Thinking About Grace...Part 4

I've admitted before, probably here but certainly from the pulpit, that I'm a recovering legalist. It's much easier, to be honest. When you're a legalist, you make up your list of rules (some of them are from the Bible, but many are not), and you make sure everyone else sticks to it. Yes, everyone else. Because when you're busy making sure everyone else follows your rules, you don't have to worry about following them yourself. You can always deflect attention away from yourself onto how "bad" someone else is.

In many corners of American Christianity, this is the default position.

In Jesus' day, they called these folks Pharisees.

Now, I know that's not really fair. I am sure that many Pharisees were genuinely concerned about holiness and being obedient to God. But the ones we meet in the Gospels, the ones Jesus seems to have run into the most, were legalists for the sake of being legalists. Jesus even called them out and told those who listened to him to do what they say but don't do what they do. The Pharisees knew what was right, but they were more concerned about making sure others do that than doing it themselves.

Grace never entered the picture because grace is messy.

Rules are easy. You draw lines, and either you are in or out. You're either doing right or wrong. On or off. It's easy to point fingers, to accuse, to exclude, to shun. In fact, there's a self-satisfaction that comes with being able to do that. "See, I'm not as bad as THEM." Stay inside the lines and you'll be okay.

The problem with that is this: God has a nasty habit of coloring outside the lines. God has this crazy way of redeeming even those whom we don't think can't be redeemed. God has this ridiculous love that even extends to people we don't like, people we think ought to be excluded. Sinners...in need of a savior.

And the only way they will find that savior is by experiencing grace. Not by experiencing law or rules. Grace.

Let me make it personal. The only way I will find that savior is when I am undone by grace. When I was a full-fledged legalist, I obeyed God because I had to. Once I ran into grace, I obey God because I want to. It's my response of love to the one who loved and loves me. And when grace takes over a person, we're reluctant to point fingers because we know from whence we have come...and where we would be we're it not for grace.

Hi. My name is Dennis, and I'm a recovering legalist. I'm not perfect. I haven't gotten it all together yet, but by God's marvelous grace, I'm further than I used to be and I'm hopefully becoming more grace-filled each day. And you're invited to join me on the journey of grace.