There is a children’s song that I used to sing to my two boys when there were young to impart to them and understanding of the difference between living under the law and under grace. I don’t remember who wrote the song, but I do remember that it came out of a church, and it was part of an album called “The New Covenant.” The words of the chorus with the part of the song that I would sing to my sons and have sung to my church a number of times over the years; “Do this and live, the law commands, but gives me neither feet nor hands. A better way His grace does bring; it bids me fly and gives me wings.” Everything the law requires of us in terms of outward performance the law also condemns us because it exposes our inability to produce righteousness even out of sincere, devoted effort. Grace, instead, invites me into participation in the righteous life that Jesus lives from the inside out. Under grace, everything that God demands of me is actually a promise of His performance through me; therefore nothing that God demands of me seems unreasonable to Him since He is the one who does the performing by me. Psalm 52:7 says, “I will cry to God Most High, to God who accomplishes all things for me,” and one of my favorite verses in all the Bible is 1 Thessalonians 5:24 in the King James version; “Faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it.” Whatever in life He calls you to, He is prepared to do it in you and through you. Has he called you to be a husband, wife, father, or mother; then it is He who is prepared to do it through your available humanity. Has He called you to be a missionary, or teacher, or banker, etc., then He is the one who will do it through you as you step-by-step abide in Him as your life, joyfully confident of His adequacy.
