I don’t know about you, but one of the things that’s always held me back in my spiritual life is this nagging feeling that maybe there is a catch. Maybe there was some fine print I didn’t notice before clicking, “I have read the user agreement and I accept these terms.” Somewhere in the deepest place of my heart, I am afraid that I will find out that the ‘free gift of grace’ isn’t really free. I’m afraid that I’ll find out that all the sins I still do are building up a further debt and are going to disqualify me one day. I’m afraid that there’s a monthly fee I’m not paying that is accumulating interest somewhere. The thing is, if you have to earn this, I’m in trouble. I know myself enough to know that there’s no way I could do it! I can’t change myself and I can’t clean up my act enough to even meet my own standards, much less God’s! That’s why I’m thankful that the Bible says Jesus’ love, forgiveness, acceptance and righteousness is totally, completely and 100% free! In fact, that word “free” is used a bunch in the New Testament and it’s translated in different places as “without paying for it”, “for nothing”, “without cost” and “without cause”. In other words, Jesus justified us (declared us just as righteous as He is) without us having to do anything, earn anything, pay for anything or cause anything to happen. We are justified freely by His grace. When you truly know yourself and recognize how desperately you need Him, and you know beyond all doubt that you could never earn or pay for it, this Good News of totally free grace changes everything.
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