I've been reading Philip Yancey's What's So Amazing About Grace? It's funny how I often find myself reading books that have special relevance to my life at that moment (could it be a God-thing?). Anyway, this book is very interesting to me because of the things I talked about in my Unity...and LOVE post. Here's an extract from the book:
When the renowned theologian Karl Barth visited the University of Chicago, students and scholars crowded around him. At a press conference, one asked, "Dr. Barth, what is the most profound truth you have learned in your studies?" Without hesitation he replied, "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so." I agree with Karl Barth. Why, then, do I so often act as if I am trying to earn that love? Why do I have such trouble accepting it?
Well, it's nice to know I'm not the only one who has felt that way! That's exactly what I realised I had been trying to do -- earn God's love. I was trying to serve Him because I thought that's what I was supposed to do, rather than because than to please the God I love. Now, reading this book, everything has special significance. God's unconditional love for me is directly tied with his grace -- a word that was just a word to me a week ago, but which I know understand a whole heap better.
Reading about grace, I really do find it amazing. I mean, what's more mind-blowing than the fact that "there is nothing we can do to make God love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less" (quote from the book). As Yancey says, "By instinct I feel I must do something in order to be accepted. Grace sounds a startling note of contradiction, of liberation."
The fact that God accepts me and forgives me, and that that is true no matter how unworthy I am, really is amazing. And yes, liberating. In the best sense of the word.
1 comment:
Wow -- incredible post!! Actually, ALL of your posts have been incredible!! I'd gotten behind on my blog-reading, but today I finally had a chance to catch up...you have some really fantastic thoughts and questions and points here. PLEASE KEEP BLOGGING!!!!
Grace is one of the most exciting and unfathomable concepts, if you ask me, and I know EXACTLY what you mean when you talk about trying to earn God's love. You're not alone, dear, because I struggle with that too!
The book you're reading sounds fantastic -- I am definitely going to look for it.
Have you ever read anything by Max Lucado? He is one of my all time favorite authors. He has this incredible gift of taking obvious things and obscure things alike and making them clear in such a simple, powerful way...He is a very gifted writer!!
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