Unlimited GracePrøve

 True Faith is Primarily Grace 

Surely, He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, everyone, to his own way; And the  Lord  has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:4,6, NKJV.) 

A person of faith in Jesus is called to live a life worthy of the Gospel. Like sheep, we have wandered from the shepherd.  A moral life is not the same thing as a faithful life. God wants much more to have a person with a broken heart than one with an unbroken record. 

Jesus points out to us that the Pharisees were very moral and law-abiding.  Yet, Jesus said to them that the tax-collectors and the prostitutes will receive the kingdom of heaven before them.  Their actions were upright but Jesus said that they were like whitewashed tombs (Matthew 22:27-28). In other words, they were clean on the outside but dead on the inside.  What have you been told about religion? Perhaps you think it is simply about changing bad behavior. But it is not. It is about heart change. 

As a Christian, your faith will show in your actions and choices.  But do not get it backward.  Moral actions do not create a faithful person. Moral, godly decisions come from a changed heart.  Morality always accompanies authentic faith but you can have a lot of morality without authentic faith.  

Moral behavior can be limited to outward actions but faith has to do with real heart change. God longs much more for someone with a contrite heart rather than a person focused on the appearance of good behavior. How have your views on religion and faith affected your thoughts on God? Do you believe that He longs to have your heart? 

No one is without sin.  The Pharisees thought of themselves as having a perfect record since they followed the law carefully.  But, no one has an perfect record. Anyone who thinks they live a sinless life is actually so full of pride that they've ruined their record.   

In the New Testament, Jesus tells us that hate and murder are both sin (Matthew 5:21-22).  Someone with a prideful heart is in just as much need of forgiveness as someone who has committed adultery.  This is why Jesus said to the Pharisees that prostitutes would go into the kingdom of heaven before them. 

The essence of true faith is that we deserve death but someone else took our place; we deserve to be excluded from the kingdom and family of God.  Yet, there is one who unconditionally loves us so much that he took the punishment that was due to us. That's the essence of true faith.  True religion and faith in Jesus are about unconditional love, grace, and forgiveness and not simply about moral decisions and behavior. As someone deeply loved by God, consider how your past thoughts on religion have affected your relationship with God and with others.  Your good shepherd found you. You are no longer a lost sheep.