Grace

Grace - an overused, under appreciated and misunderstood word.  Religious jargon to the atheist, dead rhetoric to the christian formalist, something unheard of in all other religions (who generally work on the basis of merit) but to those convinced of their personal demerit and desert of hell, something sweeter than life itself.  A trust in Christ not for pardon alone, but that His righteousness may be accredited to their own account on the day of judgment.  Free for them, at the price of Jesus' life on the cross - that whoever would trust in Him would attain His righteousness and be saved from divine judgment and eternal hell.  That line "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me." carries so much more weight to it. There is more to grace than this. Reconciliation with God. A relationship with Him and enjoyment of Him forever.

Romans 4
 1 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. 5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:
       7 “ Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
      And whose sins are covered;
       8 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.” 

Romans 10  
that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”[f] 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

Romans 3 
21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all[h] who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

The New Covenant

Jeremiah 31
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

Ezekiel 36
22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. 23 I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,” declares the Lord God, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. 24 For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. 28 You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. 29 Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not [j]bring a famine on you. 30 I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations. 31 Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations. 32 I am not doing this for your sake,” declares the Lord God, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!”

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A new nature is promised, desires change, a new heart, a loathing of the old self.  Though these promises are made to Israel, Paul expounds on  the grafting in of the nations to 'Israel' through faith in Christ.  So we are one body, Jew and gentile.  I was actually reading Hebrews 10 this morning and the concept of the new covenant struck me as absolutely incredible.  God under no obligation decided to make it,  where he not only forgives our sin through Christ but causes in us an actual desire to obey and power to actually follow through with those desires.  Accompanied by the humbling retrospective glace back at past crimes committed against him with bitter regret.  This he does not for our sake, but to make His name great. To demonstrate his grace and mercy.

A challenge is found in this reflection though.  Am I a partaker of this covenant?  Are what these scriptures describe evident in my life?  Do we have new desires, or as Jesus said 'a hunger and thirst for righteousness'?  More importantly, do those desires show forth in action - do we bear fruit?  Or are we tasteless salt with no use and baron trees only good for the fire as Christ mentioned?

These thoughts have challenged me this morning. The apostle John iterated a similar challenge in his epistle:

1 John 2

3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

Also Jesus said a similar thing 'why do you call me Lord Lord but do not do the things I say?' and "whoever loves me will keep my commandments".

This isn't spiteful obedience murmuring under your breath - wishing you didn't have to but only do so for fear or custom.  The regenerated heart desires to obey, and disobedience hurts it.  Like hurting someone you love produces deep regret...the loathing the above verse talks about.

Romans 12:9
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.