A scriptural understanding of “grace” leads us to higher standards (surpassing our limitations and exceeding even our abilities), but often it seems that the practical impact of teaching “grace” is to lower the standards for our behavior. What have we been missing?
When Jesus showered grace upon the adulterous woman, rescuing her from being stoned, he nevertheless refused to ignore her sin, commanding her to “go and sin no more.”
But “sin no more” is not a statement of condemnation – it is one of the most powerful statements of grace and hope in the Bible. We don’t need to continue to eat pig slop, because our Father is waiting to eagerly welcome us home. If we refuse to mention “guilt” or “sin,” we may think we are showing grace, but we are actually stealing grace, leaving people to wallow in the mud with the pigs.