Grace and Law

Around the time of going to Israel in  2012, I had a health issue that brought me to my knees–one of those embarrassing ones that no one talks about. Not coincidentally,  the Israel trip and our pastor’s teachings were impacting me from the spiritual side.

The upshot of the whole experience is that I had a vision in which there was a rock foundation, which was Christ. In the vision the structure of my character was built upon that sure foundation of Jesus ( the structure was a house).  I saw the arm of God wipe out this structure completely, leaving only the rock foundation.

I came to understand, that the supporting structures of my character were skewed towards the law. After this whole structure came down, I was mentored by a friend to see that grace had to replace those skewed supporting beams–God’s abiding forgiveness, love, acceptance, joy, peace and the other riches that God has for us. Without this, I was leaning towards a dead law which had nothing to offer me but death.  (2 Cor 3:6)

Two things happened recently which confirmed to me that others have this same struggle to keep grace as the supporting structure of who we are. First, the husband of a woman who had been in some classes with me said that he felt the these teachings hurt his wife. After the classes, she began focusing more on the law and on becoming perfect.

The second thing that confirmed that we may not get the grace concept which is so crucial was this: I heard a woman (new to the church) talking about how Christ Church preaching has inspired her to “work on herself”. This to me means that we do not get the concept of the riches of God. We do not work on ourselves but rather agree and act to cooperate with God as he transforms us.

A definition of grace from John Bevere is:  ““God’s empowerment that gives us the ability to go beyond our natural ability.”  The only response to that gift that is needed from us is obedience of the listening, trusting, in love with Him sort.   He supplies all else.  So we do not need to beat ourselves up or struggle to give and serve.  We just need to let the Holy Spirit lead then empower us.   This involves agreement and cooperation with the Spirit (but not self improvement or striving).

It is evident to me that any teaching about sin needs to be surrounded with those supporting structures of grace. Otherwise, we can get focused on looking for sin and returning to the law instead of learning to live in relationship with Christ’s Spirit through listening and obeying.   A return to the law is heavy and full of darkness, whereas life in the Spirit is light and joy.

After committing my life to Him,  I am God’s daughter with whom he is well pleased because now he sees Jesus in me, even when I mess up. This is because I have put my trust in Jesus, and my life is now a cooperation with him. I am not earning his love–it is grace.  I heard this said another way.  As a child of God, there is nothing I can do to make God love me more, and there is nothing I can do to make him love me less.  I am his and he is mine.  His banner over me is love.