Saved By Grace, Only to Live To Ourselves?

Yesterday, I said it. I told you I was tired of the misuse of the word grace.

We looked at an example of a mother giving her children instruction before she went out. Her little pharisee responded one way and her little prodigal responded another. here. Both responses were wrong. In our example, neither knew the heart of the mother.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we are the grateful recipients of grace. God’s grace.  Scripture teaches that we are saved by grace. The vehicle to receive this gift is not works, but simply faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. He took our sin upon himself and paid our penalty. The cross shows us what God really thinks of our sin. Our sin did not go unpunished. But God’s wrath was poured out on Jesus instead of on Sarah Beals or on you. THAT is Amazing Grace.

The little pharisee reject this because they like feeling good. They want to revel in their right-ness and look down their self righteous noses at the little prodigals across the kitchen table from them. The prodigal feels that they are not good enough. They can never measure up or be as “good” as the little pharisee…so they stop trying.

One can be addicted to either lawlessness or lawfulness. Theologically there is no difference since both break relationship with God, the giver. Gerhard O. Forde

Neither lawfulness nor lawlessness is acceptable to God. Both will send a person to hell. The only thing we can do is believe what has already been done.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.

He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us.

Martin Luther said

” The law says, “do this” and it is never done. Grace says “believe in this,” and everything is already done.”

But after we are saved by grace,  how are we to live?

Modern Christians seem to lean toward pleasing ourselves in gray areas.  The attitude seems to be, “Oh, don’t worry about it. We are under grace.”

We value our independence and although we love to tout the words “community” we don’t actually want any norms of a community. We want all the benefits without any of the responsibilities. Don’t try to set church norms, standards or even institutional rules. You will be labeled a legalist.

Here is my problem with this outlook.

Just because we are saved by grace does not mean that we can live to ourselves. We do not set the terms for our lives.  

No, when you are saved by grace you are compelled to want to make the Father smile. You want to please Him. This is the norm of Biblical Christianity is the example given to us by Christ. “I do the will of the Father who sent me.”

As GRATEFUL RECIPIENTS of such undeserved love, it is only normal that the Savior, the Giver of the GRACE sets the terms for our lives.

God claims ownership of our lives when we receive his mercy. He has laws. Yes, laws. Not suggestions or helpful hints for living. They are his commands. And he tells us that we will try to live holy lives and  keep His commands if we are His. I am not talking about works for salvation. But works to show that we do have faith and love for Christ. “Faith without works is dead.” Even Jesus did the will of his father and so should we.

It is not about us or what we want. It is about the Father’s will.

Titus 2: 11,12  speaks of God’s grace helping us to say no to our self.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.

Quite a different picture than the picture of grace that is painted today. God’s grace helps us to live as God would have us live.

This is not an unhappy, rigid life although getting rid of sin is a hard process. Sanctification is what keeps you clinging to God’s grace. If you want to know God’s grace, just start saying no to your flesh. You will HAVE to cling to Christ and his grace for help.

And sometimes in a “community” we are called to something higher than our own rights. We are called to consider one another. It is the law of love. 1 Cor. 13 tells us that is the most excellent way of living our Christian lives. We sometimes set aside our own liberties for the love of others.

This is virtually undone today.

More to follow.