The NEW THINGS of Grace
What Grace Really Does: A New Identity, A New Outfit, and a New Family
Grace is one of the most challenging concepts in Christianity to understand and practice. Unlike our merit-based society where hard work equals reward, grace operates on an entirely different principle. It's God's love given freely, not earned through good behavior or impressive spiritual performance.
Why Is Grace So Hard to Understand?
Grace challenges everything we've been taught about earning our way to success. We live in a world where the harder you work, the greater your reward. But grace doesn't work this way. You can't impress God into loving you more, and you don't need to follow a checklist of rules to receive His love.
The most difficult part about grace is that change is not a condition for receiving it. Religion tells us to impress God so He will love us. The Gospel tells us that God already loves us, which enables us to pursue Him properly. Grace comes first, then change follows through God's power working in us.
What About People We Can't Stand?
Grace extends to everyone - even those groups or individuals we absolutely despise. This means God wants them too, just as they are. They don't need to change first to seek and find Jesus. This is hard to accept because we often demand that God change people according to our timeline and preferences.
God is not required to change people according to our demands or timeline. He will change people, but on His terms and in His way.
What Is Grace Really For?
Many people believe the Gospel is simply about behavior modification, joining a spiritual club, and going to heaven someday. But this story isn't even particularly compelling. It's like settling for bland chili when there's something much better available.
The real Gospel is about transformation that gives us a vocation and purpose. When we share the Gospel, we're essentially offering people a job - to work alongside God in bringing sight to the blind, freedom to prisoners, food to the hungry, and shelter to the homeless. We're recruiting people to a new way of life centered on love as the antidote to evil in the world.
3 New Things…
According to Paul's letter to the Galatians, grace provides three transformative gifts: a new identity, a new outfit, and a new family.
A New Identity
Paul writes in Galatians 2:20 that our old self has been crucified with Christ, and it's no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us. This means the insecure, empty, uncertain, and fearful parts of ourselves have been replaced by Jesus' presence.
Our identity is no longer rooted in past mistakes, family dysfunction, or the need to prove ourselves. We're not trapped by the messes we've made or will continue to make. Instead, we have the freedom and power in Christ to be new.
A New Outfit
In Paul's time, clothing indicated your social rank and position. Servants wore simple tunics, while religious leaders and Roman citizens had distinctive garments that separated classes, ethnicities, and genders.
Paul explains that in baptism, early Christians would remove their status-indicating clothing and emerge wearing a simple white robe. This wasn't just symbolic of purity - it was a visual representation of unity among all believers.
This new "outfit" gave each group what they were missing. Those with power and wealth received humility, while those at the bottom of society received dignity and value in Christ. The white robe eliminated social distinctions within the church community.
A New Family
Because of grace, we're adopted into God's family. Paul says God sends His Spirit into our hearts, prompting us to call out "Abba, Father" - the same intimate term Jesus used for God.
"Abba" is an Aramaic word expressing familiarity and vulnerability, like "Papa" or "Daddy." When we truly realize God's love through the Spirit, we're compelled to call God by this intimate name. We get to use the same name for God that Jesus did.
What Does This Look Like in Practice?
Acts 2:42-47 shows us what this transformed community looked like after Pentecost. Three thousand people were baptized and devoted themselves to:
The apostles' teaching
Fellowship
Breaking bread together
Prayer
They shared everything in common, sold possessions to help those in need, met together daily, and ate with glad and sincere hearts. This wasn't just a nice spiritual club - it was a community living out their new identity, outfit, and family status.
Life Application
This week, challenge yourself to live out your new identity in Christ. Instead of trying to earn God's love through good behavior, rest in the truth that you're already loved and accepted. Let this security transform how you interact with others, especially those you find difficult to love.
Ask yourself these questions:
Am I trying to earn God's love through my actions, or am I resting in the grace He's already given me?
How can I extend the same unconditional acceptance to others that God has shown me?
What would it look like for me to live as part of God's unified family this week, breaking down barriers between myself and others?
How can I participate in God's work of bringing healing and restoration to my community?
Remember, grace gives you a new identity as God's beloved child, a new outfit that unifies you with all believers, and a new family where you're fully known and loved. This isn't just personal transformation - it's a calling to work alongside God in advancing His kingdom of love and justice in the world.
