(Originally posted on WordPress: July 6, 2022)
How do we live holy and walk upright without becoming self-righteous and legalistic?
GRACE!
How do we teach what God requires of us without condemning and bashing?
GRACE!
Why does God not judge us according to our guilt and disobedience?
GRACE!
(and MERCY)
And while God extends GRACE, He is still HOLY and requires Holiness from those He would have relationship with. It can become a slippery slope to easily slide from living Holy to being religious and self-righteous, if we don't remain in a posture of gratitude for God's grace that is extended to us daily.
I lean heavily on God's grace and mercy daily. I willfully "choose" not to partake in sin. Even though I know His grace is readily available, I do not want to "take advantage of" His grace, nor do I want to dishonor His Spirit which is in my life, break our trust, nor defile His glory which He has entrusted to me as a modern day Levite (that's a whole other post in itself). However, I am grateful that God extends His GRACE to cover my faults, failures and shortcomings. I strive daily to live a life that pleases Him. I know that I often times miss the mark, but His love reaches out to me, His grace covers me, His mercy forgives me, His blood restores me, His Word guides me and His Spirits keeps me.
He gives me GRACE daily. My prayer is that I extend that same GRACE to others and love them where they are, while living a life of GRACE before them that, prayerfully, will inspire them to embrace God's GRACE for their own lives!
Ephesians 2:8-9