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Living Under Grace: Beyond the Bare Minimum
Why do we often justify our choices by saying we live under grace? If we really understood what "living under grace" meant — and then lived accordingly — our lives would be radically different.
Welcome to Freshman English
During my freshman year of high school, I took an honors English class that was a lot different than most of my other classes. At the beginning of each marking period, we would "contract" with our teacher for our grade. For example, if you wanted an "A," you agreed to read 300 pages of a novel of your choice, write two papers, and complete a project to supplement class reading, all alongside regular class assignments. For a "B," you agreed to read 200 pages, write a paper (although fewer papers than the "A" student), and you had the option of a smaller project for extra credit. The expectations for a "C" were even lower; we didn't even need to contract for a "D."
Because I was a very GPA-conscious student, I made sure I contracted for an "A" every marking period. Three hundred pages? That was nothing; after all, I love to read. Writing wasn't a huge deal either, and I could complete one project a marking period easily. I thought it would be an easy "A."
It was.
Looking back on my high school experience, though, I've realized that that English class was one of the least challenging classes I've ever taken. I want to blame it on my teacher, but I think I'm to blame as well.
You see, I settled for the bare minimum. I chose books based solely on whether they were 300 pages or not. Instead of taking the opportunity to read classics like Les Misérables, I read books that were what my mom calls "fluff" — they're a quick read without much substance. My papers, if I remember correctly, weren't very challenging either. I researched topics that would be easy to write on, rather than topics that really mattered. My projects were the same way. I remember looking at a list of options and thinking, "What would be the easiest to do and get an 'A' on?" For example, after reading Romeo and Juliet, two of the choices for my project were writing a paper discussing main themes or creating a "postcard" of a poignant scene. (Guess which one I chose. Yup, I broke out my colored pencils.)
Just Getting By With God
Some of you might be thinking, "What's wrong with that? Rebecca still got her 'A.' Does it really matter that she didn't really push herself?" In all honesty, probably not. In the scheme of life, my first high school English class really isn't all that important. I don't think eternity was greatly affected because I chose to draw Juliet on her balcony rather than writing on the role of fate in Shakespeare's best known piece.
However, my attitude in that class has carried over to other parts of my life. How many times have I wondered how little work I can do to just get the job done? Whether it's other school assignments or working at one of my jobs, the attitude of just doing the minimum has slipped in.
That's even scarier to think about when I ask myself, "Has it gotten into my spiritual life?" Am I quasi-apathetic when it comes to my spiritual life? Let's take a look:
- I sometimes do my daily devotions just so I can say I did them and because it makes me feel like a good Christian.
- I try to define certain sins so that I know exactly where the line is and make sure my toes don't go over it.
- I make sure I tithe, but other than that, I'm not very generous.
- I tell people I'll pray for them, and I do, but not on a consistent, long-term basis.
- During praise and worship, I know when to raise my hands so that if anyone is looking, they'll know that I'm worshipping.
Yikes. It doesn't sound too good when I put it that way. Instead of asking how I can best honor God, I've been asking, "What do I need to do to be a good Christian?" — or "What do I need to do to get an 'A' in my faith?"
A New Point of View
In his book An Unstoppable Force, Erwin Raphael McManus discusses the bare minimum standard. He points out that the Law, namely the Ten Commandments, is the very minimum for life! That's a pretty extreme statement, at first glance, but he explains:
The Ten Commandments are the lowest possible standard of humane living. Stop and consider what they demand of us. Maybe it would help if we just rephrased them in everyday language. Here goes: "Hey, could you stop killing each other? Oh, yeah, by the way, could you not steal each other's stuff? And it would be really helpful if you wouldn't lie to each other, either. And here's a thought, could you not take other people's husbands and wives and just, sort of, like, keep your own?"1
Of course, we Christians are always reminding ourselves that we aren't living under the Law any more. We live under grace. We're New Testament believers. McManus has a reply to that, too. He writes,
The law says, "Do not murder." Grace says you don't even have to have hatred in your heart; you can love your enemy.2The law says, "Do not commit adultery," but grace says you don't even have to have lust in your heart for another woman.3The law says, "Give 10 percent," but grace always takes us beyond the law. You can give 20, 30, or 40 percent. We would never stop you from living by grace.4
Wow. It suddenly seems a lot easier to live under the Law. (I never thought I'd say that!)
Choosing Grace
So how can we live under grace? It's obviously more than obeying the Ten Commandments. Instead doing the very basics of moral living, like obeying the Ten Commandments, we are called to a much higher standard. We are called to be holy. God even makes it clear: "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written, 'be holy, because I am holy.'"5
When we live under grace, our lives radically change. Our question changes from "How can I be a good Christian?" to "How can I be more like my God?" We no longer live under the bare minimum standard of the Ten Commandments — we live under God's grace and we are called to a higher standard. If you aren't convinced of the higher standard Christ calls us to, read the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. Jesus tells us that calling someone a fool is equal to murder, a lustful thought is adultery, loving enemies is commanded, outward appearances of holiness are worthless … the list goes on, and every time I read it, I feel so inadequate. I can live under the Law pretty easily, but it's harder to live up to the standards Christ set for us. For example, resisting the temptation to murder my brothers in the middle of one of our disagreements hasn't been difficult at all, but it's much easier to give into the temptation of calling them "stupid" when I'm mad at them.
C O F F E E S H O PHow can we practically live under grace? We don't accept the bare minimum standard of the Ten Commandments. We pursue holiness in all aspects of our lives. Finally, we rely on God's grace to forgive us when we mess up and lead us back into holy living. Yes, it's hard to live holy and set-apart lives, but in the end, that's what really counts.
Rebecca Kelch attended the Focus on the Family Institute during the fall 2007 semester. She is a student at Spring Arbor University majoring in English and minoring in Christian Ministries. She plans to graduate in May 2009. She doesn't know what she'll do after she graduates, but she hopes God will reveal it to her soon! Like most college students, she loves hanging out with her friends, especially at coffee shops where she'll order anything with the word "frappe." She loves traveling, reading, rollerblading, ice cream and Burt's Bees® chapstick.
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