You are More

Hey Guys,

I have been a Christian for what seems my whole life. I have the typical ‘good Christian’ story, I was born into a Christian home, a loving mom and dad, went to church and learned about Jesus (the answer to everything). There is one thing though that I never understood about God and every day it comes more and more a reality. I have struggled my whole life understanding that God’s grace is a gift, salvation is a gift, the cross is a gift.

The thing about a gift is, you do not earn it. You do not work for it. In some case, especially this one I do not deserve this.

I have spent my whole life knowing this, but not living this. With my word I could tell you all about God’s gift but I still felt like I needed to earn it to be saved.

I’ve always been able to see my sin and been able to see how screwed up I am. How much I have fallen short. Where my problem happens is instead of applying the gospel to my life I apply ‘Christian’s Gospel’ to the situation.

Christian’s Gospel says this:

•          You need to make the right choices
•         You must be good and never mess up
•         You should feel ashamed for your mistakes
•           You need to make a right for every wrong you have ever done
•          You cannot screw up, ever
•          God will only love you if you are good
•           Christ will only save you if you are worth it

I struggle so much in remembering what the TRUE gospel is, what the gospel Jesus says is. The gospel is Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. The gospel is Christ is in control.

The gospel is a gift not something earned, something given to us. It’s love, peace, grace… and it is ours not by the good we do but the great, the perfect Christ has done.

It is not by me being good because “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8). Nothing I can do will earn his love, how do you earn something that is already given to you?

The reality is that “it is by grace [I, Christian] have been saved, through faith—and this is not from [my own doing], it is the gift of God— not by works” (Ephesians 2:8-9) It will probably take me my whole life to understand the depth of this.

There is one thing I know today though, that God’s gospel, God’s Gift and Jesus sacrifice… it’s a whole lot greater than mine.