Radical Grace

I am pondering the meaning of Grace. The Apostle Paul starts many of his letters, "Grace and peace to you from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ". Grace. What is this? Is it possible that I am so entangled with religion that I can't see what grace is? I suspect this is so.

By the grace given to us in Christ, we are set free, Gal 5:1. Yes, "he whom the Son sets free is free indeed". Yet a man who does not do what he wills to do, is not truly free. This is the struggle of Romans seven. Paul has yet to discover that his victory is already won in Christ. Under his own power, all he can get is chapter seven. The bridge verse is "But thanks be to God who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."Then he concludes, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, for the Law of the Spirit has set them free from the Law of Sin and Death." The Law of Sin and Death cannot be broken, but as brother Nee says, it is also subject to a higher law, the law of the Spirit.

I asked the Lord about this, and he led my spirit to Galatians 5:16. "Walk in the Spirit and there's no way you will be gratifying the lust of the flesh". Walk in, rely upon, cast oneself in - this is part of walking in the Spirit. Mostly I think ultimately it's TRUST. Jesus says, "You can't be my disciple unless you deny yourself". This is what Father has in mind. No more striving. Psalm 46:10. Yet I observe much unbelief in the members of the Body. We claim to trust Him, but in reality fear leads us. Seeing is not believing, saints. Believing is seeing. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the (revealed) Word." Rom 10:17.

The Apostle Peter tells us that Paul's letters are difficult to comprehend. I believe this is because the message Paul preaches is directly from Heaven (Galatians 2) and no carnal mind can get it. If I am preaching the same message he preached, I too would be accused of "easy believism" or some sort of antinomian heresy (See Romans 6). Grace that is truly unconditional has no part in human rational thought. I mean, yes, we understand the word, but instinctively reject the word's meaning. So take your pick. If you reject unconditional grace in favor of some sort of ethic, you get legalism (Revelation letter to the Ephesians). If you embrace a cheap grace, your life will be overrun by selfish desire.