Andy Stanley's book: "Grace of God"

Andy Stanley has a new book called "Grace of God". I thought, Great. Another book on the subject. I already read Philip Yancey's satisfying treatise on it (What's so amazing about grace, Zondervan © 1992). Do I need to read any more?

The publishers of Stanley put on their website, Grace of God book.com, free downloadable pdfs of the first two chapters. I suggest you go take a look see and read them. It's amazing!

It's a shame that I need to be reminded about the grace I received about God, having supposedly embraced it since I was 12. But I do. In the first chapter, Andy shows me how the very first chapter of the Bible is already full of glimpses of God's grace... Imagine that! The act of creation is an act of God's grace. For artists, that says a lot. It's already by grace that I am given the talent to create art. And tracing it back to the original act of creation by the Great Artist, I realize I am given a great privilege and example to follow.

Finally, I need to be reminded about the grace I received because I am so prone to sinning. I forget how awful it feels after having sinned. But I do sin from time to time. I feel I deserve to jump off the bridge. That I totally blew it this time and I can't slink my way to God's presence with another "I'm sorry" but show up with a memorized Psalm 51 dramatic monologue. Then there are songs that help, like Matthew West's More or Casting Crown's East to West.

But finally, I know that what I need is to just really show up before God and, like Abraham did, place my trust in His Person, in His Son, in what He did on the cross before I was even born, how the stone was rolled away because the grave couldn't keep Him. I place my trust in Him that what He said He would do He really would. That while Jesus hung on the cross all of God's anger for what I have done (my lust, my unforgiving spirit, my murderous thoughts, my lies, my cheating) He bore. He bore the full brunt of it. And I am here, writing, tapping away at the keys and God declares me righteous. That the righteousness of Christ is credited or attributed to me.

It's just... wrong. Unfair. Renders me grasping for words. But what can I do about it? Even before I was born, God has decided that's the way to be. That's the way out for me... the way to be forgiven and saved. The Way to meet my deepest need.

And then that's not all. He gives me Himself. The Holy Spirit lives in me and makes certain changes and gives me the desire and the power to obey God's will (Philippians 2:13). What wouldn't I give to get a deal as good as this? But it's all part of the package I receive all by doing nothing and trusting that what I needed to give to get the deal has already been done--not by me, but by the Son.

I write this here now not to proselytize or pontificate. I write it because I need to be reminded what grace is. I am a cup full of holes that can't hold water and is therefore good for nothing. Grace is God taking me, hole-y as I am, and putting me under a waterfall and declares me "Holy." With all that water, I overflow.