It's all God's grace

A lesson I didn't know I needed to learn, from Romans 6

Like almost all of my spiritual lessons, it started with a hard parenting day.

But why, God?!????????

I was frustrated with my kids’ behavior, my reactions to it, and ultimately—with God. WHY is this happening if I’m doing everything RIGHT? I’m in the word. I’m in the spirit. I’m praying ceaselessly. I’m doing everything for your glory.

And my rationale wasn’t that I earned or deserved XYZ result. I know we don’t deserve or earn. I know the gospel.

My frustration was that I was promised XYZ result.

My frustration was that as Christians, we believe prayer is powerful and works, that if we pray, God hears and responds. It’s that as Christians, we believe we have access to peace that surpasses understanding, no matter our circumstances. It’s that as Christians, we believe God is a good father who gives wisdom in abundance when we ask.

God, you said!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eventually, God impressed upon me:

You receive good things, good outcomes because of God’s grace and only because of God’s grace. Not because of anything you’ve done.

If the reason is God’s grace, then the reason cannot be your actions.

Your good actions did not result in the good outcome.

God’s grace is why you got the good outcome.

So let’s get specific.

The reason your children are well behaved and listen and obey you is not because you prayed for it and trained them up in the way they should go and lived out the gospel in front of them. It’s only, purely, solely God’s grace.

oooooo someone is not going to like hearing that! Stick with me…..

The reason your children have grown up to be responsible, well regulated teens and adults is not because of anything you’ve done. It’s only, purely, solely God’s grace.

The reason you can provide for your family is not because you have been disciplined and worked hard in your career. It’s only, purely, solely God’s grace.

The reason you have God-centered friends who love you so well is not because you’ve been a good, sacrificial, grace-filled friend to them. It’s only, purely, solely God’s grace.

The reason you are athletic and physically talented and able to accomplish challenging feats is not because you worked and trained hard for it. It’s only, purely, solely God’s grace.

Okay. So now, the obvious, natural next question.

So then, what’s the point of what I’m doing?

Why bother working so hard to follow Jesus’ commands if it has nothing to do with the God-centered outcome I desire?

How is it possible following God’s commands had nothing to do with the result of God’s good Christ-honoring outcomes?

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?

Romans 6:1

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!

Romans 6:15

Romans 6:1, 15 are essentially saying “what’s the point!!!! should I just continue in sin because it’s all your grace no matter what I do?!”

Paul says: Absolutely not! Certainly not!

Here’s why we walk in obedience, or “newness of life” as Paul says in 6:4.

• Because God told you to. He gave you commands to follow.

• Because it is our privilege and responsibility to follow his commands and our callings that we have been entrusted with.

• Because following his word is for our good.

• Because your obedience results in your sanctification, your holiness.

• Because you mature in Christ and your faith is developed as you walk in obedience.

• Because your sanctification and maturity in Christ is deeply important to God.

• Because your all your deeds good and bad will be judged one day.

• Because your works don’t result in salvation, but do result in eternal rewards.

• Because not following his commands, is sin. And the wages of sin is death.

I am using a human analogy because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you offered the parts of yourselves as slaves to impurity, and to greater and greater lawlessness, so now offer them as slaves to righteousness, which results in sanctification.

Romans 6:19

But now, since you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification—and the outcome is eternal life! For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:22-23

Your eternal salvation was a free gift. And salvation from your daily trials of various kinds are also free gifts.

So don’t be surprised when “you do everything right” and are met with unexpected outcomes. God is faithful to his promises. He may just be reminding you of the reason he fulfills his promises.

It’s all God’s grace.

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The crazy part is I had been spending time in Romans 6 for months leading up to the experience that resulted in this post. Literally camped out chilling, praying and journaling through Romans 6 for months!!!!!

But it took me weeks after this experience and revelation to connect it to Romans 6; to realize that my frustration with God was literally Romans 1:1 & 1:15.

I didn’t know I needed a lesson about grace.

I didn’t know Romans 6 was a chapter about grace. I wanted to learn about dying to old self and living new in the chapter that’s headlined, “The New Life In Christ.”

But of course, you cannot move on to walking in newness of life until you fully grasp how you got there. You cannot fully live new until you completely understand—know deeply in your soul—that it’s only because of God’s grace.

And his grace is his son.

Being made new isn’t the point, the point is Jesus.

God had me live out Romans 6 in a real and tangible way after studying it deeply. I can only assume the reason is so I could learn it better and so you could read it.

God is crazy.

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