This post is written by Mike Brooks and is published as a companion to Unit 6, Session 4 of The Gospel Project for Adults Vol. 2 (Winter 2021-22): From Captivity to the Wilderness.
At the lake near our home, there is a small inlet nicknamed “Sailboat Cove.” The small marina is the perfect location for launching small sailboats, catamarans, and other recreational watercraft. During the summer, residents use the marina for seasonal storage. The gallery of sailboats is a sight to behold. Commanding one of these vessels can be simplified, but mastery over them can be a lifelong pursuit. At base, sailors learn a common vernacular, a collection of shared terms that help make sense of the external conditions, as well as the boat’s equipment and direction. Familiarizing yourself with points of sail, proper knot-tying techniques, and how to manage sail trim will go a long way in keeping a boat pointed in the right direction and its occupants relatively dry. Yet, with all the preparation and work onboard, only one thing can truly make the sailboat go: the wind. Without either the preparation and work of the sailor or the wind guiding the vessel along, sailing would be a miserable and boring experience.
Living a life of godliness is similar to sailing.
Motivated by Grace
While we are freed through the gospel of Christ to live free from the grip of sin, pursuing holiness means making conscious decisions to do what is right in the sight of God. Yet we do not work, in this regard, to earn grace. Rather, we are motivated by the grace we have been given to walk in step toward godliness. Author Dallas Willard puts it this way: “Grace is not opposed to effort; it is opposed to earning.”[1] Elsewhere, Matt Chandler refers to our striving toward holiness as “grace-driven effort.”[2] The two work in tandem: we have been redeemed by God through the blood of Christ; now, the gospel informs and motivates us to strive toward godly living.
Saved by Grace
Perhaps you’ve heard a different version of this message. You have heard that by being good, you are brought into the good graces of God. You buy in to the good feeling you have when you’ve done all you can, thinking this tilts the scale in your favor.
This is contrary to the gospel of Christ. The good works are good, but not savingly so. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9: “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.” Believer, you’re unburdened now; nothing you can offer God will do the trick. Instead, bring your “nothing” to God and, in that moment, find He is your everything.
How have you been trying to earn the good graces of God lately? What does the gospel say is true about you?
Who around you could use a reminder of this grace-oriented good news? Perhaps someone feels down because they’ve struggled yet again with sin. Remind them today of the gospel held out for them.
[1] Dallas Willard, “Live Life to the Full,” Christian Herald (U.K.), April 14, 2001, https://dwillard.org/articles/live-life-to-the-full.
[2] Matt Chandler, “Weapons of Grace,” on Acts29.com, September 10, 2012, https://www.acts29.com/weapons-of-grace/.
Mike Brooks serves as associate editor of For the Church at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is currently a PhD student in Historical Theology at MBTS and a member at Emmaus Church. Mike and his wife, Paige, reside in Kansas City.
