Thinking Out Loud

A year and a half ago I heard a song called It’s Only Grace. I hated it. What was he talking about? What about obedience?

I remember when Steven Curtis Chapman’s It’s All About Love came on a little over three years ago and I rolled my eyes and flipped to the next song. My friend in the car with me was indignant not because it was her choice of song …but because it was her choice of theology.

It’s not that I thought that it wasn’t about grace and love. It’s that I thought they weren’t above all else. I mean, I quoted Eph. 2:8-9 with enthusiasm but the ‘be’ and ‘do’ passages were close at hand.

Not that those that are saved by the blood of Christ shouldn’t be something different and do things differently than those that do not know Christ. But that those two songs were right.

Growing up in the faith, talking about deep theology in high school, and going to a rooted-in-God’s-word college, I know truth. Right? I am not here to blame my past. In fact, God has used all of my life to shape me and mold me into who I am today. If I look at the good things that God has made happen through those venues, I am grateful.

But I am sinner – my whole self – from imperfections physically, to heart and mind. So as I heard and listened and sought to apply, is it not reasonable that I would interpret incorrectly sometimes? Is it not reasonable that I would seek to apply for my own glory sometimes?

Is it not reasonable that even as I see God’s work in my life right now that my fear and unease at new theological discoveries and how they should be applied is not all because of their newness but also because of my necessity for humility?

It’s only grace. Katie, don’t talk about obedience and works. Let’s talk about Jesus. Why did He come? Why did He die? Why does He love me? Are not those the essential questions to Christianity?

My admission of my sinful-self, John says, is the beginning. Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, came to earth as man to show us and lead us …but ultimately to die. Jesus died as the punishment for my sins. Jesus died to please God’s perfect justice. Jesus died so that I would not have to. “If I confess my sins, He is faithful and just to forgive my sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

But we know this is not the end. Christ arose! Jesus has power even over death and so He conquered the grave and lives gloriously as the risen Lamb.

He has provided life when there was no life. He has provided peace where there was no peace. He has provided joy where there was no joy. He has provided righteousness where there was no righteousness. He has provided cleansing where there was no cleansing. He has provided hope where there was no hope. He has provided life where there was no life.

Grace.

It’s only grace.

But I still sin! What’s my problem? I’m a sinner in constant need of a Savior. Once saved always saved and then the Christian life should be marked with repentance as Sinclair Ferguson says.

But am I not to seek perfect obedience? I am extremely hesitant to say of course. I think there is a very fine line here, especially with my twisted thinking as a sinner. Is my worth any different if I obey? No. Is my status any higher if I obey? I don’t think so. Sometimes the Bema seat is spoken of and getting jewels in our crown for the good things that we do as a Christian. I think we need to be very careful in discussing this. I tend to think that the Christians that will get such honorable rewards will be those that have never discussed the Bema seat.

Perhaps if I reworded the question – am I not to pursue obedience? Read it again. I think there are passages in Scripture that people could use to say, “Yes, of course!” But my question is, what about Jesus? Aren’t we supposed to pursue Jesus? Jesus and obedience are two different pursuits. Again, I think we could discuss it and I could be convinced that obedience is a good thing to be sought after and we should always strive for perfection. But I think it’s confusing. It’s confusing in my head. And I think there is always a risk of striving for obedience for self and not for the glory of God.

But we agree that we should pursue Christ, right? And what does that mean? Read His word to know Him. Pray to Him to converse with Him. Delight in Him. Relish in His goodness. And more than anything know His grace and love.

Seek Jesus. Pursue Him only. Pursue Him whole-heartedly.

Perhaps obedience will follow, yes?

And if it doesn’t follow perfectly, we will have a relationship with Christ that is rooted and will not be shaken. We will know that we are standing on grace. We will ask forgiveness and know that we are forgiven because we know the One who forgives.

Grace.

And is not our pursuit of Christ the fulfillment of the greatest commandment? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Love God. Pursue Him. Know Him. Relate to Him. Find all peace, joy, hope, and confidence in Him – not through your obedience.

And so God knew what He was doing. Isn’t the second commandment simply just an outflow if we are following the first? Knowing God, relating to Him, He loves us forever, He loves people forever. Should we not love people forever? If we know the grace that we’ve been given how can we not gladly extend that same grace to others?

See how this works? I am not saying tell people about Jesus because He says to. In Acts, Luke writes over and over again, “And they told all that God had done with them.” If I pursue Christ, if I know Him and His matchless grace, loving people in the same way that I have been loved will be the outcome.

And so it is only grace. And it is all about love.

This is the Christian life.