"For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace."
How hard it is for us to teach grace rather than law in our churches. You've probably heard at least one sermon in your life that made you feel awful about yourself for an entire Sunday afternoon. Many of us say, "If only I prayed more or read my Bible more then I would be a good Christian." Guilt over our own failure only leads to death and condemnation. When we strive to do what is good in order to be good we fall into the Law and sins reign in us.
However when we do good in order to receive the blessings it affords we are truly under grace. For a Christian, no sin can ever separate us from the love of God in Christ for there is no condemnation in Christ. Sin has lost it's power and death it's sting. Only in grace can we choose to do or not do without fear of eternal consequence. Only then can we grow and mature because we are free to make mistakes. It is expected. There's a big difference between guilt and godly sorrow. Guilt is an inward feeling of condemnation and is not an option but Godly sorrow is an outward expression of having hurt someone or God and brings transformation. It is now our love for God that keeps us in line and God's kindness which leads us to repentance instead of fear.
Amen! Let love, over law, lead us to live life abundantly.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading Brenden! This is sort of what I was trying to say last night but I was a little too tired to use my mouth adequately. Let every imperative be based in love and not law.
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