Showing posts with label grace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grace. Show all posts

Religion Versus The Gospel


The primary difference is that of motivation. In religion, we try to obey the divine standards out of fear. We believe that if we don't obey we are going to lose God's blessing in this world and the next. In the gospel, the motivation is one of gratitude for the blessing we have already received because of Christ. While the moralist is forced into obedience, motivated by fear of rejection, a Christian rushes into obedience, motivated by a desire to please and resemble the one who gave his life for us.

...

The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued and that Jesus was glad to die for me.

The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller, pp 186-187

The Fall and God's Love

Lydia's preschool teacher has a blog that she updates every day with lots of photos and updates on what they are learning and doing. This was how today's blog began:


Proud.
Humbled.
Blessed beyond measure.
"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." - Proverbs 22:6

Jesus, Friend of Sinners - TuesdayTunes

Lyrics to "Jesus, Friend Of Sinners" by Casting Crowns:

Jesus Friend of sinners we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in your name but the sword was never ours to swing
Jesus friend of sinners the truth's become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You but they're tripping over me
Always looking around but never looking up I'm so double minded
A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided

Oh Jesus friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus friend of sinners break our hearts for what breaks yours

Jesus friend of sinners the one who's writing in the sand
Make the righteous turn away and the stones fall from their hands
Help us to remember we are all the least of thieves
Let the memory of Your mercy bring your people to their knees
Nobody knows what we're for only what we're against when we judge the wounded
What if we put down our signs crossed over the lines and love like You did

Oh Jesus friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus friend of sinners break our hearts for what breaks yours

You love every lost cause; you reach for the outcast
For the leper and the lame; they're the reason that You came
Lord I was that lost cause and I was the outcast
But you died for sinners just like me a grateful leper at Your feet

 'Cause You are good, You are good
And Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever

Oh Jesus friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus friend of sinners break our hearts for what breaks Yours

And I was the lost cause and I was the outcast 
You died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet

The Mystery of Mercy

This song has been playing in my head all morning, as I reflect on what Christ endured for me.



Lyrics for "Mystery Of Mercy " written by Andrew Peterson and Randall Goodgame, performed by Caedmon's Call:

I am the woman at the well, I am the harlot
I am the scattered seed that fell along the path
I am the son that ran away
And I am the bitter son that stayed

My God, my God why hast thou accepted me
When all my love was vinegar to a thirsty King?

My God, my God why hast thou accepted me
It's a mystery of mercy and the song, the song I sing

I am the angry man who came to stone the lover
I am the woman there ashamed before the crowd
I am the leper that gave thanks
But I am the nine that never came

My God, my God why hast thou accepted me
When all my love was vinegar to a thirsty King?

My God, my God why hast thou accepted me
It's a mystery of mercy and the song, the song I sing

You made the seed that made the tree
That made the cross that saved me
You gave me hope when there was none
You gave me your only Son

My God, Lord you are
My God, my God, Lord you are
My God

Prayer for Belief in All Aspects of God's Work

"Give me the grace to believe that you really do know what is best for me and that I do not. May I cling to Your character and rejoice in Your pursuit of me." - Kenneth Boa

The G.O.S.P.E.L.

There is so much about this video that I love.
I have spent the past 2 weeks watching and listening to it numerous times.
Below I have captured just a few of the lines that struck me I have decided to include the entire text.

(HT: Zach Nielsen)

Here is my transcript from the video "G.O.S.P.E.L.":

It’s the full story of life crushed into four minutes.
The entirety of humanity in the palm of your hand.
And crushed into one sentence.
Listen, it’s intense, right?
God. Our. Sins. Paying. Everyone. Life.
The greatest story ever told that’s hardly ever told.
God. Yes. God.
The Maker and Giver of life – and by life, I mean any and all manner and substance.
Seen and Unseen.  
What can and can’t be touched:
Thoughts. Image. Emotion. Love. Atoms and Oceans.
God.
All of it His handiwork. 
One of which His masterpiece.   
Made so uniquely that angels looked curiously. 
The one thing in creation that was made with His imagery. 
The concept so cold, it’s the reason I stay bold.
How God breathed into man and he became a living soul. 
Formed with the intent of being infinitely, intimately fond
Creator and creation held in eternal bond.
And it was placed in perfect paradise until something went wrong. 
The species got deceived and started lusting for His job.  
An odd list of complaints, as if the system ain’t working    
And used that same breath He graciously gave us to curse Him.  
And that sin seed spread through our soul’s genome  
And by nature, your nature, your species, you participated in the mutiny of
Our, yes, our sins.  
It’s nature inherited. Black in the human heart.
It was over before it started
Deceived from day one and led away by our own lusts
There’s not a religion in the world that doesn’t agree that something’s wrong with us.
The question is “What is it?” and “How do we fix it?”
Are we eternally separated from a God that may or may not have existed?
But that’s another subject
Let’s keep grinding
Besides, trying to prove God is like defending a lion, homey – He don’t need your help.
Just unlock the cage.
Let’s move on how our debt can be paid.
Short and sweet: The problem is Sin. Yes. Sin.
It’s a cancer. An asthma.
Choking out our life force.
Forcing separation from a perfect and Holy God
And the only way to get back is to get back to perfection.
But silly us, trying to pass the course of life without referring to a syllabus.
This is us: “Keep up your good deeds”. Chant. Pray. Meditate.
But all of that, of course, is spraying cologne on a corpse.
Oh you can choose to ignore it, as if something don’t stink
It’s like stepping in dog poop and refusing to wipe your shoe
But all of that ends with how good is good enough?
Take your silly list of good deeds and line them up against perfection:
Good luck!
That’s life past your pay grade.
The cost of your soul. You ain’t got a big enough piggy bank.
But you can give it a shot.
But I suggest you throw away the list.
‘Cause even your good acts are an extension of your selfishness.
But here’s where it gets interesting:
I hope you’re closely listening, please don’t get it twisted, it’s what makes our faith unique.
Here’s what God says is Part A of the Gospel.
You can’t fix yourself, quit trying. It’s impossible.
Sin brings death.
Give God His breath back – you owe Him!
Eternally separated. And the only way to fix it is someone die in your place.
And that Someone got to be perfect or the payment ain’t permanent.
So if, and when, you find a perfect person, get him or her to willingly trade their perfection for your sin and debt
Clearly since the only one that can meet God’s criteria is God
God sent Himself as Jesus to pay the cost for us.
His righteousness, His death functions as Payment. Yes. Payment.
Wrote a check with His life but at the Resurrection we all cheered because that means the check cleared.
Pierce feet. Pierced hands. Blood stained Son of Man.
Fullness. Forgiveness. Free passage into the Promised Land.
That same breath that God breathed into us, God gave up to redeem us.
And anyone and everyone, and by everyone I mean everyone, who puts their faith and trust in Him
And Him alone can stand in full confidence of God’s forgiveness.
And here’s what the promise is:
That you are guaranteed full access to return to perfect unity by simply believing in Christ and Christ alone you are receiving life. Yes. Life.
This is the GOSPEL:
God. Our.Sins.Paying.Everyone.Life.

Grace For Gospel Distorters Like Me

Love this quote from Michael Kelley in today's post entitled "Today's Gospel is Tomorrow's Law":
"For the gospel is the only answer for those, like me, who distort the gospel. There is grace for us, too. When we preach the gospel to ourselves daily, we will find that God will tear down the rungs of our carefully constructed ladders. And when those ladders are broken into shards and splinters, what will be left towering over the piles of rubble is the wooden beams of the cross."