grace...hmmm....

I reckon grace has to be one of the most talked about issues on Christian blogs. And why not? Hoorah for grace. But recently I've been thinking about it alot and how it seems to be the hardest thing to convey to a non-Christian and the hardest thing to express the reality of in my own life.

So take the non-Christian. Last night I got chatting to someone on my course in the student union about the gospel. It was long and exciting but so damn frustrating. The popular misconception of Christianity is always that we're bound by rules ands regulations and that we're so similar to other religions that why can't we all just agree and live together. And it's funny becuase no mater how many ways I explained grace and freedom and the heart of the Christian message he just couldn't grasp that Christianity isn't about constraints.

I guess that's human pride. We have to feel we add something and grace is just too radical, polar opposite to the way our society works. And it's just so hard to grasp.

And then in my own life. I totally understand that grace frees me from guilt to live a life by the power of the spirit and no longer under law. I can stand firm in grace and my old nature is crucified. My struggles with sin and my pursuit of holiness is done under the banner of grace that ensures I am forgiven still. And yet, do I reall know this? How often I slip into endless cycles of guilt and burden for all the things I'm not doing well enough, especially when it comes ot Christian service in the CU or my church. how often I find myself annoyed with myself and despairing of my sin. How often I put 'constraints' on myself and try to work myself to a position of greater holiness and godliness. When actually all I need do is get back to the foot of the cross, plead for forgiveness and ask for a changed heart.

I guess that's human pride. We have to feel we add something and grace is just too radical, polar opposite to the way our society works. And it's just so hard to grasp.

But more than that grace is the one thing the devil wants the non-christian not to grasp becuase it will radically transform their life and grace is the one thing the devil wants the christian not to grasp becuase it will radically transform our lives and make us more effective in gospel ministry and overflowing with joy and peace.