Messy Grace Is Authentic Grace

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Have you ever found yourself in a Christian environment, like a small group or church, where the more time you spent there, the worse you started to feel about yourself? You were impressed, intimidated, overwhelmed... It's like all the people around you were on their game and just knew how to do the Christian life; they didn’t seem to have a problem in the world. 

Those situations really make us wonder, “Is it just me? Am I the only messed-up one here? Am I the most immature one here?” The answer is no! What happened was that you probably found yourself in a place of man made religion.

If you don't believe you’re righteous, you’ll pretend, bluff, and strive to become righteous - only to discover later that you were all along. 

But the cost of that is immense. The cost to keep it up is immense. That kind of culture is one where you have to hide, you have to pretend, you have to put on a mask - appearances rule in that culture. It’s where you learn certain jargon, and how to look tight and slick, sanitized and on your game. That is the mark of man-made religion. It's the mark of the room of good intentions.

When you wear a mask, the cost is high because only your mask gets loved. You don't get loved. 

People may be impressed by you, but they don't get to love you and you don't get to love them. 

My, how this grace we’ve stumbled into is messy, don’t you think? Oh my gosh, it’s so messy, BUT it is authentic. As you trust who Christ says you are, you will discover that you don’t have to hide anything. 

He knows everything about you. He knew it before the world began, and He's still crazy about you! 

There's nothing He doesn't already know about your past, present or future. He knows it all and He says, “I would love it if you would tell the truth about yourself, I can handle it. Oh, and by the way, there's a whole community of people waiting for you to do it because then they get to love you more.” 

Don't be intimidated. There are no “together” people, just those with shinier or nicer teeth. 

Yes, grace is very messy, but you are right on time.