“See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many” (Hebrews 12:15).
The grace of God keeps us focused on what He has done for us. To fall short of grace means that we fall back to legalism and focus our lives on our performance while overlooking what God has done. No matter how long we have been Christians we never lose our dependence on the grace of God. Our performance is a result of what He has already done for us.
A consequence of losing sight of God’s grace is that we begin to believe that our salvation is a result of our efforts. When we feel like we aren’t measuring up we can become bitter as if it is somehow God’s fault. Even worse, we can become bitter against those we feel have wronged us. When we understand God’s grace for us we can extend grace to others, remembering that we are to forgive others as God has forgiven us.
One of the great enemies of healthy relationships with others is legalism. Legalists are defiled by judgmental attitudes toward others who don’t meet their standards. That brings trouble on everyone around them. It disrupts the harmony that God wants in His Church.
The best way to be spiritually healthy ourselves, and promote spiritual health in others, is to continue relying on the grace of God. When we experience His grace continually we are best able to pass it on to those around us. That includes those who don’t deserve it. After all, God showed His grace to us when we didn’t deserve it either.
