Uncategories Radical Grace & Incredible Freedom

Radical Grace & Incredible Freedom

Published on 9:47 PM By Aunica
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Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.
After feeling so dry for so long, I feel like my soul radiating my love for Christ.
There are just seasons when I feel like I can't express enough how much I love Him. All I want to do is talk to Him. All I want to do is learn about Him. All I want to do is bask in His love. I don't want to eat. I don't want to sleep. I don't want to leave my room, except to share His love with those I'd encounter. Honestly, the love of Christ is second to nothing. Jesus + nothing = everything. He is everything. I need nothing else.
Today is Christmas. First of all, thank-you Lord for sending your Son. What a beautiful gift!
Second of all, I received a book today that I'd been meaning to read for a while: Jesus + Nothing = Everything by Tullian Tchividjian. Wow. God is awesome. Yesterday I realized my perception of grace is WAY off, and that I really don't understand it. Today, through this book, God is realigning my views and making me realize how wacked out my thinking was.
I've literally lived my whole walk with Christ so far under self-imposed rules, thinking that somehow if I fulfilled these God would love me more. That while no, I didn't earn my salvation through works - somehow I thought I needed to do good works in order to keep it.
The thought that, to me, grace is free is just mind-blowing. I can't comprehend it. It doesn't compute. What? I don't have to pay anything? And more importantly, there's absolutely nothing I could do even if I needed to in order to deserve this radical grace.
Grace wasn't costless - no, it cost God much. But to me, to us, it's free. The cost of following Christ is much different, while not completely free - the joy that accompanies it is worth far more than anything it could cost.
Joy. Unspeakable joy. It overwhelms my soul. I can't put into words how I feel right now. Peace? Rest? Deeper than that. Like I've been wandering for a long, long time - and I'm finally home. Home in the arms of Christ.
Legalism is something I hide behind because I'm afraid of letting go. I'm afraid to give God control. I'm afraid that, if I give grace free reign that I'll take advantage of it. Do I not trust God enough to know that He's in control? Who am I to think that by putting rules and regulations upon myself that I'll tame this wild grace He's given us, that somehow it's up to me to make sure grace stays within its bounds? Maybe grace IS supposed to run free. Isn't God powerful enough to control it?
It's not about my behavior or "rule following", it's not whether or not I live up to all the commandments, but it's about my heart. Where is my heart? Am I deeply satisfied in Christ?
My legalism this semester has sucked all the joy out of my relationship with Christ. It's crazy to look back and see that now, because it wasn't evident then.
I am free. I am free from the bonds of legalism. I don't have to follow the rules. In fact, I can't. I. Am. Free. Free to strive after Christ. To seek Him, not rules. Free to be joyful. Free.

"Because Jesus was strong for me, I was free to be weak;
Because Jesus won for me, I was free to lose;
Because Jesus was someone, I was free to be no one;
Because Jesus was extraordinary, I was free to be ordinary;
Because Jesus succeeded for me, I was free to fail."
--> Tullian Tchividjan, Jesus + Nothing = Everything
Aunica

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