The Discipline of Grace...

Okay the 2nd Chapter of this book...

He has discussed self-righteousness in this chapter, see what you think...

"I am patient with you because I love you and want to forgive you.

I am kind to you because I love you and want to help you.

I do not envy your possessions or your gifts because I love you and want you to have the best.

I do not boast about my attainments because I love you and want to hear about yours.

I am not proud because I love you and want to esteem you before myself.

I am not rude becuse I love you and care about your feelings.

I am not self-seeking because I love you and want to meet your needs.

I am not easily angered by you because I love you and want to overlook your offenses.

I do no keep a record of your wrongs because I love you, and 'love covers a multitude of sins'."

Is there any room for self-righteousness in the light of this practical standard of love?

Now think of this one,

"Believers obey Christ as the one by whom our obedience is accepted by God. Believers know all their duties are weak, imperfect and unable to abide in God's presence. Therefore, they look to Christ as the one who bears the iniquity of their holy things, who adds incense to their prayers, gathers out all the weeds from their duties and makes them acceptable to God."

Even our own GOOD performance needs repentance and cleansing!! Even your best stuff is in need of the Grace of God! WOW! Let that sink in for a little while and tell me what you think...

Love ya!

How Good Is Good Enough?

This quote was taken from Jerry Bridges book called "The Discipline of Grace"...

"We know, of course, how central the forgiveness of our sins is to salvation. We preach it, we believe in it. We see that first repentance and surrender to Christ as a glorious moment. We also accept that having come to the Lord, we continue to purify our lives. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9. But in talking with many believers, I get the imprssion that most of us consider the on-going repentance of the saved as a not-so-glorious experience. A sort of sad necessity.

Sin grieves God. We must not down-play the seriousness of it in the life of a believer. But we must come to terms with the fact that God's Grace is GREATER THAN ALL OUR SINS. Repentance is one of the Christian's highest privileges. A repentant Christian focuses on God's mercy and God's grace. Any moment in our lives when we bask in God's mercy and grace is our highest moment. Higher than when we feel smug in our decent performance and cannot think of anything we need to confess.

Whenever we fail--and fail we will, the Spirit of God will work on us and being us to the foot of the cross where Jesus carried our failures. That is potentially a glorious moment. For we could at that moment accept God's abundant Mercy and Grace and go forth with nothing to boast of except Christ Himself, or else we struggle with our shame, focusing on that as well as our track record. We fail because we shifted our attention from Grace and Mercy. One who draws on God's Mercy and Grace is quick to repent, but also slow to sin."

How awesome is this? I don't know why, but I have never really thought about it this way...It should be a glorious thing when take ourselves out of the picture, admit where we stand and completely rely on the mercy and grace of God...not only do we need this as individuals, but as "church"!

If only, if only...