Abiding in Grace

I have seen much debate and misunderstanding about the grace spoken about in Romans.  I have witnessed Romans 7 and 8 used as support to validate sinful living.  I have also observed others who minimize or explain away what Paul is saying.  The effect of this line of teaching is the inevitable shackling of believers to Old Covenant thinking.

    

I believe much of what Romans 7 and 8 is talking about involves maturity in Christ. It's the maturation from the Law portion of our walk and spiritual development to the freedom and grace portion.  When we are young and immature in the faith, our will is still very much our will.  We look for how far we can push things.  What are the rules?  How much can we get away with?  The Law portion guides us through the early years of our faith.  But, there are those who are immature in the faith who seem to take an opposite route in their development.  Everything and anything seems wrong to them.  They have not learned to discern.  Many of these seem to be anxious personality types.  They worry about doing the wrong thing and losing their salvation and God's love.

Paul had a security in his Lord and salvation.  He was mature in the faith.  He was able to discern.  I believe Paul is saying there is nothing he wanted to do that would separate him from the love of God, yet not everything is beneficial to his spiritual growth.  It's not a clean and unclean thing because that is Old Covenant thinking.  It's beneficial and non-beneficial.  Our sins past, present and future have been bought and paid for; we live in that freedom daily.  There is nothing you can do that will make you "unclean" as you are saved and live under the blood of Christ.  You live under the umbrella of grace.  But, so many have Old Covenant thinking...clean unclean and many of them feel too unclean to worship.  Another sacrifice MUST be made in order for them to be clean enough to abide in the presence of the Lord again.  They abuse themselves and allow their weak consciences to torment them with Old Covenant thinking.  Once they have paid the addition price of abuse of psyche and spirit, they feel clean enough to enter into relationship and worship again.

Many believers fear living in this freedom.  They feel like it is using grace as a license to sin.  Those who are mature in Christ want Him more than they want the world.  They want to be like Jesus.  They are not looking for boundaries, and "what can I get away with and still be saved".  They ache for relationship, and feel sick when they can't feel his presence.  When they sin it's not beneficial and that sin carries consequence.  When they feed the homeless that IS beneficial and is an outward expression of their love for Christ and their maturity in Christ.

Living in Old Covenant thinking didn't make me sin less; it just made sin more sinful.  The Law will break your flesh.  You must realize you have no ability to be righteous.  You have no ability to clean yourself up.  You have no ability to mature yourself in Christ.  Staying away from the unclean is NOT maturity in Christ.  Maturity in Christ is love, relationship and faith that God loves you too much to not mature you in His love.  That simple faith brings maturity, and relieves you from that itching need to be perfect.  And in that simple faith, you find yourself growing, doing things and wanting the non-beneficial less.  You grow.

 

I accept my place now, here in this flesh with these vices attached to it.  But, I know this is not my home.  And my faith is not in me.  God has never left me.  He has never lied to me.  I know he is transforming me, shaping me, using me in my weaknesses for his plans and purposes.  When I forget this; when I begin to look at me, I grow sick.  I feel ill.  When I live in the freedom by faith, I feel well and strong.  I run and don’t grow weary, I walk and do not faint.  My hope is not in myself.  My hope is in the Lord.

 

Jesus is the pioneer and the perfector of our faith.  Today, my main focus is not on me.  My main focus is on Christ.  I see the hand of sanctification moving through my life, not because of me but despite of me.  My best efforts are like filthy rags.  This maturation process has continued and plodded through my mistakes, sins, and character defects.  I look back and know my best efforts should have landed me in prison or the grave.  My best efforts imprisoned me to addiction and misery.  It wasn't until my flesh was broken over the Law, that I truly began to grow.  It wasn't until I knew that I knew that I would never be good enough to earn salvation, that I gave up trying to be good enough.  It was through that breaking process, I realized where my eyes should be focused and that is on the Cross.

So does that mean God gives us a little nudge and a wink when we sin?  Does it mean my sin doesn't grieve me?  Does it mean I don't try to avoid setting idols up in my heart?  The answer is no to all the above.  I am grieved when I sin, my heart breaks.  But, not because I am trying to earn something, but because I am trying to be like someone and that is Jesus Christ.  My desire is to be like my Savior in every way.  My desire is to continually grow.  Do I look at my motives, my actions, and my reactions?  Absolutely, I want those to be like my Saviors as well.  But, I know this, that even when I stumble and fall flat on my face that God still loves me, is still in control, and I trust him to remove it all from me.  HE is the perfector of my faith, not me.