I’ve been preaching a series about Christ on the Cross. It has been been great now four weeks in (at least for me, I hope for my congregation as well). It’s been a reminder that it’s all grace. God in Christ took the initiative and completed the work, the sacrifice needed for salvation. The Apostle Paul writes,
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them, (Ephesians 2:8-10, ESV).
We do nothing, but repent and believe. Sometimes I think we forget that. Tullian Tchividijian shared a passage from Jerry Bridges’ book, The Discipline of Grace, that helps to drive the passage above home.
Pharisee-type believers unconsciously think they have earned God’s blessing through their behavior. Guilt-laden believers are quite sure they have forfeited God’s blessing through their lack of discipline or their disobedience. Both have forgotten the meaning of grace because they have moved away from the gospel and have slipped into a performance relationship with God…Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace.
Amen and Amen.
