Sufficient Grace

Back in the day, there once was a homeless man living on the street. He saw a wealthy business man walking by and he began to beg for just a quarter. The man asked "Do I know you? You look familiar." The homeless man responded "I'm surprised you recognized me, we used to go to the same high school." The rich business man instant wrote him a check for $100 (this was a lot more back then). He said "Go to the bank just around the corner and cash this. This will help you get back on your feet and start up a new life."

The homeless man walked around the corner and looked into the nicely furnished bank. He saw the spotless carpet and the well dressed bank teller. He couldn't find it in himself to go inside dressed in his filthy ragged clothes. He thought that they would surely think he forged the check. He turned around and went back to his spot on the street. The next day the homeless man happened to meet the wealthy business man again. The rich man said with astonishment "What did you do with all the money!? Did you just use it for alcohol?" The poor man reached into his pocket and took out the check and explained why he couldn't go inside the bank. The rich man said "Go back and redeem it. It's my signature that makes it credible and valid."

The point of the story is that we need to trust in God's grace. Too often we look at our unworthiness and filthy sin. We allow our low self-esteem, self-hatred, and self-condemnation to get in our way. We struggle in despair, thinking that we just need to try harder in our spiritual life. We pretend we're doing alright, we rely on our self efforts, we fool ourselves into thinking that we've got it all together. By no means am I saying that we shouldn't be convicted of our sins, we definitely should. What I am saying is that God does not want us to be chained to this dark and unhealthy guilt we suffer from. We can often think, "I'm just not good enough. I'm not doing enough. I'm not where I should be." And truth be told, we never will be on our own efforts or religious activities. This is exactly why Christ came! He is our only Savior, Messiah and Redeemer of sins. He sanctifies us and works us to completion. Through the power of His Holy Spirit we can live transformed lives. This intimate and dynamic relationship with Him satisfies our every thirst, sets us free from sin, regenerates our hearts, gives us new life, and allows us to truly love.

When the adulteress was dragged by a crowd and bought to Jesus, He did not condemn her. He did the exact opposite and forgave her, telling her to go and sin no more. When we beat ourselves up for not performing well in our spiritual growth, we are in a sense rejecting God's grace in unbelief. Rather we are told to trust in His promises and see that His grace is sufficient. God made Him who had no sin, to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God. We have a new nature and identity in Christ. Miserable, depressed, and discouraged Christians who lack any joy are a complete contradiction, not to mention also a bad witness. We are called to embrace and receive His grace through faith. Perhaps one of the toughest things to do in this life is to accept God's forgiveness and unconditional love. To think that He knows all of our sins and yet He still wants us. He walks into all of our sins and says "You're mine. Trust that my perfect love drives out all fear and that my grace is sufficient for you."

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." -Ephesians 2:8

God's grace is a free gift and His unmerited favor. God's grace is free for us, but it's not cheap. It cost God everything. Receive and trust in His sufficient grace. Count yourselves dead to sin and alive in Christ Jesus.

True Christians, take a second to see yourself through God's eyes. There is absolutely no condemnation for those in Christ. God loves you no more or no less based on our spiritual growth, works, or performance. He takes us as we are. Every heartbeat is only possible by His grace. Every second He is intensely loving you whether you're aware of it or not. There is absolutely nothing in us that makes us attractive, desirable or worthy of His love. But God simply loves us because we are His children. We are called to be children of light, His ambassadors, and His royal priesthood. We are created to worship Him and reflect the glory of His likeness. Stop trying to hide your sin, rather surrender it before God. Did Christ not conquer sin and death for this very reason? So I say live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. We are more than conquers, for where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom, and nothing can separate us from His love.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" -2 Cor 5:17