Tryin' to keep up

"tryin' to keep up?" John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Let's see which is more appealling, trying to keep a whole bunch of 'rigid laws' or an inexhaustible supply of grace (grace upon grace) and truth. It's not a trick question...and yet, how often do I find myself...trying to be good enough? I think at every person's core...is a burning desire to do right, to do good, to measure up...at least, in the Christian's life, for sure! And so too often (if not always) our feeble attempts come-up short... "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23 That's the "bad" news...but rejoice, for there is really "Good News"! God offers us an inexhaustible supply of grace...The one announced by John the Baptist - Jesus Christ - is the Word made flesh...and Romans 3:22 says... This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe...and vs. 24 says ...and we are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Good news? Indeed....It is open to everyone who will believe. Morris, quoting Moule: “The harlot, the liar, the murderer, are short of it; but so are you. Perhaps they stand at the bottom of a mine, and you on the crest of an Alp; but you are as little able to touch the stars as they.” Everyone falls short, but everyone can be justified freely by His grace. It's too simple isn't it? It's simple and free...and yet I always want to earn it, but can't...Freely is the Greek word dorean. The way this word is used in other New Testament passages helps us understand the word. Matthew 10:8 (Freely you have received, freely give) and Revelation 22:17 (And whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely) show that the word means truly free, not just “cheap” or “discounted.” Perhaps the most striking use of the ancient Greek word dorean is in John 15:25: They hated me without a cause (dorean). Even as there was nothing in Jesus deserving of man’s hatred, so there is nothing in us deserving of justification - all the reasons are in God...God’s mercy alone is the whole glory of our righteousness.  "Thank You Lord, thank You Jesus!"