Grace and Love

In my pursuits of becoming an adult and a better person..i've made many, numerous mistakes. But no matter what mistakes i make or how bad they are, there's always one thing i can depend on...and that's Christ's forgiveness. I know through my faith in Him and His grace and love i'm forgiven and saved. Well, again, any of you who have followed my posts know that I like to relate my life to songs, well, i'm gonna do it again. This song is without a doubt one of my most very favoritest. (Improper english used for affect :>) A few years ago a good friend of mine introduced me to a band called Kutless and I instantly fell in love with their music. I was even lucky enough to go to one of their concerts and it was the coolest ever. I got my picture taken with the bass guitarist and with my good friend who introduced me to the bands music, and I got his autograph on a water bottle that he used to throw water on the crowd then throwing the bottle to the crowd which I caught. It was great. But one of Kutless' (Linked to their website)hits off of their 1st CD is called "Grace and Love." The lyrics are as follows:

Many things in life are hard for me
Many things can pull us down
I don't understand why I do what I do
How could I take my eyes off you
After all You've done for me
And after all You've done for me
It's by Your grace and love I am saved
It's by Your grace and love You've forgiven me
And by that love and grace I'm amazed
It's by Your grace and love I am free
I am free, I am free, I am free
And it's by grace and love that I am free
I'll live with You eternally
I thank you Lord that I am free
I thank You Lord for loving me
I thank You Lord for dying upon the tree of Calvary
I thank You Lord for loving me
I thank You Lord for dying for me
Because it's by grace and love I am saved
It's by Your grace and love You've forgiven me
And by that love and grace, I'm amazed
It's by Your grace and love I am free
I am free, I am free, I am free
Many things in life are hard for me
Many things can pull us down
But by grace and love You've forgiven me
And by grace and love we are free
Copyright 2001-2004 Kutless, Inc./BEC Recordings/Tooth & Nail Records

Well, I just about think the lyrics speak for themselves. But especially now with me making some of the biggest mistakes of my life, the lyrics are particularly applicable. There's no other feeling like being at what feels like might be your lowest point and being able to hear these lyrics. This song has helped me through alot, is helping me right now, and i know will help me in the future.

In Christ,
Adam

Reality=Evil: Desire=Good

Last Sunday my parents were camping so I decided that I would go to church alone, for the first time...ever. I don't know why I had never gone to church alone before because I've had many opportunities, but I guess I had more than my share of fears...for some reason..I don't know..Anyway, man am I ever glad I did. It was a communion sunday so it was great to meet God at His table, which I hadn't done in a long time, and I also got a lot out of the sermon. The sermon was based on Romans 7:15-25a, which reads (for reference..).:"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.[REALITY] For in my inner being I delight in God's law;[DESIRE] but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (NIV) While Paul was writing this he was struggling with sin, as you can pretty well tell at the beginning with all the confusion in all those do's....(there's alot...i wouldn't even begin to count them all..sheesh..) but anyway, Paul has the desire to be godly, not as in being God, but to be more like Him: sinless and blameless...that kind of stuff. But Paul realizes that yes he may have the desire, but alone he simply does not have the ability. In the same way, Peter had the desire to stand up for and defend Jesus "to the end" but not having the ability he denied Christ 3 times. Paul kind of comes to an end out of perhaps frustration and maybe annoyance and he says.."what a wretched man I am!" All I gotta say it, I know..me too...grrr..but then, he writes great words of hope "Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (YES!!! AMEN!) Brings an old song to mind..."How sweet it is to be loved by you!" But back to having desire and not the ability...which doesn't have to be completely true, because if we have the desire to do good and not evil, then in and through Christ we have the ability because of the strength in Him...(Philippians 4:13.."I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.") So our prayer for the day can be...Dear Lord, forgive me for my sins: my sins against You and my neighbors. I have the desire to do good, I no longer want to do what I hate, evil. Give me strength and the ability to do good, and win the war against my members and the law of my mind, to follow Your law. Thank You Gracious Father for Your Son, Jesus Christ, for in Him I find forgiveness, salvation, and the strength and ability to do good. Amen.

May God grant you strength in your desire to do good,
Adam


P.S.: WWJD What Would Jesus Do!?