Advice You Don’t Want To Hear But Need To: #25

Don’t be a Grace Abuser

In the past couple of weeks, God has hit me with a number of themes/concepts to chew on during the day. I’d say the most significant would be “believe Me.” (It was revealed to me that I believe in God, but I don’t necessarily believe God. As in, I don’t internalize/express/acknowledge/fully comprehend/etc, God’s commands and/or promises–”Ask and you shall receive, knock and the door will be open to you,” “cry out to me,” “you are accountable for every word spoken,” etc.)

The second was a breakdown of what it means to love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. The article breaks down what I knew in my spirit to something my mind can understand. Now that I’ve had that revelation, I know how to focus my energies on loving my loving God.

The third theme/concept God hit me with came from Church on Sunday June 26th–Don’t be a Grace Abuser.

The combination of these three themes has floored me. I know that God’s grace covers me, but by the way the Pastor laid out what a Grace Abuser is, I am that. When I read what it means to truly live by the motto of “Love God with all your heart, mind, body and strength,” I don’t and when it comes to believing God, I don’t do that either… at least, not in the ways that I should.

It is very humbling to have a mirror placed in your face and really get a good look at your spiritual condition and it sucks that I am in such a sorry place. However, all these revelations are just another example of Gods unending, unyielding, Grace.

Quickly, Grace, by contextual definition is “Getting what I don’t deserve.” Mercy, on the other hand, is “Not getting what I do deserve.”–Hopefully you catch the nuance. Moving on.

I know for a fact that I’ve abused God’s grace and forgiveness. How do I know this? I’ve ignored Him. On purpose. For years…. ON PURPOSE.

(Admitting this, looking at it on this screen, makes me feel really, really stupid.)

I’ve ignored the commands of God, I’ve ignored the pleas of the Spirit when I make a bad/evil/dumb decision. I’ve ignored His command to study and fellowship, I’ve ignored His command to love and forgive everybody. I’ve held onto bitterness. I’ve held on to pain. I’ve held on to the past and have been reluctant to let go. I’ve convinced myself that “I can’t do it, it can’t be done,” forgetting/ignoring/not realizing that “I” am the problem. This idea, this concept that “I” have to do or even can do anything other than “let go and let God” is what trips me up. “I” can’t do anything of my own accord, but only through Christ can I do anything.

I abuse Grace by returning to slavery in sin.

11In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. ~Romans 6:11-18

Verse 18 is my inheritance, my right and my privilege given by and through God, yet I’ve settled for less. I’ve settled for crap and death.

Now, I understand that I am not free of the ability to sin, there’s no way I’ll ever be able to not sin until I’m free of this flesh. But there is a slight, if only logically identifiable, difference between sinning and abusing Grace–Sinning is a result of the “Flesh.” It’ll happen because you’re alive. Abusing Grace, I believe, is not living the life God has set before you, in the privilege and with the power He has given, under His authority and settling for less. Settling for crap. It’s returning to sin at your convenience and thinking that God’s patience is set aside for you personally like He has a charge card of Grace with an unlimited balance.

I, and I think we, as a community of believers or as a species, sometimes forget while Grace is free to us, it does/did have a price–Jesus.

It all and it always comes back to Jesus. His death on the cross and His resurrection are evidence of God’s grace. God sent His child to die while we were still hating Him. There is no greater love then that, and there is no greater Grace than God’s love.

Don’t abuse Grace by accepting the enemy’s lies. You can overcome that sin when you give it over to God. You are worthy of respect and love because you belong to God. You are important and meaningful because God can and will use you. You have victory, you have WON because God fights your battles. Settling for anything less, listening to anything different is below you…because God said you are His child, we are co-heirs with Christ in Glory.

Don’t abuse grace, believe God and love Him. He’s got a lot of things He wants to give you… let Him.