Scandalous Grace

Grace is crazily beautiful! The free and unmerited favor of God through salvation and the bestowing of His blessings doesn't make a whole lot of sense to those who are bent toward earning His favor. But embracing His grace is the only way to become intimately engaged with Him. Life giving relationships are built not on works but unconditional love that leads to works. True of our relationship with God and true of our relationship with others.

People have asked, did moving to a grace focused church community lead to AJ's lifestyle? That question breaks my heart. First, the church we have been involved with the past four years preaches the whole scripture, law as well as grace. The fact that some embrace grace and dismiss law doesn't make His grace any less significant. Grace is still a part of who God is, but only part. Those who ignore His righteousness do so at their own peril. Secondly, AJ spent the vast majority of his life in a law preaching church. He couldn't pull it off, so he faked it. Been faking it his whole life and continues to. So does that bring into question the validity of God's laws? Of course not! Nor does it bring into question God's grace. Men pervert God's ways when He is not truly Lord of their life. True of this situation too. Thirdly, it's God's grace, not His law that transformed me. His unconditional love for me led me to a life giving relationship with Him. His law reveals my shortcomings which makes me appreciate His grace and mercy even more. Then His grace and mercy gives me the desire to follow His laws.  

Don't discount God's grace as scandalous as some make it seem. It will hinder your life. It will hinder your relationship with Him and hinder your relationship with others. It takes the whole picture of God, law and grace, to understand and love Him fully and to glorify Him more completely.