Grace, Grace, God's Grace...

I have recently been challenged to question the way I view grace. I have been reading "The Purifying Power of Living by Faith in Future Grace" by John Piper. I realized that all too often I view the Christian life, it's qualities, and works as something done out of payment to God. Now, I know this view is skewed and far from the truth but it's just something that I subconsciously do. Maybe it's the "debtors ethic" view of American culture. You do something good for me... Now I owe you one. That sounds nice and easy but that's just not how God works. Grace is not something given with the expectation of being paid back. It is given by God with the expectation of faith in more grace! Gratitude is very important in Christian living. I don't doubt that. But it should not replace faith as our motivation for a Christ centered, God honoring life.

The illustration Piper uses is that of a house given as a completely free gift. The house represents salvation. God gives us this house, right? It's the best house there is. It protects you and has everything thing you would ever need to survive. Your food, your drink, everything. God asks that we shelter no other gods in this house. He asks us not to put others before Him. Say we take the house then immediately call up a lawyer and set up monthly mortgage payments. The house is no linger treated as a gift. It's now treated as something purchased. And we all know that grace can never be purchased.

I highly recommend that you buy this book, meditate on the insight it offers and most importantly, search for the scriptural basis.

"Grace to You"