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Incomprehensible Grace

I was asked the question the other day, "what do you believe about God but don't really comprehend?" My answer was easy: grace - the undeserved favor of God.

Grace is altogether outside the human experience. Everything in this life is about rewards, punishments, and consequences. All of our decisions and choices shape our lives - for good or bad, ease or hardship. There are natural consequences to our actions, choices, words, and decisions. That's just the way it is, and it helps us navigate through our time on earth, but grace isn't about any of that, and I, for one, all too often confuse the two. Over and over again, I slip into works-mode where I live as if God's favor depends upon my actions, choices, words, and decisions.

Several years ago, our pastor pounded grace into our heads. He taught on it Sunday after Sunday after Sunday. His teachings were never boring. I never thought, "oh brother, I see where this is going - grace again." On the contrary, I was fascinated. I had believed in grace or at least I thought I did, but then, with his constant encouragement, it finally began to sink in - a light began to shine deep within my soul. Can this possibly be true? Can grace really be for real? Does God actually love me completely separate from, not tied to in any way, my actions, choices, words, and decisions? Really?

So when life is good, it doesn't mean God loves me more. When life is hard, it doesn't mean God loves me less. God loves me. Period. And His love isn't about who I am. It's only about who He is. And He is Wonderful, Counselor, Almighty God, Prince of Peace, Everlasting, Unchanging, the Great I AM. He is the One who loves my soul so much more than He loves my comfort, my ease, even my health. He is the One who loves me like no other ever can. The One who loved me when I was His enemy, when my sin nailed Him to the cross. No, there is nothing that can separate me from God's love for me - not even me, and there's nothing that can separate you from God's love for you - not even you. That's grace. I believe it, but I can't, for the life of me, comprehend it.
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  1. the fat ladyMay 2, 2012 at 12:33 PM

    I remember Terry Virgo saying in a sermon, "If grace does not seem scandalous, you don't understand it yet." Wonderful truth we never get to the end of understanding...

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