin that is in need of grace. It is through our humanity that God proves His majesty.
It seems to me that in the realm of humanity, there are two kinds of people. The people who think that by coloring inside the lines, they won't have a need for grace, because nothing"wrong" has been done, and those who color outside the lines think that that is their way of expressing their choices and even if it is wrong and distructive, God's grace is there to color them back into the lines. Both acknowledge grace, but neither of them understands grace through God's perspective design; they only understand through the selfish perspective that caters to their human understanding.
When we experience the grace of God, we are reminded of how desperately we are in need of a Savior. By just being alive, just existing as a human being, we are in need of grace. It draws us back to the truth that God has created His children for His purposes. We are not merely puppets on a string, but by His Holy Spirit we are guided through the existance of living in grace.
I used to view the concept of grace as mainly applying to those people who colored outside the lines. Those people who consistently made poor choices, but hid behind "cheap grace". But the more years that I live on this earth, I have come to realize that just for the mere fact that we are alive warrants our desperate need for grace. That even when our intentions seem honorable, our choices are made out of what we believe to be the right inclinations, or we are trying to be completely selfless in a situation, we sin. Although sin can often be intentional, it is also the unintentional sin that is in need of grace. It is through our humanity that God proves His majesty.
It seems to me that in the realm of humanity, there are two kinds of people. The people who think that by coloring inside the lines, they won't have a need for grace, because nothing"wrong" has been done, and those who color outside the lines think that that is their way of expressing their choices and even if it is wrong and distructive, God's grace is there to color them back into the lines. Both acknowledge grace, but neither of them understands grace through God's perspective design; they only understand through the selfish perspective that caters to their human understanding.
When we experience the grace of God, we are reminded of how desperately we are in need of a Savior. By just being alive, just existing as a human being, we are in need of grace. It draws us back to the truth that God has created His children for His purposes. We are not merely puppets on a string, but by His Holy Spirit we are guided through the existance of living in grace.
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