Demands

Christianity is not about demands it's about love and love can't be demanded.

 Life is filled with demands. Do…do…do, go…go…go, work…work…work. It’s never ending. I just finished a chat with a friend that made me think about grace again. And like corn flakes, I tasted grace again for the first time. I don’t know how my friend felt when he left. But, I know the melodies of grace began bouncing around in my heart all over again. The more I talk about grace the more I enjoy grace and the more I want to talk about it. I'm addicted. 

If a gift comes with demands then it isn’t a gift.

I've said in the past that grace can't obligate. It can’t obligate because grace is gift and the dictionary defines gift as "something bestowed voluntarily and without compensation." Gifts don't make demands. They are extended voluntaily. If a gift comes with demands then it isn’t a gift. It’s a trade, barter, or manipulation. Demands and gifts don’t mix. In addition, once we compensate someone for a gift it ceases to be a gift. Gifts exclude compensation.  We cannot compensate God for His grace in any way, at any time, or to any extent. We can only receive it by faith. Any attempt to pay Him for grace blocks it. What can we do?

For love to be love it must be expressed freely.

We can freely respond to his grace by loving Him freely. Here’s another reason why grace can’t obligate. For love to be love it must be expressed freely. We cannot pressure, force, coerce, bribe, nor demand that someone love us. Therefore, if God desires a loving relationship with us, and He does, He cannot force us to love Him. His grace CAN NOT obligate. Grace sets us fully free. And then, at last, in the freedom of grace, we can freely turn and freely love Him because He freely loves us. That's real life baby!

Think of God as a graceful dancer. Our maker dances His way to us. The melodies of grace permeate His presence. At first His dance is a graceful solo. All we do is take it in. We enjoy His dance. Then as the music begins to sink into our heart, He invites us to join the dance. He leads. He moves first. We follow.  We respond. It all starts and ends right here in the dance of grace. Grace can’t demand love.  Grace enables love.

Grace Freak

Dan Rockwell

P.S.  Grace frees us to follow my recommendations in the post below this, "Dry."  Those who don't believe in grace may be compelled to do more and worker hard when they feel dry.  ;-)