I sometimes struggle with understanding these two statements and I hope together we can get our arms around this a bit more securely together... This blog entry is BY NO MEANS an all encompassing explanation, dissertation, or any other other kind of ation, other than perhaps a conversation... it is a starting point for us all to have a chat...fun stuff!
Saved by Grace
Okay, so first maybe we should define the word, “grace.”
We might say that it is “undeserved, unmerited favor.”
(AND MUCH, MUCH, MUCH MORE THAN THAT!)
I think it is a good place to start...so, it is the undeserved favor of God over us; He has provided a path to rejoin us to His original intent for Mankind and it is His amazing love shown through this unmerited favor—grace. Grace is His side of a two-sided equation. Now we could go on forever about being “saved” and this is not the point of this thread so we'll open that can another time. Grace, to me, is more about our reality than it is a past-tense action of God...more than something He did for us.
God's grace is alive and we live in His undeserved, unmerited favor...He really loves us (actively) and He loves to have a special and personal relationship with each of us. It is really why He created us in the first place—to enjoy and be enjoying a holy and intimate relationship between Creator and His creation.... Cool stuff!
Man, God was, is, and will forever be, in a good mood towards us!
So because God first loved us, He orchestrated a whole storyline to include us as the central characters around Himself (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), He brings us back into the original family structure and He defeats the enemy, and we are saved by grace.
I saw a cool acronym for GRACE.. “God's Riches At Christ's Expense”. I think that is pretty slick.
Now, I don't want to be too simplistic... Salvation is not all about me making it into the Book of Life by the skin of my teeth; covered in God's grace. Salvation is evidenced as genuine faith in an ongoing relationship with the Gracious God. It has been and will always be about God wanting a dynamic relationship with me...right now, where I am at...
Saved by Faith
So, I see faith as the other side of the equation that I need to provide. I not only believe that God is God; Christ died for my sins, and all the other elements of the classic sinner's prayer... It is about me LIVING and in RELATIONSHIP with God...living out my faith in action/deed. Faith does not get me into heaven without His grace FIRST coming upon me, nor does His grace come and save me with my faith in God. I need to accept His love; His grace; His redemptive power; His Kingship; and His proper position in His life...He's God and I am not. I'm working in stuff and working out stuff, all so I can be more and more properly aligned with the Truth...Literally, thank God I am saved by Grace and I will live out my life as I am save by Faith.
Now, please take notice that I haven't even touched on defining FAITH, that's cuz I invite you to help me take this one deeper.
What is faith?
How do we live out our faith?
What are the elements of faith?
**
Again, I am positive, I haven't explained this all clearly, nor is that my intent...way over my head. I laugh because I have bookshelves and e-documents and this would still be incomplete. It seems good enough for US to have a bit more conversation don't ya' think?
So, if you'd like to jump in, please do so, take this whole topic, a portion of it, or stuff I'm missing or that I got incorrectly stated...come and be your important part of the Body.
Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness. You ROCK GOD!
1 comment:
Yes, we don't deserve His Love, but He is so graceful to save and sacrifice! Even when I was running away from Him, His unconditional Love is bigger than anything. Understanding that built my faith.
God is good and big. That’s all why I faith in Him.
I couldn't understand His Love, until Him actually interacting with me. The fear of God locked God into an answering machine (Dan wrote some interesting analogy in His book blue like jazz). Fear of God makes the Love interaction awkward. I called the machine when I need, like I pray when I need. But if I don’t need anything, God is muted. If God doesn’t answer the phone, I will call again, like I would pray harder if the prayer wasn’t answered. So the muted God started talking until I questioned Him why He made this world so dark and dirty, why He made my life so hard and tough. He showed a caring heart for me first, when I was questioning Him, I was broken inside and couldn’t see appreciate the beauty of creation.
Jordan said God is talkative. I was shocked. What? He was muted all the times. Oh, no, I locked God all he times. Oops. Loving God is talkative and He wants to talk to His children by all means.
Grace? Yes! The king wants to talk to us all the times.
Love? Yes! Without Love interaction, how can we change the fallen world, without His Love, how can we share our love unconditionally to others.
About faith, recently, I feel that take the risk, faith will be grown. I just promised one of my Chinese friends that I will help by all means whatever she feels financially difficult. I am not sure whether she would ask financial help or not but I am sure she would like to start a friendship with her risky Chinese friend.
Thus,
Relationship = faith start
Risking = faith growth
Thank you Keiger. Hope it make sense.
=)
Liu Liu
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