Didn't Have a Clue of What Grace Was

Didn't Have a Clue of What Grace Was

I knew how to quote Scripture and point out the wrongs of others. I learned how to judge, condemn, and compare morality and systems of religion to make myself look good. Externally, I excelled at manipulation, demands, control, competition, perfectionism, pettiness, and negativism. Internally, I was brilliant at hiding my pride, fear, resentment, insecurity, guilt, shame, and hypocrisy. I shouted and smiled whenever I heard grace mentioned, but I didn’t know experientially what grace was.

I knew the definition and even theological arguments about grace, but I lacked a lifestyle of grace. Charles Swindoll said, “Believing in grace is one thing. Living it is another.” I believed in grace, but there was a wide gulf between that and living grace. It was unfortunate like the Hebrew writer said, “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile” (Hebrews 12:15, NIV).

I missed grace, and the bitterness in my life was evident. Kyle Idelman, in his book Grace Is Greater, said, “In Hebrew culture, any poisonous plant would be called a ‘bitter’ plant. The author of Hebrews uses ‘bitter root’as a metaphor to make it clear that when we miss grace, things become toxic. Religion without grace is poisonous. A relationship without grace is poisonous. A church without grace is poisonous. A heart without grace is poisonous. The bitter root may grow small and slow, but eventually, the poison takes effect.”

Strong Blessings,
Cedric
Traditionalwriter@yahoo.com