Grace, Relationship, and Religion

I've been trying to write this post for a long time. I keep digging into the topic in an attempt to understand, becoming baffled, and wandering away, only to be brought right back. This post isn't organized well. My head keeps getting muddled and I haven't come to a concise conclusion. But I'm curious to see what others' thoughts on the topic are, so I'm posting this anyway. 

There seems to be two kinds of grace. One group of people preach strongly the grace that brings freedom, so afraid of legalism that they swing to the far side of “Let me do as I will!” Then also there are others just as strongly afraid of darkness and the impurity it puddles about its victims that they too swing, but to the opposite side of strived after perfection. Both stand on the Word of God and shout grace—grace to do and grace to be. The pendulum keeps swinging and the church continues to shun unity for longing to agree. Back and forth, back and forth, the question longs to be answered, which one is correct?

Wherein lies the truth? Perhaps with peace. And peace waits right where most pendulums rest—smack dab in the center of both arguments.

Grace is a sticky notion. It allows freedom where none is deserved and yet calls to reformation the slightest of wandering errors. It is only because of the grace brought through the cross that Jesus could call people to “Be perfect, just as my Father in heaven is perfect.” But if you go back a couple of verses, you’ll find a description of perfection rather different than the spotless reputation of goodness that long standing church members are often determined to maintain. “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you…and if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?” (Matt. 5:44, 47-48) This verse speaks a lot louder about the treatment of others than personal actions. But both are important. 

Most Christians have heard a sermon or two on not using God's grace as a license to do whatever they want. But see, it's deeper than that. When you accept Christ into your life you step into a covenant with Him that is made possible by the blood He spilled at the cross. Hebrews 10:29 says that continuing to sin after receiving the truth is like one "who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace." The popular slogan, "It's a relationship, not a religion" comes to mind, but suddenly the phrase gains a much deeper meaning after reading that verse.   

Grace is like as a vast, flat expanse before Jesus. It’s so large, there’s more than enough room for all the messes you ever have or will make in life. But it’s also so open, that there’s no place to hide those messes. You can’t jump behind a bush and say, “Don’t look, Lord! I’ve realized I’m naked!” Adam tried that one, forgetting that God had made him that way in the first place. It’s that place where the woman was left with Jesus after her accusers scattered, realizing they couldn’t throw the first stone. Sinless, Jesus declined throwing a stone as well, but still told her to “go and sin no more.” (John 8:11) 

Without grace there wouldn't be a key to open the door to a relationship with Jesus. That same grace though, calls us to a responsibility of action that others may see and label as religious. Luckily, there's grace for that too.