Law vs. grace

I have to admit that the more God reveals his grace to me, the easier it is for me to see law all around me and in me. There is so much law being preached in the worldwide Church. I work with discipleship training, and I see it over and over again, in students, in staff, in other missionaries, and in myself too.

Law. People have come to know Christ, and he has taken away their sins. Hallelujah! But they start in grace and continue in law. How do you recognize people who live by the law and not in grace? Look at their faces and their fists! Not too happy, very concerned, negative about many things, always quick to point out problems but rarely part of the solution, tired, frustrated at all the others, talking about experiences with God that happened 10 years ago, they suck life out of you, you get tired from spending time with them.....and clenched fists: angry, wanting more people to do more, they respond aggressively and defensively to criticism, they rarely express what they really feel but are often very sneaky with their criticism and judgments, they display I'll show them-attitudes, and they are controlling....oh so controlling! Maybe control is the primary characteristic? Ever since the fall in the Garden of Eden that has been mankind's primary problem: I want to be in control!

So people of the law who belong to the Church (whether they actually know Christ as their Savior is up to God, I have no clue with some of those I've met in my life) stick to control.

If you know grace, you live in freedom. You give people freedom to make choices and make mistakes. You accept that things are not always the way they seem. You understand that you've never seen a motive, only God has! You don't just see problems, but you want to be a part of the solution. You have fresh experiences with God, because you know him and you know he loves you. You can be tired, but you understand that Christ in you is your strength, and it's not a matter of you pulling yourself together.

You are not afraid to let other people run their lives. You understand that you can't control anybody anyway. You understand that you have rebellious tendencies in yourself, so you relinquish your right to be in control over yourself or others to your heavenly Father. You take criticism lightly. You accept that you make mistakes from time to time, and you can take responsibility for your own actions without fearing that people will reject you. You're not afraid, because your identity is in Christ. When you confront you're direct and loving, not sneaky and beating around the bush.

I love it when I encounter grace-filled people. I've only met few compared to all the law-based people I've encountered in the worldwide Church. But when I meet the grace people, I feel my spirit come alive. I'm attracted to them. To their simple and living faith. I see freedom and I long to know God better.

Thank God for the little group of broken, failing, incomplete people who are not afraid to let their Master's light shine through their brokenness!

I owe those of you I've met a lot of gratitude, and I know that you'll just pass it on to your Creator and Friend.

God bless!

Torben - I pray that God will keep me on the road of brokenness. It hurts. It doesn't feel good. My flesh protests. But I know that there is life here. I know that only when I accept the fact that I'm a cracked pot, but God loves me just the way I am can God's life freely flow in me and through me!