Grace Flows Down Part 2: Gospel Change

The Gospel is that Christ suffered the complete wrath of God for our  sin. He lived a perfect life and endured death in my place. He took my sin debt and covers me with His righteousness. When I received that grace in repentance and faith, Salvation is mine as a gift. There is nothing I can add to Jesus' finished work on the cross. My Salvation rests solely on God's mercy and grace.

Let that truth sink in.

So how then shall we live?

"What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?....For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin- ...For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace....You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness  ....the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Rom. 6:1-23

I do not need a set of rules and empty religion or a get out of hell card. I need new life in Christ.

The glory of God demonstrated in the Gospel gives us freedom from both sin and religion.  The Gospel liberates us from condemnation and  transforms our hearts so we want to know His presence and honor Him.  Our response to the grace of the Gospel should be no less than radical obedience to God's Word, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

To read the first part of the series on grace go here.

Are you swept away by the extravagant grace Jesus demonstrated on the cross?

The people who encountered God's grace in the bible, did not walk away the same. He accepts us just as we are, no matter what we have done or where we have been but He doesn't leave us as we are. By His grace He changes us, not so He will love us more but because He loves us.

It is impossible to experience the grace of the Gospel and not be transformed

In John 8, Jesus receives the woman who was caught in adultery and offers grace and mercy. She deserved death, but Jesus became Lord of her life that day and she was  forgiven and she received life. She did not have to earn the love of Christ, she only had to come to Jesus feet and proclaim Him as Lord. She was not left to continue in her life of sin. Jesus said to her,  "Neither do I condemn you, now go and sin no more." (v.11)

Zacchaeus gave away his riches after encountering the grace and mercy of Jesus. Paul, the self proclaimed "chief of sinners" known for murdering apostles, became an ambassador of Christ after experiencing amazing grace on Damascus Road.

"No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him...No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God." 1 John 3:6-9

We will never live perfectly in this life.We cannot do anything to earn God's love but living as a redeemed child of God, we should see evidence of grace in our lives. With eyes fixed on Jesus, we rest in the Gospel and war against the flesh and the devil. Our lives should increasingly reflect the holiness of Jesus and a habit of going to God to repent and be cleansed when we sin.  By God's grace we can  be in pursuit of spiritual holiness to  "present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." (Rom. 12:1)

"For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope- the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good." Titus 2:11-1

God's grace forgives our sin and empowers us for good works as a grateful response for what He's done.

 A Gospel motivated change is being overwhelmed of what Christ has done for us on the cross and being caught up in God's grace. The beauty and grace of God changes us from the inside that is followed  with change on the outside.  The more we taste and see that the Lord is good, the more we desire the things of God out of delight, not duty. We will be diligent for good works that glorify Him and lead us to know Him more intimately.

"We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand." (Eph. 2:10)

Knowing Jesus and having a life that brings Him glory becomes our desire and the satisfaction of  our souls as we stand in awe of His beauty and Majesty. His presence is joy and worth anything we forsake or endure. He is the Giver of every perfect gift who has promised to be with us always. He is the treasure worth it all.

It's easy to be discouraged by the problems we face and the wickedness in the world. Evil is a strong force around us. Temptation maybe strong and unrelenting. We may get knocked down, but DO NOT GIVE UP! Get back up! Only in God's power can we push back! Living in Christ is not without a struggle, but  the Spirit of Christ is with us and it's a fight we will win!  In Christ you serve a different master. You are a beloved child of God, dead to sin, alive to righteousness and dependent on His finished work on the cross- now go live like it!  A glorious King sits on the throne and we are assured, that God is stronger "you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he that is in the world." (1 John 4:4)

Grace Flows Down

The majority of my Christian life has been spent striving or hiding. Striving to do the "right thing" to earn God's favor, approval from others and for perfection. I found it impossible to live up to the checklist of churchy standards of the "good girl", so I began hiding, never completely believing of God's love for me. I could never be "good enough", especially in God's eyes so I lived with guilt and condemnation. I lived as if I were unloved by God.

