The greatest gift:

This excerpt of my reading was like Whoa-Bam-Pow- Shazaam because I think I've witnessed dozens of "new believers" run from church because of folks that made them guilty about some habitual sin immediately. This was a problem in my teen years, I simply was a sinner, heaven was not available to me I believed. But, oh so graciously God whispered something different, something beautiful happened as I studied for myself... The word justification appeared. "A sovereign act of God in which he declares righteous the believing sinner WHILE STILL in his sinning state." Say what? Come again?! This justified sinner probably hasn't joined the church, probably doesn't pay tithes, probably hasn't been baptized, his life is not spotless, but he has taken the gift of eternal life. "He has changed his mind toward Christ, taken the free gift of God apart from works. Period. Transaction completed...... By grace, through faith alone, God declares this sinner righteous, and from that moment on the justified sinner begins a process of growth toward maturity (sanctification). Day by day, bit by bit, he learns what it means to live a life that honors Christ. But immediately? No way."

-The Grace Awakening

---wow, that is good news, you don't have to have it altogether...