The Grace Awakening

This week I started Chuck Swindoll's devotional "The Grace Awakening". You see, I've been studying Dispensationalism. While I can't explain it all yet, I'm on board with the fact that this way of "rightly dividing the Word of Truth" explains how God has revealed Himself clearly and without conflict.

That is not to say I agree with everything every dispensationalist has written. I just believe God has worked, and will work in a series of dispensations. The current one being the Dispensation of Grace, or more accurately of The Church. God has always acted with grace.

I'm learning to set people free. Not to hold them to my set of "rules". I'm also learning to be free myself. Free to serve our Savior and to spread the Gospel. As far as I can see so far, I'm required to remember the Lord in the breaking of bread and drinking of the cup, and to preach the Gospel to the unsaved and obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Everything else is the work of the Spirit. What food I eat, whether I drink alcohol and so on. These things are works of the Spirit, not my will. It's all well and good to want to be "sinless" but it is simply not possible this side of eternity. There is effort involved but I'm finding it's more to do with submission than overcoming anything.

The Spirit has changed me so much I hardly recognize myself. Repentance is evidence of the indwelling Spirit - at least that's what I think right now. I can't prove it from scripture just yet. But it seems to fit. I didn't change when I was trying to. I changed when I broke down and confessed my sins to God. When I stopped trying to be someone He could love, His love took control and now I'm new. I don't have to try to be new. I simply am. Far from sinless yet, but it's not a struggle anymore and the time between sins seems to be getting longer.

I very much want people to know this freedom. It's not freedom to sin - as Paul says "heaven forbid". It's freedom from the slavery to sin. It's freedom to do what's right. It's not following rules. It's about living.

See I have much to learn, but I'm doing it. I really just wanted to drop a note of "Hi" seeing as it's Friday and all.