Gratitude for Grace -The cost,beauty, and purpose of Grace.

I have been guilty of using grace like an unlimited credit card. This can easily happen if we forget what grace costs:  "Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins" (Hebrews 9:22). Grace costs blood. Without the cross and Jesus suffering, Grace would not exist to pardon your sins. Paul was aware of what grace cost and what it was for when he wrote, "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid!" (Romans 6:1) Grace is there to get us away from sin, not just to forgive, but to enable us to live holy lives apart from sin. Grace is there for our sin, but when we sin willfully expecting grace later, we are abusing and perverting grace, it is dishonored and...."dis-Graced". God can even forgive us of this ironically (but there is a warning in Hebrews of going too far in abusing grace, I was so CLOSE to that, but God chastised me deeply and thankfully kept me from that point of no return found in Hebrews 10:26-31/Proverbs 29:1). I have confessed to the Lord that I was abusing His grace and asked Him to forgive me by the very thing I had abused, His grace. But this must be done sincerely in brokenness,humility, and contrition over sin (2 Chronicles 7:14) and not "planned for later" after indulging. When we repent, we also receive God's rain to pour over and refresh our dry, stagnant and starving spirit (see 2 Chronicles 7:13-14), but if we don't, we remain in spiritual destitution and God will humble us with "drought and locusts to devour" spiritually and even physically sometimes (job loss/illness/relational and mental turmoil, etc.) to discipline those who are His, to deter us from sin by repentance in order to restore us (avoid the pain by repenting now! The pain is not worth putting off repentance for a time of pleasure, I know from experience).

We are not honoring grace by planning to use it later after doing the sin we want, we honor it when we say like Joseph, "How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”" (Gen 39:9) and we deny ourselves. We honor it, when we quickly repent after stumbling and are broken over our sin because we have grieved God's spirit. We may slip at times like Peter did, but we need to have the intent of being a vessel that honors God and not slip intentionally (like Judas).  I guess that's the main focus here, is intent. We honor grace by our intentions, and we can dishonor it by our intentions.  Intent to live holy verses intent to live in sin. Peter slipped for a moment, but we like Peter need to repent with Godly sorrow, being grieved for sinning against God, not worldly sorrow where we regret the consequence of our actions, but not for the sin itself (2 Cor. 7:10). Peter's actions are the example of Godly sorrow to repentance and restoration, Judas' actions are the example of worldly sorrow to regret and condemnation.

Grace is not the freedom to sin, Grace is freedom from sin, liberty from being bound by sin and compulsion to sin, to rid ourselves of it, and the just condemnation that comes with sin.It is the ability to get back up and be restored from falling, to not remain in a fallen state. The bible says, "You know that Christ came to take away our sins. There is no sin in Him." (1 John 3:5). Grace doesn't just cover sin, it takes it away. How has Grace taken away our sin, if we are still living it?

"God does love you 'the way you are', but He loves you too much to leave you that way"
-Adrian Rogers.

Pigs relish in mud, sheep do not. If you are a sheep of the great Shepherd, stop playing in the mud of sin. That is for swine (the world) to play in. If you have played in it like I have before, or miss it, repent! Ask God to forgive and cleanse you of the filthy sin you have wallowed in and to change your heart,give you a new heart and take out the hardened heart of stone, to give you a heart to honor and love Him in every way, and ask Him to give you a love for Him and His commands, and a distaste for sin. Pray this beautiful Psalm :

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer."  -Psalm 19:14

If we forget what grace costs, we will forget it's value, meditate on these verses and what Jesus went through to offer you grace, not a license to sin, but liberty from it:

"Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man And His form more than the sons of men." Isaiah 52:14

"Surely he took up our pain

and bore our suffering,

yet we considered him punished by God,

stricken by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

He was oppressed and afflicted,

yet he did not open his mouth;

he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,

and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away.

Yet who of his generation protested?

For he was cut off from the land of the living;

for the transgression of my people he was punished.^b

He was assigned a grave with the wicked,

and with the rich in his death,

though he had done no violence,

nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,

and though the Lord makes^c his life an offering for sin,

he will see his offspring and prolong his days,

and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

12b because he poured out his life unto death,

and was numbered with the transgressors.

For he bore the sin of many,

and made intercession for the transgressors."

Isaiah 53:4-5,7-10,12b

-Nathan Glass


Meditate on this Hymn that shows the cost,beauty, and purpose of God's grace:

1. Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
   Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
   Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
   There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.
   • Refrain:
     Grace, grace, God’s grace,
     Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
     Grace, grace, God’s grace,
     Grace that is greater than all our sin!
2. Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
   Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
   Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
   Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.
3. Dark is the stain that we cannot hide;
   What can we do to wash it away?
   Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,
   Brighter than snow you may be today.
4. Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
   Freely bestowed on all who believe!
   You that are longing to see His face,
   Will you this moment His grace receive?

-Julia H. Johnston, pub.1910