The Greys of Grace
Good Morning Girls! I have a confession to make. Actually I have a LOT of confessions to make but we will start out nice and easy........
My first confession is this: I know less now than I did 3 years ago. A lot less. In fact there are very few things in life that I would say I know as I know as I know to be true......
Three years ago my life was black and white. There was good. There was evil. There was right. There was wrong.
There were lists. Lists of what "good" Christians do. Lists of what "good" Christians say. Lists of what "good" Christians don't do. Lists of what "good" Christians read and watch and listen to.
The lists were like unofficial rules. Guidelines. A standard of living to aspire to.
I liked these rules. I liked them because as a born again Christian 12 years ago I didn't know how to live. I was a full fledged pagan baby. I was lost. Desperate. Depressed, angry, and hopeless.
But then Jesus rescued me! He pulled me from the pit and held me close and gave me a whole new life. I was so thankful that I wanted to do everything "right". I found comfort in the lists. In the guidelines. In the rules. They helped me to stay on track. They kept me from going back to my old ways. They made me feel clean and pure and like the new creation I heard so much about. I was in a good place......
And then something changed. The "message of grace" swept through. Suddenly all the "lists" were gone. In fact, the "lists" were suddenly on the side of evil. The lists suddenly made you nullify the work of Jesus. The lists were bad.....bad.....bad. "Real" Christians......Real Jesus lovers realize that there are no rules. There is only grace. Everything is permissible.....who cares about whether or not it's beneficial man....it's all permissible!!!!!
I looked at my rules. At my lists. I didn't see anything wrong with them. I was definitely in a much better place in life when I lived according to my guidelines. I can't imagine never having my guidelines. I certainly didn't think I was disrespecting Jesus by having a certain standard of living.
Apparently I was wrong........almost everyone I knew started ditching the "rules". My black and white Christian living was suddenly a million shades of grey.
Lists are easier. There is no room for "error". You are either right or wrong. Grey....well grey is messy. Grey makes you think. Grey makes you question. Grey makes you doubt.
There is one good thing about grey. It makes you develop a more personal relationship with the Lord. You have to go to Him personally and figure this thing out. You can't just follow the crowd. You have to spend time in prayer and in the Word and really relying on the Holy Spirit to guide you in all truth.
It's been quite a journey for me. It has had it's ups and downs to say the least. I can't say that I have got it all figured out, I don't know that anyone can truly ever have it all figured out. But I do know one thing.......
I know that 12 years ago I fell head over heels in love with Jesus. I was a Jesus freak for sure! I also know that it was by His Grace that I was saved and set free from the life of self destruction I was living.
I also believe that the lists are from Him. Others may see them as "law" and religious rules. I don't. Not for me anyway. But I am just talking about me here. I am talking about a Girl who has very addictive, self destructive, perfectionist, and rebellious tendencies.
What others may see as "religious" IS in fact God's grace for my life!!!
Some of you may be shaking your head saying "poor Jen....just can't escape from the bondage of religion and rules". Guess what. I ditched my religious rules for a long season. It got me nowhere fast. The "old" Jen was still there, buried deep within my flesh. I gave her an inch......Satan took a mile.......
I am returning to my "rules". Not all of them. But most of them. I know in my heart I am not nullifying the work of Jesus! It is BECAUSE I am so thankful and grateful for what Jesus has done that I want to live my life the best I can. I know that was the enemy trying to twist the message of grace and make it something it is not in my life.
I thank God for His grace and mercy. I have experienced it since the moment I asked Him to show me how to live 12 years ago! Before then even. I know as I know He was pursuing and protecting me long before I was ready to receive Him.
I have experienced His grace all along. I just didn't know and understand it as "grace". I am so very thankful to Pastors like Joseph Prince who have helped guide me into understanding grace more and more. It has truly changed my life forever.
But to those who say grace and rules are not compatible- we will just have to agree to disagree. I know me. The Lord knows me better. I need a little black and white in my life or my life turns messy real fast....and not in a "drive you closer to the Lord" kind of way.
I once heard Joyce Meyer say "Grace is not an excuse for sloppy living". To that I say Amen!
Thank you Jesus, who is Grace, for loving me every single minute of this journey! I know you have set me free. I know you will set me straight if I am incorrect.
Our faith changes a little every day. As long as it's growing and increasing....I believe change is good.......
In the past I would have used today's verse as a reason not to "try so hard". A reason why having "rules" or a standard of living is contrary to God's grace. I don't see it that way anymore. I see it as me depending on the Holy Spirit to know what is best for ME and to rely on God's grace to follow what the Holy Spirit speaks to my heart......
Galatians 3:3 having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?
