Ephesians 2:1-10 (NIV)
What would you say is God’s desire for our way of life? How about your own way of life? God prepared beforehand our way of life. Yes?
When you look at life’s lessons you see this one simple fact—if you do something wrong, you might think you got away with it, but you’re gonna pay for those actions. Kinda like—if you take a boat, you’re gonna pay for it. It’s a life lesson. The problem with sin is that we all do it. If you think the so-called righteous don’t sin, you’re wrong. Sin is very much an equal opportunity employer. Sin causes you to miss the mark and go in the wrong direction.
If we close ourselves off to others thinking we don’t sin we miss a host of opportunities to share God’s love and forgiveness. But the power of grace is enormous. We deceive ourselves if we think we don’t sin. Humbleness allows us to acknowledge that we’re all the same regarding sin.
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” The key here in these verses is “by grace you have been saved.” Grace by faith is paramount. You didn’t save yourself. It’s a gift from God. So, don’t ever boast you did it on your own because you didn’t. The glorious news is that your sin is not beyond forgiveness—just ask for it.
What do we do with that gift of grace? It changes everything. So don’t keep doing the same thing over and over. In the movie Con-Air, Garland Greene, the crazy serial killer played by Steve Buscemi, said it best, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” I guess even serial killers can make some valid points.
This brings us back to what is God’s desire for our life. Because of God’s grace, we are called to putting our faith in action and to go and do good works because of that grace. Because we live in a free society, we have a great opportunity to go forward and do God’s works. The first step is to love one another and then we can help one another.
Independence Day is that very day to celebrate living in a free society. This freedom allows us many opportunities. Speaking for myself, I’m forever grateful for that freedom. When we look back to July 2, 1776 we see the Continental Congress voting in favor of independence. How magnificent. Then two days later delegates from the thirteen colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence. As Americans we celebrate July 4th as the birth of American independence.
Because of this independence, we have the freedom as Christians to go to the communion table and ask God’s forgiveness for our sins and to give thanks for His grace. The communion table is that table of forgiveness. It’s that table of grace. This is the place we come when our lives are full and this the place we come when our lives are empty.
As young parents, my husband and I tried to instill in our children values that we felt would put them on the path in which God wanted them to travel. Our oldest daughter decided she wanted to travel a different path at the ripe old age of 19. You know that age when you have a complete grasp of life? The parable of the Prodigal Son is true in its teachings. She came back to the ways in which we brought her up. Our middle daughter never strayed too far. She surely tested our resolve at times as a teen. But once again the roots of her upbringing pulled her back. Our youngest daughter, seeing the results of her older sisters’ choices, chose to walk further down the virtuous road until she decided she had the capacity to venture out in a direction that wasn’t necessarily awful but not what we saw unfolding in her future. Once again, those roots pulled on her and she too found the path in which God wanted her to travel was best.
Now, don’t get me wrong, my kids didn’t do heinous things. They just did the dumb teen and young person things we all do. Thinking they knew more than we, their parents. Even thinking they knew more than God. It happens. I did the same thing.
My husband and I look back at those times and think, Things do happen for a reason. God steps in just at the right time and turns the boat completely around. And suddenly—beauty takes over.
The good news is that God’s grace and forgiveness is free. Just don’t be the one who keeps doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. Be diligent in living a life that is God’s way. I promise you’ll be the better for it.
