Grace and Nothing More

Love is strengthened and perfected by suffering. Couples who have had only ease lack depth. True love needs to suffer. ‘The course of true love never did run smooth.’

—Peter Kreeft (via goldenfeet)

(via happinessweareallinittogether)

Christianity is not about the best people making it up to God; it’s about God making it down to the worst people.

—Tullian Tchividjian (via blakebaggott)

(via jamiekcurtis)

Hebrews 12, verse 14 simply says, “Strive [struggle, work] for peace with everyone, and peace with everyone, and for the holiness witho he holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”

Here’s what you have to start to do with texts like this. There are a lot like this, “train yourself for Godliness…” You can get into all these texts that seem to put a lot of effort on you in order to become the holiness the Bible just clearly said is actually gifted to you by God alone in Christ. So how do you strive toward the holiness without which no one is going to see the Lord if holiness is a gift of grace through faith? How do you strive for something that’s a free gift?

I think here’s how you answer that question in light of the gospel. Let me tell you how you strive for holiness, how you train yourself for godliness, how you pursue righteousness and avoid sinfulness under the banner of the gospel. Here’s how you strive: You strive by faith through grace. If that’s confusing to you let me make it simpler: Fix your eyes on Jesus.

—Matt Chandler, Holiness: The “How” Matters (via clothedingrace)

(Source: kidwiththebulletsoul, via clothedingrace)

What is our response to those around us, who are not believers in Christ, who have actively embraced this (homosexual) lifestyle? This is as clear as I can give it to you: Just love and patience.

Let me be honest with you, there are probably 4 guys right now that I have some sort of a relationship with that are actively in same-sex relationships and we’ve rarely spoken about those relationships; we’ve talked about the gospel. We don’t address morality until we address the gospel. So I have no goal in any of those relationships to get them to stop doing what they’re doing in regards to their sexuality. If the Holy Spirit of God opens up their eyes, and minds, and hearts to the beauty of grace alone, through faith alone, then that takes care of itself.

So our message is the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not of orientation. That discussion can take place after conversion, but I don’t know that it takes place before. That’s where I think a lot of guys get themselves into trouble. Our hope is transformed hearts that lead to transformed lives. It doesn’t work the other way. Transformed lives don’t lead to transformed hearts. Are you trackin’ with that?

earthstranger:

kschlabaugh:

This is pretty great! Even though it sucks being single right now, I know it will all be worth it in the end! So STOKED to see who God’s got in store for me! It’s all in God’s perfect timing.  

AMAZING!!!

150 days from now I marry my beloved. I hope it is half the celebration that this wedding was. 

(Source: mulberryoak)