In such great tension I dwell, between the law and grace. This is why I became a methodist in the first place. I could understand Wesley’s view on grace, but also, his need for personal piety. But my struggle is that, I cannot draw my lines. I cannot stay rigid on one side or another.

On one hand, I know that there is grace alone. We are saved by grace alone and it is only the grace given to us by God that we are saved. It is given without merit, without work or without circumstance, the grace is freely given to all who want it and even those who do not. grace reigns down on us all.

But on the other hand (in greek this would of been a men-de). I know that our faith having no works is dead. We need to respond to grace by the works of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This is where holiness comes in. When we experience the salvific grace of Christ, how can we still dwell in sin? I understand, that sin is unescapeble (because of the brokenness of the world) but that does not give a reason to continue to choose to stay in sinning. I advocate for holiness as a response to grace because we are to try to expell the sin from our lives to become more like Christ.

But there is a log in my eye, just as much as a speck in yours. I know this. I understand this. This is why I am called to live in this tension. I knowingly sin, I know that, there are times where I choose wrath over a holy anger, times where I choose injustice over justice, times where I gossip instead of listen. But does the sin on my hands, prevent me from sharing the gospel? Am I right to say, that as I work on my holiness, I should indeed, encourage others? I know that I, need a lot of work on this (because I am perhaps a bit to legalistic), but at the same time, I can not still my tongue from saying that in Christ, we must respond to the grace that is given. It is given without merit, but yet, we are called to allow the Spirit to work through us, to make sanctify us, to make help us become more holy.

In this tension, this is why I am a methodist. I wish it were easier for me. I wish that when I am confronted with the sin of my brothers and sisters in Christ I could just be ‘ok’ with it and just say grace is enough and to let them continue on in what they do. (heck, sometimes, that is how I excuse myself, isn’t that what we all do) But at the same time, I am in tension to the place that God has called me. To call out those in the wrong and to push them forward into becoming more like Christ.  Oh Christian perfection. How you make people disagree with me so much. But then again, I wouldn’t be a methodist if I didn’t believe we were called to be holy people.

(I can hear the voice in the back of my head looming “Isn’t the cross enough” isn’t what Jesus did on the cross enough for our salvation. But I don’t think what I am arguing here is about salvation, what I am arguing (or discussing) is about a lifestyle. Do we choose to live a lifestyle that says that grace allows me to dwell in the sin that is the world or is there a lifestyle that says in respond to the grace given I will do my best to allow the Spirit to make me more like Christ.)