When Strivings Cease Session Five — Freed to Do Good

Serve one another humbling in love. — Galatians 5:13

We aren’t saved by good works; we are saved to do good works in love! ~ RCS

Hi, friends! It’s week five of the When Strivings Cease OBS! Last week we dove into the transforming power of grace… how grace changes us entirely from the inside out. This week we’re talking about what happens next. We’re changed, but changed to do what?

One of the hiccups for us that stands in the way of us longing for grace is that it begs the discussion of why we need it. We would have to get real about what we’ve done wrong, the mistakes we’ve made, the lack within us, the error in our character and that is daunting, isn’t it?

We don’t want to talk about our sin because we don’t wholly grasp the awesomeness of grace. We don’t embrace repentance the way we should because we don’t fully accept that grace is the hugest gift imaginable. If we did, we would be flinging ourselves at God at the first hint of the Holy Spirit saying we needed to turn back to Him to receive His grace!

We won’t celebrate and stand in awe of Christ if we don’t feel the crushing weight of our sin. The law of God was meant to point to that crushing burden and our inability to carry it. ~ RCS

If we want to run in freedom, we must first acknowledge we’ve been stumbling in chains. ~ RCS

Grace not only does this outrageous work of removing the stink and stain of our pasts and the shame, but grace also boosts us towards Kingdom work… holy, redemptive work! Healing work. When we abide in Him, we become like Him — doing whatever the Father says in His strength… by His grace!

Grace isn’t just the means by which Christ removes that which weighs us down, it is the means by which Christ builds us up. ~ RCS

The holy work of grace is beautiful! He’s not through with me yet, nor you! Isn’t that wonderful?

Let’s not shy away from our own freedom. Let’s run to Him!

Scriptures this Week

Colossians 2:6-7
Galatians 5:22-24
Galatians 5:13
John 15:4-5

This week in your study:

Watch the video for When Strivings Cease on our study home page and take notes in your study guide on pages 122-124, then stick around to go through the questions at the end of the video!

We’re almost at the end of the study! This week you’ll find your personal study in pages 125-150.

What things do you tend to run to, other than Jesus, for self-worth, identity, or satisfaction? Join the conversations in the Facebook group.

Prayer

Jesus, Your grace is overwhelming! Little did we know how amazing Your grace is! Help us to run to You with our burdens — the weight of our sins, the insecurity of our lack and weakness, the errors we continue to make as we stumble toward Heaven. Teach our hearts to race toward Your grace in full confidence of Your goodness to work for us, in us, and through us by Your grace. We rejoice in You! We love You, Jesus! Amen.