There is a huge difference between being bound in relationship by the joy of love and being tied up in obligation and guilt. In this installment from Pastor Chuck Smith’s book, Why Grace Changes Everything, he describes how he came to understand the meaning of grace—a simple, well-worn, but rarely understood word.

The Deep Joy of Living in God’s Grace

God wants us to experience the beauty of being drawn to Him by a cord far stronger than the obligation and guilt of the law. If we were still bound to God by a list of rules and regulations, we would soon find ourselves chomping at the bit and struggling against the restraints. There is a huge difference between being bound in relationship by the joy of love and being tied up in obligation and guilt.

God never intended that His people be bound by an endless list of external pressures. It isn’t pleasing to God to hear us moan and complain, “What a drag! I have to go to church again when there are hundreds of other things I’d rather do. But if I don’t go, God won’t love me anymore, and the preacher will give me the evil eye for missing his sermon.”

If we find ourselves laboring under such burdensome attitudes, it is a sure indicator that we are not operating in a love relationship with God, but instead have fallen into legalism. God certainly wants better things for us than a drab, loveless existence!

God never made out a long contract that says, “Abide by all My terms, and I will love you and bless you; but if you violate even the smallest provision, it’s all null and void, and you are out of My kingdom!” Christians are not bound by any heavy contract to God. Paul declared that the only thing that constrained him was the love of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:14).

It took years of God’s patient work in my life before I was able to break free of the bondage of self-righteousness. For years I had heard of others getting a tremendous blessing out of the book of Romans. Since I was always looking for a blessing, I finally decided to dig into it. And yet, try as I might, it was difficult for me to relate. I decided to persevere anyway and see if I could discover what it was that others found so compelling.

One day as I studied this great book, God did nothing less than revolutionize my relationship with Him. It was there that He revealed to me the meaning of that simple, well-worn, but rarely understood word: grace. From that time onward I encountered such a free and loving relationship with God that I could not have cared less if I ever saw a spectacular miracle in my ministry. I discovered that even though I was prone to stumble and fall, my mistakes didn’t alienate me from God. My relationship with Christ became less of a roller coaster of highs and lows and more of a steady ride in His wonderful love.

Imagine how I felt when I discovered the profound truth, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). For years I had labored under the misconception that God was against me. I pictured Him waiting for me to step out of line so He could send fiery judgment crashing down on me. I finally understood that God wanted me to enjoy the peace of His unconditional love, not the fear that always accompanies legalism. I began to relate to God in a whole new way.

I learned that the law was intended to serve as a protective guide to God’s people. Its restraints were to function like a parent’s safety guidelines, intended only for the welfare of a child. Once we discover the wonder of God’s grace, the law can no longer lock us in. We can approach life freely because we love God and won’t want to do anything to harm the loving relationship we have with Him. When we know the joy of fellowship with God, we won’t want any barriers or any blocks to come between us.

In fact, the more we experience God’s love, the more He Himself becomes the primary desire and focus of our life. The coercive aspects of the law become unnecessary. We find ourselves longing to please God simply because we love Him.

And that is the greatest joy in life; to experience a genuine love relationship with God. To know that He is for us—that He loves us—is the greatest source of security any person will ever know. Discovering the glorious grace of God was one of the most important events in my whole spiritual experience. I learned to relate to God on an entirely new basis—not on the basis of my works or of my righteousness, but on the basis of God’s love for me through Jesus Christ.

That is grace, and that is what makes life worth living. In fact, it is what makes real life abundant, fulfilling, and satisfying. For when our eyes are opened to the astonishing truth that our relationship with God does not depend upon the puny pebble of our own efforts but upon the massive rock of His unchanging and loving character, life opens before us in a Technicolor explosion of awesome possibilities.

Grace transforms desolate and bleak plains into rich, green pastures. It changes the grit-your-teeth duty into loving, enthusiastic service. It exchanges the tears and guilt of our own failed efforts for the eternal thrill and laughter of freely offered pleasures at the right hand of God. Grace changes everything!

Have you discovered the deep joy of living in God’s grace? Would you welcome a reminder that our standing with God doesn’t depend on our own weak efforts, but upon what His almighty arm has accomplished for us? Wherever you are in your spiritual journey, I invite you to take a few moments to consider with me the amazing grace of God poured out on our behalf.

For it’s true: Grace changes everything!

Read Introduction, Part 1, here: Why Grace Changes Everything: Introduction, Part 1

In our next installment, Pastor Chuck further examines the concepts of “dead-end righteousness” and forgiveness.

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