Love, peace, and a personal understanding of Grace to you all,
Jen
My first confession is this: I know less now than I did 3 years ago. A lot less. In fact there are very few things in life that I would say I know as I know as I know to be true......
Three years ago my life was black and white. There was good. There was evil. There was right. There was wrong.
There were lists. Lists of what "good" Christians do. Lists of what "good" Christians say. Lists of what "good" Christians don't do. Lists of what "good" Christians read and watch and listen to.
The lists were like unofficial rules. Guidelines. A standard of living to aspire to.
I liked these rules. I liked them because as a born again Christian 12 years ago I didn't know how to live. I was a full fledged pagan baby. I was lost. Desperate. Depressed, angry, and hopeless.
But then Jesus rescued me! He pulled me from the pit and held me close and gave me a whole new life. I was so thankful that I wanted to do everything "right". I found comfort in the lists. In the guidelines. In the rules. They helped me to stay on track. They kept me from going back to my old ways. They made me feel clean and pure and like the new creation I heard so much about. I was in a good place......
And then something changed. The "message of grace" swept through. Suddenly all the "lists" were gone. In fact, the "lists" were suddenly on the side of evil. The lists suddenly made you nullify the work of Jesus. The lists were bad.....bad.....bad. "Real" Christians......Real Jesus lovers realize that there are no rules. There is only grace. Everything is permissible.....who cares about whether or not it's beneficial man....it's all permissible!!!!!
I looked at my rules. At my lists. I didn't see anything wrong with them. I was definitely in a much better place in life when I lived according to my guidelines. I can't imagine never having my guidelines. I certainly didn't think I was disrespecting Jesus by having a certain standard of living.
Apparently I was wrong........almost everyone I knew started ditching the "rules". My black and white Christian living was suddenly a million shades of grey.
Lists are easier. There is no room for "error". You are either right or wrong. Grey....well grey is messy. Grey makes you think. Grey makes you question. Grey makes you doubt.
There is one good thing about grey. It makes you develop a more personal relationship with the Lord. You have to go to Him personally and figure this thing out. You can't just follow the crowd. You have to spend time in prayer and in the Word and really relying on the Holy Spirit to guide you in all truth.
It's been quite a journey for me. It has had it's ups and downs to say the least. I can't say that I have got it all figured out, I don't know that anyone can truly ever have it all figured out. But I do know one thing.......
I know that 12 years ago I fell head over heels in love with Jesus. I was a Jesus freak for sure! I also know that it was by His Grace that I was saved and set free from the life of self destruction I was living.
I also believe that the lists are from Him. Others may see them as "law" and religious rules. I don't. Not for me anyway. But I am just talking about me here. I am talking about a Girl who has very addictive, self destructive, perfectionist, and rebellious tendencies.
What others may see as "religious" IS in fact God's grace for my life!!!
Some of you may be shaking your head saying "poor Jen....just can't escape from the bondage of religion and rules". Guess what. I ditched my religious rules for a long season. It got me nowhere fast. The "old" Jen was still there, buried deep within my flesh. I gave her an inch......Satan took a mile.......
I am returning to my "rules". Not all of them. But most of them. I know in my heart I am not nullifying the work of Jesus! It is BECAUSE I am so thankful and grateful for what Jesus has done that I want to live my life the best I can. I know that was the enemy trying to twist the message of grace and make it something it is not in my life.
I thank God for His grace and mercy. I have experienced it since the moment I asked Him to show me how to live 12 years ago! Before then even. I know as I know He was pursuing and protecting me long before I was ready to receive Him.
I have experienced His grace all along. I just didn't know and understand it as "grace". I am so very thankful to Pastors like Joseph Prince who have helped guide me into understanding grace more and more. It has truly changed my life forever.
But to those who say grace and rules are not compatible- we will just have to agree to disagree. I know me. The Lord knows me better. I need a little black and white in my life or my life turns messy real fast....and not in a "drive you closer to the Lord" kind of way.
I once heard Joyce Meyer say "Grace is not an excuse for sloppy living". To that I say Amen!
Thank you Jesus, who is Grace, for loving me every single minute of this journey! I know you have set me free. I know you will set me straight if I am incorrect.
Our faith changes a little every day. As long as it's growing and increasing....I believe change is good.......
In the past I would have used today's verse as a reason not to "try so hard". A reason why having "rules" or a standard of living is contrary to God's grace. I don't see it that way anymore. I see it as me depending on the Holy Spirit to know what is best for ME and to rely on God's grace to follow what the Holy Spirit speaks to my heart......
Galatians 3:3 having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?
Love, peace, and a personal understanding of Grace to you all,
Jen
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