Let's look at the difference
between the law and grace. The law condemns, grace saves. The law accuses, grace acquits. The law is rigid and inflexible.
God's grace is the surgical scalpel that cuts out the cancerous effects
of sin out of our soul. The law is a reflection of God's
perfect holiness and perfection, be like my Father in Heaven who
is perfect. But grace is otherworldly for an upside-down economy in
which Christ propitiates the sins of the thief, the harlot,
the publican, the liar, the cheater, the addict, the politician and
teacher, the doctor, the mom, the grandma, the janitor, even
the preacher, the sinner just like you and me. Law demands
justice, grace is unmerited favor. Law can create self-righteousness.
Grace leaves no room to boast. The law imprisons. Grace liberates. There's close to 1,500 laws on
the books. Only one is needed in grace for
the remission of sins. And for you rock and rollers
out there, I fought the law and the... Law One. With grace, it's
amazing how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. The gospel
liberates us to be okay with not being okay. We know we're
not okay, though we try very hard to convince ourselves and
other people that we're basically fine. The gospel effectively
tells us, relax, it's finished, the pressure's off. Because of
the gospel, we have nothing to prove or protect. We can stop
pretending. We can take off our masks and
be real. The gospel frees us from trying to impress people,
appease people, or measure up for people. The gospel frees
us from the burden of trying to control what other people
think about us. It frees us from the miserable, unquenchable pursuit
to make something of ourselves by the using of others. When
I use the term gospel, you can substitute the word grace. The
gospel grants us the strength to admit we're weak and needy
and restless, knowing that Christ's finished work has proven to be
all the strength, fulfillment, and peace we could ever want
and more. Because Jesus is our strength, our weaknesses don't
threaten our sense of worth and value. Now we're free to admit
our wrongs and weaknesses without feeling as our flesh is being
ripped off our bones. When we understand that our significance,
security, and identity are all anchored in Christ, we don't
have to win, we're free to lose. And nothing in this broken world
can beat a person who isn't afraid to lose. We'll be free to say
crazy, risky, counterintuitive stuff like, to live is Christ
and to die is gain. Real, pure, unadulterated freedom
happens when the resources of the gospel crush any sense of
need to secure ourselves for anything beyond what Christ has
already secured for us. What we see here in our lives
is that love inspires what the law demands. The law prescribes
good works, but only grace can produce them. Gratitude, generosity,
honesty, compassion, acts of mercy and self-sacrifice, all
requirements of the law spring unsummoned from a forgiven heart.
This is how God works on us. He picks us the least deserving
out of the crowd, insists upon being in a relationship with
us, and creates in us a new heart miraculously capable of pleasing,
loving, and obeying Him.