In this world we live in, we usually have to work for everything we have. We’re used to earning trust, love, money, friends, forgiveness, etc. It’s in our nature to want/need to earn things.

I think Christ’s death on the cross was going against the grain in that manner. He died and therefore bestowed grace upon us. He earned the grace for us. Our human nature wants to keep trying to earn that grace; our ticket into Heaven. We want to tell people that they need to change themselves in order to be worthy of the grace Christ gave us.

Can’t any of us begin to see that there is no earning of this grace? If we had to work our way into Heaven then there wouldn’t have been a cross. We can’t possibly earn it! It’s impossible!

It makes me sad to see guilt-laden sermons where they continue to tell us we need to change ourselves in one way or another to be a Christian.

I looked Grace up in the dictionary and this is what it says “a.the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God.”

Freely given, unmerited.  Does that sound conditional to you?  Did you hear somewhere in the Bible where it says “I forgive you but…”?

The direct translation of forgiveness is to permiss or to let be.  Yes, permiss.  To give permission.  Christ died on the cross and by that was saying “I’m doing this all for you, it’s ok you’re a sinner, I’ve taken care of everything for you”.

Because seriously, if we had any ability to work our way in then Christ’s death was in vain…no?

Now most people get frazzled (like I did when I first opened my eyes to this) and think “well now people are just going to go and sin and do whatever they want”.  Could be true, doesn’t have to be true.  Christ will still love you if you do though .

God gave us direction for a purpose and it wasn’t to get us our Heaven key.  What would God want for us?  He created this beautiful earth, he created love and laughter and millions of good feelings.  He didn’t give us rules to follow to make us not enjoy our life.  If you follow God’s word then you’re going to lead a happy and healthy life.  Your relationships will be healthy, your body will be healthy and you wont create as many problems for yourself.

You know how it feels to give you child a new toy and see them really enjoy it?  Isn’t it worship when we treat our lives with care and great enjoyment?  Don’t you think that’s what God really wants from us?  To see us happy?  Just how we want to see our own children happy but in an even more pure, honest and wholesome way?

I’ve never felt as free in Christ as I did when I truly began to completely believe in the wholeness of grace.  I’m finally at rest.