I'm struggling. An issue came up in my marriage that has opened a whole can of worms about my beliefs. It is a gray area in the bible but because there are arguments against what I've grown up believing and were taught it's just been trying. I've been a Christian for 16 years and have been raised in church all my life. But I'm not sure I've ever really accepted God's grace. I've accepted him as my Savior but still have a mindset if I do good, He'll be pleased. This could be how I was raised. If you do good, you get good if you don't you're punished. I was just wondering if anyone else struggled/struggles w/ this? Thanks!

I think grace is a hard concept for all humans :D

I was raised Lutheran with a works mentality - so it was hard for me to grasp that unconditional grace. Mostly because I know I don't deserve His grace - kwim?

But that is God's glory - I am given grace by faith only. There is NOTHING I can do to earn His grace or His acceptance. If He wasn't going to accept me, He would not have created me. All His creation is wonderful and beautiful-me included.

What brought my thinking into more of a Biblical alignment is that when I place His grace and acceptance into something I do (works), then I become the one in control because it is based on something I do, not on what God does.

Praying for you!!

In short, yes, I do find it very difficult to accept his grace. But... all of what Jeanine said plus the fact that Ive learned that when I was walking without accepting His grace, I found it impossible to demonstrate that grace to others who dont deserve it either. And thats something that Im working on, or God is in me. Also, I think this has a lot to do with sanctification, which is a process. Its funny how we can be saved for what feels like a long time (me 10 years) but how all we've been taught in that time can be challenged by God Himself. Things we thought were gospel, but to God they are something different in our hearts.

Grace is something that can't be understood without God's revelation. Same with love and forgiveness. We as humans are simply not capable of these things on our own. God's awesome love and grace and forgiveness are so far above us. Ask God to give you love, grace and forgiveness for others. That is how He teaches us, it's personal. Reading about it in the Bible is fine, but until God personally reveals it to us, we can't truly understand. I remember when God showed me what it felt like to really forgive. Gave me forgiveness for someone that was so beyond me. It wasn't just one of those "well I'm choosing to forgive you, but I won't trust you as much" type emotions. I saw the person there ashamed of what they had done, covered in guilt and I realized that hindered our relationship. We could not have fun together or laugh together while they were burdened by guilt. God took the hurt and pain of what they had done, and revealed it for what it was, nothing. We've all sinned, it's just sin. It's not who the person really is, God loves the person. Loves them so much that He never wants them to be out of communication with Him. Because anything that comes between you and God is so painful. Sin is painful because it separates us from God, but guilt is just as harmful if you can't accept forgiveness, because it also separates, it makes us feel "unworthy" to come into His presence, but Jesus blood makes us worthy, despite what we've done!!! Praise God!

I hope that makes sense, it's so hard to put this into words, because it's really something that comes from God. His revelation of His love and His Grace. It is more overwhelming and wonderful then words can possible describe.

Teelee, I've been thinking about this and I think that sometimes we have a faulty mindset about who God is. Maybe we tie Him into our earthly fathers or we just get this wrong idea about Him. I think we KNOW the truth, but our feelings don't always line up with what we know, so we go with our feelings rather than Truth. I thought this test was interesting. I will follow it up with what the author found to be typical answers in several countries and cultures.


The following test is designed to discern how you feel about God at your worst moments, so please, when answering the following questions do not make them more difficult than they are; simply write down the first answer that occurs to you.

1. When I think about being with God, I feel . . .

2. When I have to trust God, I feel . . .

3. When I think about God, I wish . . .

4. Sometimes I get angry with God when . . .

5. It frustrates me when God wants me to . . .

6. I really enjoy God when . . .

7. The one thing I would change about myself to please God is . . .

8. When I think about God's commands, I feel . . .

9. Sometimes I wish God would . . .

10. I can really depend on God when . . .

11. In my relationship with God, I'm always sure that He will . . .

12. The one thing that frightens me most about God is . . .

13. God surprises me when . . .

14. One thing I'm afraid God will do is . . .


~ Michael Wells, from Sidetracked in the Wilderness

Thanks Madre. Those gave me some things to think about!