Go in grace, but change your life

by · Published · Updated

I do not condemn you either. Go, but do not sin again. John 8:11 (TEV)

Grace is meant to justify the sinner – ‘Go and sin no more.’ Grace is never meant to justify our sins – ‘Everything is forgiven, so you can stay as you are.’

In other words, the grace of God is not a cosmic ‘get out of jail free’ card.

Grace is given freely, but it cost Jesus a bloody price to offer it to us: “Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13 NLT)

Grace is given freely, but to walk in grace with Jesus will cost us everything as we join Jesus in “the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.” (Ephesians 2:10 MSG)

Jesus rescued the woman caught in adultery from certain death, but his expectation was that her life would change immediately. To return to her old life would have mocked the very grace that Jesus offered her that day.

His expectation of a changed life is no different for us: Go in my grace, and sin no more.

Jon Walker’s new book is Breakfast with Bonhoeffer:

  • “Best Christian book this year!!”
  • “Amazing vulnerability, I could not put it down!”
  • “Practical, painful and true.”
  • “This is a real life book about the trials we face in an evil world.”
  • “Unique writing style and perspective on living out the Christian faith ….”
  • “One of my favorite books of the year.”

This devotional © Copyright 2013 Jon Walker. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

 

 

 

Jon Walker

Jon Walker is managing editor of Rick Warren’s Daily Hope Devotionals and a contributing editor at pastors.com. Copyright © 2017 Jon Walker. Used by permission.