Moralism and legalism was my religion. Self-justification and self sufficiency can be a great front for outward Christianity when all is going well in life. It is when a crises hits that the heart is exposed.  When the storms in life come, and they will come, there is no foundation to stand.

"You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace." (Gal 5:4) That is exactly how I felt- fallen, alone, an outsider and Christ was far from me. I had desperately tried to earn His love and was a screw up. I thought my failures disqualified me from being a Christian not realizing I could not live the Christian life by myself.

"Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit,

are you now going to be made complete by the flesh?"

Gal. 3:3
 

Our failures in striving and in hiding, reveal our desperate need for a Savior and can lead us to the grace of Christ and into a new life transformed by the gospel, wrapped up in a relationship with Jesus and dependent on the Spirit.

"He made Him who knew no sin,

to be sin on our behalf, so that we

might become the righteousness of

God in Him." 2 Cor. 5:21
 

We don't have to be perfect because there is another who is perfect.

"I am guilty, filthy, and stained, but He became a curse, drank my cup and took my pain"-Lecrae

"God shows His love for us and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8) In God's great mercy, He saw fit that we who were once slaves to sin by birth are no longer orphans but would now stand as the sons and daughters.

I am a daughter covered in the Father's love through the blood of Jesus.

Having talked to many "good church girls", I am convinced that I am not the only one who has lived in the false gospel of moralism and legalism. This bondage is not just personal but can affect our relationships and entire church communities. Women especially fall victim to comparison and performance as we try to fit the church image and hide sin rather than being transparent and receiving help. We try to do and say all the "right things" and compare our lives to others, judgements are made and grace is rarely extended.

The true Gospel says that, if you are "in Christ you are a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come." (2 Cor. 5:17)  In Christ, you are victorious, righteous, forgiven, loved and holy. In Christ you are not your sin, you are hidden and your sin is made clean by your identity in Christ's Holiness. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus." (Rom. 8:1) When God looks at you, He sees Christ. Trusting in the blood of Christ and His finished work on the cross, you are free to receive and rely on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

How liberating it is to understand that this life is not about me, my achievements or my failures. It is all about Jesus. His work, His life, His death. His resurrection.

After years of trying to be a Christian, I became "in Christ".  Finally, I fully received His grace. I stopped striving and began receiving. I stopped fearing and began following.

I can still drift into striving for perfection or hiding under the weight of guilt and shame that creates  distance in my relationship with Christ.

"Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, Lord, take it seal it. Seal it for Thy courts of love." 



Each day, I have to return to the cross of Christ so that I don't lose sight of amazing grace to "standfast in the liberty by which Christ has made us free" (Gal. 5:1).





MISSIO DEI

There is a trip scheduled in less than two months and I don't mind telling you, I'm excited, scared and a little overwhelmed. This is a heart changing adventure that will push my discomfort line way back but I am beginning to believe staying uncomfortable may hold the secret to joy and all things worth experiencing.
 

I can count my plane trips on one hand but when a friend asked if I would be willing to go to Uganda with a team to meet and serve some beautiful people, my heart didn't hesitate. I came home and talked to the hubs and kids who were immediate cheerleaders. I've spent little time away from my kids, two days max but there was a peace that we would be OK. We prayed and listened and a few weeks later, we were planning!

Through planning this trip together, my family has discovered more about the character of God.  We have learned about making disciples, how to give and how to love. We have learned how alike the human race is and how we can truly make  a difference in the life of another, even in those across the globe.

 

On this journey, I will have the opportunity to fight mosquitoes as big as humming birds (so I've been told), make new friends, spend time with  the Lord and see what it looks like to live in a country where the average yearly income is $490 U.S. dollars. Perhaps the most exciting thing is to go into homes and make connections with real people in a foreign land, debilitated by war, poverty and disease yet experience Jesus, reconciliation and restoration in the middle of it.  I will get to meet Whitney, a child our family sponsors from Agape Home in Kampala,  and all the vulnerable and abandoned children who have found life through the Gospel and the ministry at Agape. I will get to meet their caregivers, like Joseph, who is pouring out his life for these kids because of  his love for Jesus. We hope to travel to Ammani Baby Cottage  in Jinja where hundreds of  babies have been rescued and are awaiting adoption. We will be serving in a medical clinic, sponsored by many of you that will touch hundreds of  people that would not receive care if  it wasn't for those willing to give. Many of you have supported the travel financially and donated other items. I am grateful for your heart that is already tender to showing grace and  mercy. 

