The In Crowd

Grace is invaluable to a Christ follower. Without grace we recognize our demise and realize all of our shortcomings. Grace is critical - it is the free and unmerited favor of God that is extended to all who will receive. That's huge! We don't deserve His grace and we don't qualify for His grace . . . it is free and we are not entitled to it. As Christ followers we write about grace, sing about grace, talk about grace, we say 'grace' before meals, we thank God for His grace, but often we fall short of extending His grace.

I, for some weird reason, like the movie 'The Devil Wears Prada.' It's the story of a young magazine columnist, Andy, who is a determined lady who knows her values and her stance on societal issues - until she becomes entrenched in the society she always stood against. Little by little her values began to change when she was pressured by the other side . . . soon she was a part of the 'in crowd' and never realized she had change. 

Acts 20.24 says, 'However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.' We have a task - it's not to just talk, sing and thank God for His grace - it's to testify of His grace. Testify means to serve as evidence or proof of something's existence . . . it means to be an example of something. 

The way I see it Christ followers [myself included] can begin thinking we are a part of the 'in crowd' and forget that we still can't merit God's grace . . . it is free and unmerited and only comes through Jesus Christ. No matter how long we know Him - we still need His grace. We're not on the inside looking out - we are an extension of Jesus Christ on earth and we need to make every effort to testify of the gospel of God's grace. I'm not suggesting we need to let everything pass by and accept 'whatever', but too often Christ followers can play judge rather than testify of grace. Our task it not to judge - it's to testify.

Where are you on the grace spectrum? Have you received God's grace? Are you showing [testifying of ] God's grace? What ways do you play judge, and what ways do you testify? Do your actions ever indicate you are an 'in crowd' thinker? Please share.

Your worst days are never so bad that you're beyond the reach of His grace. And your best days are never so good that you're beyond the need of His grace. Everyday should be a day of relating to God on the basis of His grace alone. -Jerry Bridges