One of my favoritefavoritefavorite things about Bible journaling is meditating on the scripture that I want to illustrate. My college roommate was over last night and I had just finished up the page that I’m about to share with you and we got to talking about all the benefits I’ve had from it. I told her that before I discovered the Illustrated Faith movement, I don’t think I had ever meditated on God’s Word before. I’ve had quiet times where I’ve read an extensive amount of scripture, but never just soaking in it and really drinking it in. It’s exactly what my thirsty soul needed!
This past weekend, my pastor continued in a series our church is in called “Transformed.” It’s all about the transformation that the Gospel can bring. It’s been so refreshing to get back to the root of my faith and really think about my “why.” I got to sit through the sermon twice this weekend because I was singing with the worship team and I’m glad that I was taking notes both times because God spoke different things to me each time (side note: how cool is he?!). The biggest point that stood out to me is this one:
Grace demands a response, and that is repentance. It’s not an excuse.
Sometimes I forget about grace, honestly. Sometimes I go about my life and forget about the incredible act of Jesus dying on a cross to save you and me. And sometimes I’m hit upside the head with it when I’m least expecting it, like this past weekend.
His words about taking advantage of grace and going on our merry way doing whatever we please because grace will always be there for us when we come home had me nodding my head in agreement. If you were to ask me one of my biggest “pet peeves” about Christian culture, that would be one of them.
But as I stared at the opening verses of Romans 6 for what seemed like hours on my living room floor yesterday afternoon, I started to think to myself: I forget about grace because I tell myself that it doesn’t apply to me as much as it does others. This can look two different ways. (1) I tell myself that I don’t need to bother God with my problems because they’re so minuscule compared to others’. (2) I tell myself that I don’t need grace because I already try my hardest to be the best person that God wants me to be.
Both of these ways of thinking are grossly incorrect. I need grace just as much as anybody else does. The grace that saved murderers and prostitutes saved me. Grace demands a response everyday of my life. I need to live my life as a response to God’s grace no matter what my situation is that day. It isn’t an excuse to keep sinning and living how we please and I will never be “too good” for it.
Let’s rest in God’s grace today, friends.
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