A few weeks ago, I wrote that “The developing center of this blog, I think, is a core of reflections on the interrelationship between Christian theology and praxis and American politics.” That said, there are other major themes running through these posts as well; of those, surely the most important thing I think and write about is the grace of God, and why it’s so hard for us to live by.
Umm, what was that about grace?
One of the biggest mistakes we can make is to forget the difference between grace and justice, and start to imagine that we have earned God’s favor.
1 Timothy and the misdirected conscience of the West
The word “gospel” means “good news,” and the gospel of grace truly is good news . . . but we often don’t receive it as good news, because it isn’t what we want to hear
.The Christian discipline of forgiveness
Forgiveness, repentance, and the Gordian knot
We not only need to receive grace, we need to give it—for our own sake as well as for others’.
Justice and mercy
A thought on the relationship between the two.
The lust of the world, the grace of God, and the heart of the church
Why do we keep sliding into legalism? Because legalistic religion lets us take the credit.
The crucial challenge of living by grace
The key to living by grace is gratitude to God.
The cost of grace
On grace as God’s free gift, and why it isn’t cheap.
No matter how far you run, the Father’s heart goes farther
We’re all prodigals in need of grace—and we’re all offered it, whether we want it or not.