falling on grace

When it’s all said and done we have only one real possibility, and indeed, certainty. We need to fall back on the grace of God in Jesus.

Getting right down to it, we never completely measure up. Oh yes, we can do well by God’s grace in Jesus given us. We can repent of sins, and live a changed life. Do good works, and genuinely love others in the love God has given us. Becoming holy even as he is holy. And yet we’ll never completely measure up. We’ll always fall short here and there, because of sin in us as John’s first letter reminds us. And sadly, in this life, some things that ought to be may never occur.

It is not a matter of “being right.” Righteousness, of course is a gift given to us in and through Jesus. He is our righteousness. Apart from him we have none of our own, at least not on the level we were created for, to be in communion with God and with each other, in and through God’s love in Jesus.

It is a matter of grace. Grace being a gift from God and including all the gifts of God given through the indescribable gift himself, Jesus. A grace given to sinners, to those undeserving, as each of us are. We end up having to fall on grace.

There is the old saying of “falling on one’s sword.” When all hope was gone in battle, we know this has happened, perhaps the mortally wounded soldier wanting to end it then and there. For us in Jesus it is a matter of falling on grace. It is an act of humility, recognizing our only hope is in God through Jesus. Certainly not in ourselves, or even whatever good we may have done.

And when we do God lifts us up. He helps us go on. Following Jesus along with others in Jesus. That others might see God’s grace that is in Jesus. And be moved to accept that offer of grace for themselves. That they too may learn to live in and fall on this grace of God in and through Jesus our Lord.