When we experience and understand the grace, mercy and forgiveness we have received through Christ, we long to extend it to everyone else. Proud of you Church!

 Everyone is not able to travel to Africa, so I invite you to come with me  through this spot on the web. I'm not sure how the Internet connection will be in Uganda, but hopefully  I will be able to communicate and process my experience on this blog while I'm there so that you can see a glimpse

into a world far away. I pray that I will share the stories of the people well, celebrate their spirit and advocate as their friend and sister.

A disclaimer may need to be posted because, once I go and my eyes see and I touch what I've only read about...I can't pretend it doesn't exist anymore. Once you come and hear, you can't pretend you don't know.

For a precious handful of you, this is so junior varsity. After all, it's only 10 days and I'm not quiting my job, selling my home and moving to another country. Some of you have obediently pulled up your lives to serve God in countries that are in great despair, in need or even under persecution. You joyfully serve  to make Jesus known and carry the message of Salvation. Some of you are obediently staying and extending compassion to the lost and needy right outside your door. I am thankful that God works in big and small ways and in the seen and unseen.  I have been blessed to meet so many  faithful servants. God uses pastors and church staff but there is also the rest of us;  construction workers, nurses, teachers, students, stay-at-home moms, retirees, children, business men and waitresses who have been  changed by God's grace to full-time missionaries without changing professions or addresses.



I believe this trip will be life changing and  an important part of discipleship but Missio Dei, the latin term for "mission of God", does not begin or end with this mission trip. Short term, home and international missions can be part of God's mission but if I believe this is to be "it", I would be missing the mark.

I am going to Uganda on mission but Uganda is not THE mission.

 Living on mission is loving Jesus Christ so much  to trust Him and  willing to hand over our lives,  convinced God has created us to make His glory known to all nations.  It's praying and expecting the Holy Spirit to stir up in everyday opportunities the extraordinary act of making disciples.  It's living in expectation of divine interruptions in our day to participate in  His mission to restore and heal creation. Not because we are special  but because we are willing.
 

"I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to Your Word." Luke 1:38

Through intentionally seeking relationships with  the physically and spiritually hungry,  and by demonstrating compassion we tangibly reflect what God has already done for us in Christ. There are many people seeking answers. Many times, if you hang around long enough, eventually the conversation turns to God  and you will find yourself with seekers engaging in deep spiritual conversations. Many conversations turn to spiritual matters by being sensitive to what the Holy Spirit is doing in someones life and just being available to share  LIFE and share JESUS.
 

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Mat. 28:16-20

 Living out making disciples is not just a mission trip for 10 days, it is a lifelong walk of obedience.

 It's amazing when you think about the people that Jesus entrusted with His mission of making disciples; fishermen, tax collectors,  murderers,  a prostitute, a tent maker, a sales lady.  How about that for a church planter's core group?  The least likely people, Jesus came in and changed their life and they lived  in complete abandon to God. You don't need to have some amazing skill or unusual hook. You don't need to be a pastor with a book deal or a social justice wannabe with a blog. You don't need to be a dynamic communicator or charismatic  to make disciples. Disciple making is not another  program or committee for a special breed of Christian.  Disciple making is for every Christian and  takes place many times every week in the context of the everyday. Men, women and children, full of the Spirit, following Jesus' example to share, show and demonstrate the Kingdom of God. It is not easy, but it is simple.
 

Then Jesus said to his disciples,"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Matt. 16:24

 Friends, I am thankful for each of you and the privilege to share the journey to Uganda with you. But far greater than that would be to share the journey of faith in Jesus Christ and to give our lives away in  love, for the mission of God to the glory of God. He is worthy!

"If Christ is raised from the dead, we risk it all, losing what we cannot keep to gain what we cannot lose. That is not foolish. That is common sense."


*I'm taking a blog break to hug on my kids more before the trip. See you in a few weeks!