Jesus is His Name

I thought grace was just about second chances, third chances, fourth...

I thought it was just about excusing mistakes, turning a blind eye to sin.

I thought it was about a foundation for better living next time.

We tally the wrongs against us, deciding how many more chances to give. Sometimes we have had enough, sometimes we forgive. We feel like we should forgive because You did, and so we do- sometimes, reluctantly, in bitterness. We hope in our chance-giving or chance-receiving to save us.

But what if you did not just live perfectly on earth and leave?

What if you are not just our example, but our Savior?-

    our Savior from the score-keeping games,

    our Savior from calculating what we deserve.

And so You are.

We shy away in shame after moments of wrongdoing- hoping, praying no one will see, or that they will excuse us if they do. We don't want to deal with consequences of our actions, so we hope to just be let off the hook. We hope in temporary "blindness" to save us.

But what if you did not just come to condone sin?

What if you came to bear it, to absorb it, to die under its weight?

What if you became sin for us, 

   Forever crushing it and nullifying its power.

And so You have.

We set our gazes to our improvement charts, kicking ourselves in moments of failure, and puffing up when we feel we should be proud. It is all about improvement, and we must improve at _____ , or else our life is meaningless. We hope in the towers we build to save us.

But what if you will continue to rescue us from our deeds?

What if you will keep revealing the irrelevance of our production?

What if you will open our eyes on that day,

     establishing yourself as our only source of life and meaning.

And so you will. 

No, it doesn't mean we should take advantage of your chances,

       it doesn't mean we should just do what we want because you forgive,

       it doesn't mean our life choices are irrelevant.

But thanks be to God, who raised us up with Christ!
His life, his blessings, his provision are ours to know.
There is life in no other.

Give us faith in Him-
Who gave of his body and blood, doing away with our tallying.
Give us faith in Him-
Who continues to intercede for us, nullifying the power of sin.
Give us faith in Him-
Who is bearing fruit in us, inviting us to rest in his faithfulness.

Magnify grace to us, Christ to us.
Let us see not just how grace benefits us,
but what it cost You.
In seeing, may we worship instead of taking advantage. 

And when we take advantage, grace You will give,
Yourself You will give. 
We are a people saved by Grace,
and Grace is not an arbitrary gift, but a person.
Jesus is his name.

Hallelujah.

3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindnessand love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 

Titus 3:3-7