There is a huge life-and-death difference between religion and grace. Religion focuses primarily on us and how we live. Religion, in this sense, is not about God at all. It’s about me and what I should do (or shouldn’t do). It’s about my performance, my obedience, my faithfulness, my potential, my strength, my improvement, and so on. Religion’s main message is our need to do more, try harder, get better, and climb higher for God. It makes faith all about earning and deserving and getting paid handsomely for a job well-done. It has no room for failure and weakness. It may give lip service to
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