“Where sin increased, grace hyper-increased—so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness, bringing eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (pp Rom.5:20-21)
Heavenly Father, the more I read the Bible, the more I see your grace as the most heart-transforming, life-reorienting, cosmos-changing power in the universe. It’s not a tame kitten, but the lion of the tribe of Judah. It doesn’t make things nice, copasetic, and hunky-dory. It makes them resurrection-new and totally yours.
Indeed, your grace isn’t an add-on, but a take-over. By the Gospel, you rescued us from the dominion of darkness and the present evil age and have placed us in the kingdom of your beloved Son, Jesus (Gal.1:4, Col.1:13-14). We’re in a whole new domain of redemption and dominion of eternal life—hallelujah!
Sin used to be our master; now we get to be mastered by grace—to surrender to its liberating reign in every area of our lives: In our relationships, values, and priorities—in the stewardship of our time, talents, treasures, and our traumas. If we don’t steward our traumas, they will “spend” us.
Abba, the question is, do I really want liberation; or am I just holding out for consolation? In my most Gospel-sane moments—I cringe at the thought of a homogenized, domesticated, status-quo experience of your grace. I want everything Jesus lived and died to give me—all that he is committed to do in and through my life by the power of the Holy Spirit. Keep me Gospel-sane, Abba—me and my friends.
Your plan never has been simply to get us into heaven one day; but to get more of “heaven” in us every day—to make us increasingly like Jesus. So bring us into a “no-holds-barred,” “no-prisoners-taking,” all-things-new grace revival. Abba, rescue us from ourselves—from our little stories, nice dreams, and tiny fiefdoms. So Very Amen.
