Why Grace is hard.

Grace is a good thing. Infact it is an amazing thing.
Ephesians 2, describes Grace as a Gift of God. We do not earn it nor deserve it. We are just given it through Christ because God is rich in mercy. Now that is good news!
But Grace is hard.

With Grace there is no room for Pride. And yet I like being proud. I like people praising me for the works I have done, the bible study that I have spent ages over. But Grace says I don't have a leg to stand on. Mo put it really well at Relay 1 -
Compared to my 5 quiet times a day, the obediance of Christ is better.

And it is! I mean, which would you rather give to God? Your bible study or the sacrifice that Jesus made on the Cross?
There is no room for Pride.

Grace is hard because I want to hold on to all the things that I do and present them to God and say how amazing they are and how amazing I am. Yet they are dirty rags. Therefore like Paul in Philippians 3 - can we count them all as rubbish compared to knowing Jesus?....Can we?..... We must!

The most crazy thing about Grace is that my relationship with God isn't counted on what I do, its about Jesus. It is always about Jesus - I say that alot, but recently I have found that this very statement is so true and thats what it means to live in Grace. To look to Jesus and not myself. To say that Jesus is great and I am not. My perfect standing with God does not come through my bible studies, quiet time and sharing the Gospel, all of which are good things - but they don't make me great! Therefore my perfect standing with God comes through Christ and Christ alone.

There is no room for pride at the Cross.