Watch the vid below, by Steve Christian Lie #11: “Grace is an important doctrine”, and my comments follow:
I like this video because Steve is saying that grace isn’t “Just an important part” of the Christian life, but that it is ALL of it.
And I couldn’t agree more.
I was talkign with my friend last night about Christianity and trying to explain what it’s REALLY about.
And I said something really profound at one point:
“You don’t need Christ to be a good person”
And that’s true because grace IS the entire gospel, it’s the reason why Christ came — so that he could give us life, and give it abundantly (John 10:10)
If your view of why you need Christ is so you can be a better person… try Budhha or Ghandi… they work just as well for that…
If you think you need Christ to give you a moral standard… you could just study guys like Socrates, they had some pretty good morals…
If you think you need Christ to be happier… more successful… and more fulfilled… try Tony Robbins, his stuff is powerful and quick…
But NONE of those are why you need Christ…
In fact if you want to talk about “important doctrines” you can put those things: being a better person, good morals, happyness, success, fulfillment, etc… into the box labeled “important doctrines” of Christianity.
But authentic Christianity, real Christianity, is about grace. Plain and simple.
The verse Steve quoted above, Acts 20:24 is translated this way in the message version of the bible (emphasis mine):
“…What matters most to me is to finish what God started: the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly extravagant generosity of God.“
Grace = “this incredibly extravagant generosity of God”
It’s by grace that you receive salvation (Ephesians 7-10, message)
” Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.”
And it’s by grace that you are to live the Christian life (Galatians 3:1-4)
” 1 You crazy Galatians! Did someone put a hex on you? Have you taken leave of your senses? Something crazy has happened, for it’s obvious that you no longer have the crucified Jesus in clear focus in your lives. His sacrifice on the cross was certainly set before you clearly enough.
2-4Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God’s Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren’t smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up!”
So the next time you talk about Grace and someone tells you it’s “an important concept” make sure to let them know it’s not just A concept… it’s THE concept of Christianity 
What do you think of grace? Post your comments below…
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Janice 03.15.08 at 11:01 am
This is straight and to the point. I always heard the acronym GRACE = God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Salvation came at the expense of Jesus’s death on the cross. What Grace has been bestowed upon us who didn’t deserve it or maybe some of us don’t want it. But it doesn’t nullify that fact that Grace is always waiting for us!