This is why I am a Christian. This is the heart of the gospel – the good news. There are a number of different interpretations on how grace is administered by the Father or appropriated by the believer, but the truth remains that grace is the linchpin of Christian experience. To be sure, there are Christians (in the sense that they find value and purpose in following some of the Christ’s teachings) who want nothing to do with grace, and though I respect their position, I feel they are sorely missing out on what has given me the most freedom in my life.
So, what is grace? I have heard many definitions with respect to Christian belief. Here are just a few:
- God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense
- The desire and power to do God’s will
- The free and unmerited favor of God
For me personally, grace has come to mean the freedom from regret over past mistakes due to the promise of ultimate blessing conditioned upon consciously following the Christ in this present moment. Obviously this is a mouthful, so let me unpack it some.
According to I John 1:7, if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. How do I walk in the light? I do the next right thing. If following the Christ in this present moment means working, then work – passionately, for Him. If it means studying, then study mindfully. If it means taking care of kids, then do it joyfully. If it means meditating, then meditate peacefully. Don’t worry about the next hour, week, or year of your life; just live fully in the present and enjoy the Christ’s presence. This doesn’t mean don’t plan for the future. If the next right thing is to plan, then plan fervently. However, do it in the present, not as a reaction to fear or worry.
When I do this, I receive the promise according to Romans 8:28 that everything that has happened in my life – my successes, my failures, and my mediocrity – will work together for good – more good than I can comprehend right now. If that isn’t wonderful, I don’t know what is. And if that isn’t the gospel, the good news, then nothing is.
Now, the cynic will ask, “How do you know this is true?” Well, I don’t. But this is why this is the most empowering belief one can hold, because if it turns out to be false, I will never know about it, and will still experience the amazing placebo effects while I am alive on this earth. If you can find sustainable happiness in some other way, please do so and and share your experience with me.
You confuse me sometimes – talking with you a few weeks ago I got the impression that you had discounted the Bible and Christian beliefs in pursuit of “logic” and that belief was an inadequate reason for determining your life path and actions…..and now you write a post about belief in your life?
I have not changed and I am not being inconsistent. My position is just more complicated than you were assuming. Let me introduce you to my seven levels of knowledge, which I have not posted on yet:
1. Known beyond the shadow of a doubt.
2. Accepted to be true based on the mainstream scientific and historical consensus.
3. Accepted to be true on the basis of logical argument.
4. Believed experimentally based on instinct when not known if touched upon by mainstream scientific and historical findings.
5. Withheld from judgment when not known if touched upon by mainstream scientific and historical findings.
6. Disbelieved due to contrary mainstream evidence while being accepted as a logical (though unlikely) possibility.
7. Denied on the basis of logical impossibility.
So, my belief in the possibility of grace, if you will, falls into category 4. Other examples that fall into this category currently are essential oils and minimalist shoes. All of these things I experimentally believe and they have all benefited my life to varying degrees. If they did not, I would stop trying them out. What I object to is when people put these experimental beliefs based on instinct at the same level as logical truths or scientific theories. I am a zealous supporter of experimental beliefs, but not of beliefs that are asserted to be true, above science and logic, and usually mandated upon others in some way.