How many of us walk around in this thing we call life and fear a God that we do not really know? There exists many people who hold tightly to the concept of a God that is a false perception of a Heavenly Father that truly loves us.

He is often pictured as one who sits upon a golden throne waving His hands back and forth deciding who lives and who dies, who receives His blessing and who does not. How many of us believe – or have believed – that what we do- our good deeds- is what keeps us qualified to receive His grace? And if we put God on that human level, how much more do we think or expect that our works and good deeds will keep us in the good graces of others?

Having a fear of The Lord is a concept that many Christians and non-Christians alike have heard many times over. As a small child I can recall hearing those very words and crawling into my bed at night, curling up under my quilt, and shivering at the thought of a deity who might crush me into dust. What I missed as a child was the explanation that having a fear of the Lord is not a true fear or sense of being frightened but a devotion to God.

As a child I also learned that praying and asking for forgiveness after I had sinned was the only way to get back into God’s good graces. So pray I would with my eyes shut tight hoping I’d awake in the morning. These false doctrines had latched on tight following me into my young adult years. But no longer was I praying the sweet prayers of a child. By this time in my life I was asking for forgiveness for plain out stupid sins… and I knew better.

I had taken the grace of the Lord- the undeserved, unmerited favour of Christ- and made it cheap.

There are those who believe that no matter the sin, no matter how many times we fall into the exact same pit without learning to sidestep it in our wanderings, as long as we confess it to Christ and ask for forgiveness, all is forgiven.

But the scriptures challenge us to repent of our sin. To repent means to experience regret and remorse for our sin.

I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.
Acts 26:20

Many biblical scholars consider the book of Acts to have been authored by Luke, a companion to the Apostle Paul. When he preached the Gospel, he taught that our actions as Christians speak louder than our words ever will. For one to turn from their sin they must first turn to God.

When we leave Christ out of the equation, we make the grace that God has gifted us cheap. It shows the world that the sacrifice that was made on our behalf isn’t worth all that much. And to do this is not true repentance but a hasty effort to put ourselves in God’s good graces.

This is a new starting point: to never leave Christ out of the equation. When we turn to Christ seeking His help with all our struggles and sin, we gain greater insight into His character. When we spend more time with Christ, we become more like Christ. He is the one whom we should call our greatest friend.

Father, I do not desire to sin against you nor cheapen the grace that you have gifted unto me because of your great love. Help me to not seek being in your ‘good graces’ but see the truth that your grace is so very good. In Jesus name, amen.