Preaching Grace

I was reminded on the weekend that we must keep remembering grace as we walk the Christian journey.

It is so tempting to imagine that now Christ has made me his own, I must live such a disciplined life that he will want to keep me by his side.

So when I behave  virtuously, I slip so easily into the sin of pride at my discipline. I forget the reason Christ called me simply because he loves me.

Similarly I may slip into despair when overcome by sin, crushed by its weight, feeling helpless to ever make things right with Jesus. I forget that Christ called me only because he loved me.

C. S. Lewis reminds us that our personal disciplines are important, but they are overshadowed by God's grace to us in Jesus.

 After each failure, ask forgiveness, pick yourself up, and try again. Very often what God first helps us towards is not the virtue itself but just this power of always trying again. For however important chastity (or courage or truthfulness, or any other virtue) may be, this process trains us in habits of the soul which are more important still. It cures our illusions about ourselves and teaches us to depend on God. We learn, on the one hand, that we cannot trust ourselves in our best moments, and, on the other, that we need not despair even in our worst, for our failures are forgiven. (Mere Christianity)

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

No other name

One of the traps for all of us who have been in churches for a long time is to start to feel that we are maybe good enough for God. That our sins are frustrating but not that important to God. That we kind of deserve to be on His team due to our skill set and abilities. Our dependability. Our awesomeness even...

Then I started to read Leviticus again.

And I remembered just how seriously God takes sin. Sin has consequences: not just now in the way we hurt others and ourselves, but in the future also. Sin leads to death. The need for animal sacrifices was a tactile reminder to the Israelites of their unholiness before the perfect and Holy God.

Perhaps Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaaron (Lev 10:1-2), began to think that they were pretty awesome. After all, they had just been ordained priests, were wearing special robes and had a unique role within the Israelite community. They were the chosen of the chosen... And so they offered 'unauthorized fire' to the Lord, in contradiction to his command. Their act of self-glorification led to their death, just as our sins  lead to death.

God takes sin seriously, and we can never be good enough to earn our own holiness. And thankfully we don't need to, because God has purchased our holiness in the sacrifice of Jesus, his blood spilled to purify us of all unrighteousness.

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)