Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound

I'm sitting here this wonderful fall morning sipping my Earl Grey tea, getting glorious whiffs of my harvest scented candles and reading "Transforming Grace" by Jerry Bridges. I attend a Bible study on Saturday mornings and we are currently going through this book, and I'm being challenged. Not only am I being challenged by this study but I am also being challenged by the study I'm doing on Wednesday nights at church, "Extreme Spiritual Makeover" by Kris Goertzen. When I say "challenged" I mean that my views of myself and my walk with my creator God are being stretched and changed.

It's funny how I've "known" my whole life that God has forgiven me of my sins and saved me from Hell, but how I've never considered what that really means. I'm realizing now, only with the help of God, just how extensive my sin is. The fact that I am part of the human race that started with Adam who rebelled against God means that I have rebelled against God. It's an innate characteristic of being human. Just looking at that, I deserve Hell; and that's not counting all my other actions that have voiced my high opinion of myself and attempts to survive without God. The amazing part of it is that God has rescued me from all that. HIS GRACE has been extended to me and if I accept it I am His and Hell and sin have no claim over me. The tragic part is that I still live as though I have some part in my being rescued. I think that my good behavior or bad behavior somehow influences my rescued-ness. The TRUTH is that it doesn't. Once I surrender to Christ, I am a new creation. He has already extended His grace over me and loves me. I will still struggle at times to live according to His example but that doesn't at all impact His delight in me. Now, looking at all of this, why am I not the most joyful, exuberant person in the world? I've been rescued into eternal life and am loved by the ONE who created everything and orchestrates every piece of this world and universe. How can I not be telling everyone how AWESOME my GOD is?!?!

So on this beautiful fall day I want to say, "I am the adopted daughter of the most amazing, most perfect, and wonderfully good God. And He chose to rescue me, a worthless sinner, and loves me. And nothing I have done deserved that."

Praise God!