I think it's going to take me my entire life to understand the concept of grace. Sure, I get the definition. I understand theapplication. I was saved by grace.
But, I'm not the kind of person who understands a free gift. Honestly, I think most people struggle with it. It's like we've been trained as Americans to know that if someone is passing out free hot dogs, we should probably decline the offer. But, God in His grace, not only doesn't throw us into Hell for our sins, He gives us eternal life if we believe in the work of Christ on the cross and in our hearts.
Grace–it's not only not getting what we deserve, but getting what we don't deserve.
In the past couple weeks, I've been reading up on the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. And, while many people know this story and have plumbed its depths, there's something that I'm just now beginning to recognize.
God calls the people out of their 430 year bondage to the cruel Egyptian slave masters. He walks with them through their departure by protecting them from death by the hands of the Egyptian army and the waves of the Red Sea. They make it to the other side of the sea, walk through the desert, and then enter the Promised Land of Canaan–a land flowing with abundance.
My story is similar. Before my life in Christ, I was in bondage to wicked and cruel things–things that took over my desires, my life, and my joy. The Lord called me out of that bondage and walked with me through the departure. He protected me from certain death three times. Now, He is taking me into this Promised Land of the World Race–a place where I can't get my eyes off of His abundance.
My story is all about grace–getting grace when I deserved death, getting abundance when I deserved the desert, and getting Christ when I deserved the pit.
Jesus isn't a God who offers us shady hot dogs. He abundantly gives us eternal life, real life now, and the opportunity to work with Him to spread His grace. Whether we're a World Racer, a supporter, or just a blog reader, how will we live in that grace today?
Tim Keller remarks, "The more we realize grace has nothing to do with our behavior, the more our behavior will change." Let's forget the hot dogs and chose grace.
