Skip to main content

The Reason for Grace


I remember being a kid and making plans without talking to my parents first. As a child, I even developed a system. If I got invited to go to friend’s house or on an outing, I made sure the friend would ask my mom. This would drive them both a little crazy sometimes. At a young age, I understood how to ask forgiveness rather than permission. This wasn’t the best thing about me growing up, and I sometimes find myself in the same position that I put my parents in. My boys figured out the system, too!

It could be so very easy to take our salvation for granted. Knowing that we serve a loving, forgiving God could cause some to wander and tamper with sin. But that was never what God intended when He sent Jesus to Earth. I cannot imagine sending my children on a mission and for those being rescued by that mission to be flippant about it. I would be angry and revoke my grace. It’s a good thing I’m not God. The cost was great, but His love for us was greater.

“he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” (Philippians‬ ‭2:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

There is no tremendous message in this simple post. We will sin. We are human, and until we are made perfect with Christ, our fallen humanity will maintain its grip on us. God knows this and already forgave us when Jesus died on the cross. It’s not an excuse to sin, but it’s the reason for grace.

© Jill Cook and Unbroken & Undone Ministries.  All rights reserved.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Feelings and Faith

Vulnerable moment: it’s been a crazy week. If I’m being honest, the last six months or more have been wrought with uncertainty and so many questions within myself about my purpose.  I’ve been in a season of transition in our family with adapting to having an independent adult child and an independent teenage son-both of whom are thriving. So my purpose as a mom has shifted into steadfast support and guidance from a distance rather than rushing to the rescue, which I know is where we should be with them. This shift has adjusted our marriage. Lyndon and I are both learning how to navigate this new territory, and I’m so grateful we have each other.  My Daddy died suddenly last year, and I am still grieving the unexpected loss and what could have been. Grief is a strange journey and differs for everyone. What I know is Christ gives me the most profound peace when I feel my turbulent heart trying to sway me. But it certainly is a sadness that is layered. Because of these major life...

Praise Anyway

This has been a difficult week for many reasons. At the start of the week, I was struggling to justify why I must remain patient before moving into the full calling of Unbroken and Undone and all that God has given me vision for.  It was only a week ago that I was crying with my mom and sister about not understanding why it seems like some people are able to move so easily into their calling while, for me, it has felt like my years of ministry and serving have been more of a slow crawl and constant waiting for doors to open. My sister made a remark about how hard it must have been for Abraham and Sarah to wait in their promise. I was reminded that when they tried to do things their own way, Ishmael was the result. This same sweet sister of mine has been a foster mom now for nine months. We have loved every little that has come into our lives, and it has transformed my understanding of the heart of God for us. At the end of the day, though, my sister and her husband want to adopt a ...

He’s Already Heard My Prayer

This is one of the most difficult pieces to write. My dad, Steve, passed away this morning unexpectedly. He was the “Music Man” in my world who made life a song.  Daddy was responsible for putting me on the stage. At two years old, he stood me on the altar at church so everyone could watch me sing “Victory in Jesus.”   At twelve, he was teaching me how to set up equipment and mix sound. As a teenager, we wrote songs together. His love of music is so deeply ingrained in me that I feel a piece of that is somehow missing now. Things were not always great between me and Daddy. In fact, we went for a long time without having contact with one another. I’m so grateful that God restored our relationship in his final years. Neither one of us were perfect in our relationship, but I always loved him deeply. So today, I’m heartbroken. Memories are flooding my mind, and there are so many things I still wanted us to share. I know the coming days will be filled with waves of grief and the st...