Salvation cannot be earned. It is the free gift of grace from God through Christ. There is a great pressure release for Christians when they finally understand it's not about performance. Interestingly, though, we also know that 1 John 5:3 says, "In fact, this is love for God: to keep His commands. And His commands are not burdensome ... " It is noteworthy that this verse points out that obedience is one of the principal ways to show love for God. So, to obey is to love.

That truth changes everything because in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says outrageous things about how He expects disciples to act and obey. He says impossible things like, "be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" and "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." So what is to be done with those verses? Too often, the page is just turned to something that feels more comfortable. But why did Jesus say these things unless He meant them? Maybe He expects uncommonly committed obedience? Maybe if the Spirit is allowed to work, that power to obey on a different level can be unlocked.

The Call of Grace considers what it would look like if the words of Jesus's greatest sermon were taken to heart and the Holy Spirit was allowed to grow in us an obedience never known before. Certainly we will never be perfect, but when God looks at sinful people and sees the blood of Jesus, the perfection of Christ takes their place. And when He looks at them, perhaps He sees children who long to obey out of love for Him. The Call of Grace calls for consideration of what it means to obey wildly and out of sincere thankfulness for grace. For this is love for God.