Amazing Grace

     Have you ever stopped to consider just how blessed we who are living in the Church Age truly are? I'm not talking about physical or financial blessings—though these are certainly evident. No. I'm talking about the spiritual blessings God has poured out on those of us living in the “last days.”

     Think about it. Before Jesus, mankind lived in fear and dread of God's punishment; struggling to earn His favor through ritual and sacrifice, all the while missing the greater issue that was—and still is—our sinful, human hearts.

 “And so the Lord says, ‘These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.’”

~ Isaiah 29:13 New Living Translation (NLT)

     God never wanted religion. He didn't require laws and rules, nor did he desire them. What God wanted was obedience born out of a changed and repentant heart.

“You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.

     You do not want a burnt offering.

The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.

     You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.”

~ Psalm 51:16-17 New Living Translation (NLT)

     Even on our best days, all of our righteousness is worthless in God's eyes. (Isaiah 64:6) Which is why God sent His own Son to die in our place as a perfect, once-for-all sacrifice. (Hebrews 10:1-18)

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.”

~ Romans 5:6-11 New Living Translation (NLT)

     Don’t get me wrong; God was always merciful. Throughout the Old Testament He continually spared those who would repent and obey. But there is a difference between mercy and grace. 

     For example, suppose a man was sentenced to die for his crimes, but on the day of his execution the king decided to pardon him. The man receives his life back, but nothing else. This is mercy.

     Grace, on the other hand, would be when the same man—having been tried and convicted—is brought before the king to face judgment. But rather than ordering the man's execution, the king instead comes down off his throne, frees the man himself, has him dressed in royal clothes, and claims the man as his own son and co-heir to his throne. 

     This is exactly what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. Because of His grace we are no longer His enemies; we are His friends; adopted children, and co-heirs with Christ himself! This alone is incredible, but it gets even better! Not only are we accepted as God's children and free from condemnation, we are also filled with God's Spirit—that is to say, God Himself is dwelling within us!

“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father.’ For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory...”

~ Romans 8:15-17a New Living Translation (NLT)

     This Spirit that has joined with our spirit is the Holy Spirit Himself, the third member of the triune God-head, and the “advocate” Jesus promised to send to us in John 16.

“But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.

“‘There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’”

~John 16:5-15 New Living Translation (NLT)

     The Holy Spirit came into the world on the Day of Pentecost; fifty days after Jesus rose from the dead and only ten days after his ascension to heaven. (Acts 1-2) Until that point in time, God's Spirit had only come upon certain individuals for a limited time. (i.e. the Judges of Israel and the Prophets.) But now, everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord and believes in Him has received the Holy Spirit, and can therefore live in the Spirit. And, as the scriptures say, it is only when we live in the Spirit that we can truly obey God. (Galatians 5)

     Therefore, we are free from sin and are under no obligation to the Old Covenant, with its rituals and regulations, because God's Spirit dwells within us, teaching us His Law by writing it on our hearts. (Jeremiah 31:31-34)  The Old Covenant was meant to show us our sins and to provide us with a temporary solution until the Messiah came. Now that Jesus has come, he has fulfilled the Law, and has made salvation accessible to everyone who believes in him through his death and resurrection. (Galatians 3, Hebrews 8-10)

    In short, salvation has always been a heart issue, not an obedience issue. And it is only by accepting Christ—who seals us and fills us with the Holy Spirit—that our hearts can be truly changed.  

“God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

“May God give you more and more grace and peace.”

~1 Peter 1:2 New Living Translation (NLT)