The title says it all.
A few weeks ago I wrote about God’s very detailed and specific instructions for Israel regarding the building of the Tabernacle and its various accoutrements. The point was that, while God doesn’t “sweat” the small stuff, He does insist that His every command—no matter how small they may seem to us—be followed precisely.
To that, someone may fret, and think that they are doomed because they cannot perfectly follow God’s commands. They will—everyone will—occasionally slip up. And that’s 100% true. You will. I will. We all will (Romans 3:23). That said, don’t forget that God is full of Grace. Jesus’ death was designed to bridge the gap between our flawed selves and God’s perfect self.
That being said, someone else may read that and think: “If God gives grace, then I don’t need to worry about following His commands.” No no no. Grace is not to be abused as a free pass to sin…
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid!
(Romans 6:1-2a)
Grace is not an excuse to sin. God forbid that, Paul says. Literally the phrase means “perish the thought!” May such an idea never be acted on. God’s grace is in spite of our sins. God grace works against our sins. In order for it to work, however, we must be on God’s side. No, we won’t be perfectly on His side, because we are not perfect, but we will try. That’s the essence of faithfulness: Try to try to try to do your best. Just be faithful and grace will cover you.
~Matthew
PS: Don’t forget that, at the end of the month, we will enjoy our Family Day weekend Gospel Meeting with Barry Grider. Be here on Friday evening, September 26th, at 7pm, as well as Saturday evening, September 27th, at 7pm to hear two excellent lessons from God’s Word, both in the lead-up to our big Family Day Sunday on September 28th.