Stay Salty | Living by Grace or Achievement

Christians talk a lot about God’s grace, but we less often talk about what is sometimes called the scandal of grace. When we really get the concept of grace, we’re going to actually be offended. It steps on the toes of what we think is right or wrong. For people who are used at deserving or achieving all they get, grace can be a real stumbling block, and our ego can even convince us to say no to it. In this message, using 2 Kings 5 and the story of a highly competent, rich and well-connected general named Naaman who desperately was looking for a cure for his leprosy, Pastor Joel explains why grace challenges the deeply held beliefs we have about ourselves, and how in allowing it to offend us God is actually trying to heal us of a spiritual disease we all have. It’s a spiritual leprosy, we could call it, using the story of Naaman as an allegory for our sinful arrogance. This is a message for everyone, but especially those who really struggle with perfectionism and achievement.