Built Upon

          A general misconception among non-Christians and new Christians is that when you become a Christian, you have to change your way of life. Taking into consideration things we've heard all our life that a 'good Christian' doesn't do, we strive to discipline ourselves to conform to the ideal of a good Christian. In time, we general have a decent amount of success. Whether it be drinking, smoking, cussing, unfriendliness, bad influences, or any number of things, if we discipline ourselves, we are able to make our outward appearance more 'holy.'            However, the fact of the matter is, that this isn't what we're called to do. The Bible never says "When you believe in Jesus, discipline yourself to look more like Him." What it actually says is "And we all, with unveiled faces, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to...

        What is grace? If you're a Christian, no doubt you've heard this word tossed about plenty of times. "It's all by the grace of God." "Just respond to His grace." Wait, what? By definition, grace is "The free and unmerited favour of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings." To put it succinctly, everything good in your life is by the grace of God. As humans, we don't truly deserve anything from an almighty, all-powerful God of the universe. It is through His grace that He sent His son to die for our sins and make us new. Jesus is grace manifested.         In Jesus' sermon on the mount in Matthew chapter 5, He mentions that "Not an iota, not a dot has passed away" from the law. When I used to read this, I would become confused; thinking "Wait, what Jesus? I thought life wasn't just about upholding the law anymore because you died for us... right?" But now I realize...