Tim Keller writes, "The gospel devours the very motivation you have for sin. It completely saps your very need and reason to live any way you want. Anyone who insists that the gospel encourages us to sin has simply not understood it yet, nor begun to feel its power."

The Gospel reveals that real living and wholeness of life come from God's love for us and His rescue of the human race through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The essence of sin is trying to draw life, fulfillment, significance, purpose, meaning and destiny from something or someone other than God.

Sin's deceives by intimating that you can use your body, time, money, education, relationships, sexuality,etc. to find meaning, purpose and wholeness in life.

Humanity has acted on this premise, demanding of these aspects of human life & experience things they were never intended to provide. It's no surprise that such attempts ultimately leave one empty, bankrupt, broken & frustrated. The lure is then, "Well, you just have drunk deeply enough. You need another glass of the Koolaid."

The Gospel relieves me, telling me that I no longer have to do "what I want". I can live from a completely different frame of reference...no longer "self" but the God who created my "self"

He knows infinitely better what will make for true living and flourishing. I can be free from being driven by my damaged self (and we all are damaged, be honest here) and can be led by One who knows me fully and loves me unconditionally.

Grace doesn't encourage going my own way. It sets me free from drinking the poison, detoxes me and teaches me daily how to live the new life Jesus Christ gives as a gift to anyone who will believe His love.

Grace even provides the power to actually live from goodness. I quite love what Jesus is doing. I prefer the Gospel to "crawling in the dark looking for the answers."