Grace

Grace-We have a really hard time understanding this word. I think it's partially due the fact that people use this word as a way to make themselves feel better for sins that they are lightly indulging in. Another reason I think that we have a hard time understanding this word is because we don't take the time to think about what it really means. Recently I heard someone describe grace as, "God dragging us out of Hell while we were kicking and screaming to stay in". I had never thought about it that way before but it made me think even more about Christ and how he restores lives. The Bible talks about God restoring or healing us over and over again, 1 Peter 5:10-"And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast"; Isaiah 57:17-19 "I was enraged by his sinful greed; I punished him, and hid my face in anger, yet he kept on in his willful ways. I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him, creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel. Peace, peace, to those far and near," says the Lord. "And I will heal them."" The verses from Isaiah are my new favorites! When I think about it, it blows my mind...God-Holy and Righteous-absolutely HATES our sin, it "enrages" him so much that he hid his face from it and God knows we love sin too much to chose him. We spit in the face of the God who created us and we live our lives in treason by caring more about worthless things that are temporary. So God hates this and knows that we willingly sin and yet he chose to HEAL us?!? That, in it's simplest form, makes no sense to me and then when I think about what God did to heal us it's even more insane!
If you are a Christian, you have heard the gospel but have you heard is so much that it's become watered down in your mind?!? Physically, Christ endured pain that I can't even imagine, I don't think I would be able to watch one of my friends or family members go through something like that-It would haunt me for the rest of my life. I normally don't think much about what Christ went through mentally, I get all worked up and my mind goes crazy if I think that one person is mad at me...most of the people that Jesus came in contact with hated him-I can't imagine! Spiritually, Christ suffered so much more than my mind can even fathom. Christ had to be separated from God in order to take our sin-This hurt so much more than all the physical and mental pain times a million! God obliterated Pure Perfection and we take that lightly! Christ's death and resurrection didn't just save us from hell, but it saved us from being slaves to sin! Christ's blood covers EVERY SIN-not just the one's that we put on the bottom of our jacked up hierarchy or the one's that we see as 'small' sins...every single one!
My prayer for my friends: Eph. 3:14-21
"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
I pray that these beautiful words would be written on your heart and I pray that the Cross would become bigger to you everyday. Grace makes every breath you take possible...God's business is restoring hearts and he's really good at it! ;)