A Transformation and Gift from God.

The cross. Many Christians understand the concept of the cross, in fact it is necessary for their salvation. Without understanding that there is nothing we have done or can do to deserve the grace given us, we could not be saved for either 1) we would think we deserved it, or 2) we would think that we could earn it. Both are anti-grace and thus salvation, at least in the Christian theology, would be impossible. However, I have found that in my own life, and the lives of many close to me, that we have a very limited and incorrect view of the enormity and completeness of what Christ did on the cross, and what it really means. Perhaps we may know the biblical answer for this in our minds, but until we know it in our hearts we venture down a long and tiresome journey of emotional, guilt-ridden, circumstantial faith. This is the journey I took, and the journey that, by God's grace, I have been freed from.

Romans 3:21-26, 28
"But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— He did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus... For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law"

Acts 13:38-39
"Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses."

It is easy for Christians to believe, if not unmistakably evident, that we cannot earn our own salvation. But so many people stop just there. They see their need of Jesus for salvation, and salvation alone, and miss one of the most important parts to living a godly, Christ-centered life and having abundant peace and joy. Justification. Grudem gives a definition of justification in two parts: "Justification is an instantaneous legal act of God in which he 1) thinks of our sins as forgiven and Christ's righteousness as belonging to us, and 2) declares us to be righteous in his sight" Many people, due to an unhealthy view of God, focus on a legalistic partial justification in which they must be righteous before God at all times. This is a huge and dangerous problem! It has devastated the Christian.

Some of the major effects of the stunted view include:

1 - A walk with God that is full of guilt and shame because we do not have the capacity to achieve perfection.
2 - A wrong desire that tells us we must fix ourselves in order to come to God.
3 - It leads to the sin of pride, even if we do not know it, in two ways: (1) We either think that we can and must earn our way through good works, less sin, and daily prayer and devotion to God, or (2) have such a low, belittled view of self (not humility) that we think we are, in a backward sense, above saving.

Any and all of these put us in a great danger, and only result in a stagnant walk with God. If we stay here too long, sin enters into our life and we are put into captivity on multiple levels. Something that for me took over five years to come out of.

We must not stop at the idea of Christ's work on the cross being a one-time act in which we can now be saved and must live a holy, and pleasing life to God. (This is all true, but if we stop here we do not get the full picture and cannot fully understand our own faith). We must realize that God, in his infinite wisdom, love and grace has emotionally, physically, spiritually, and legally changed our being into that of a pure reflection of Christ. We,at the same time as being called to be Holy, are viewed as Holy though sin still exists in our lives. This sounds easy to understand, and for head knowledge it is... but we must examine our lives to see if we live like this. For myself, much of my life was spent avoiding God, waiting till I forgave myself and fixed my own sin (temporarily) before I would pray, worship, devote myself to Him. This is not evidence of living in a justified manner. This is defeating and not what God intended for me. By His grace, it was made known to me the transformation of my innermost being and now I am free of this bondage, free of the pride, free of the guilt, and free of the sin struggles I held myself under by this wrongful view of the gospel. The freedom, peace and joy is a gift from God that I am now fully able to receive and I have done not one thing to produce this change. God alone has granted me His atoning, freeing grace and I am humbled by His goodness.

May God have the glory of His grace, and we the comfort of it.