Walking through the house yesterday, I noticed something scurrying across the floor. It was a small pill bug, or more commonly known as a Rollie Pollie…
I don’t like to co-habitat with bugs, rodents and reptiles…
They “bug” me!(no pun intended)
So I decided to do what I typically do when I see a bug.. squash it… However something grabbed my attention… as I began the fierce contest of man against beast, the little Rollie Pollie rolled himself into a protective ball.
How funny that is! Honestly that defensive mechanism is of no use against man!
Irregardless of his actions I could have easily squashed him, and his attempt to survive would have been useless against me
The Rollie Pollie conqueror!
However God began to speak to me, as He often does in the most unique of times… His words were “Look at that bug, and His attempts to survive. What, does he really think he stands a chance? His action is useless… His only hope is GRACE ”
This small analogy quickened my spirit. It brought me back to the realization that we, despite our best attempts, are nothing without Jesus, His cross, and the grace of God.
Who are we to think that we can in some manner find the favor of God by the merits of our own works?
Do we really think as holy as God is, somehow we can be holy enough to impress Him?
That as glorious as He is, and how marvelous His works are, that we can work in such a manner that God says “Whoa, impressive!”?
No way, we are lost!!! We are without hope!!! We are sinners to blind to know better! In fact the bible states:
Rom 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
Rom 5:10 For if while we were ENEMIES we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
See while we were enemies to God, Jesus died for us, because He was our only hope to be reconciled to God. It was grace that saved us, and grace that keeps us!
(Ephesians 1:7) In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace
Hello, Rollie Pollie – there is no salvation without the riches of grace!
Rom 5:15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.
Rom 5:17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
“the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness” 
The abundance of grace? Wow! Don’t you love that?
How hard we have made the gospel. Isn't it amazing what we do in the name of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! We make up rules, we create standards of holiness, theologies of salvation, steps to righteousness! Are we kidding ourselves? We don’t need new revelations on the Godhead, or baptisms or the varieties of end time doctrines… We need a revelation on the term “the abundance of grace”
The Holy Spirit knew this and He inspired the apostle Paul to write:
(Romans 4:13) For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
(Romans 4:14) For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect,
(Romans 4:15) because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.
(Romans 4:16) Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all
According to grace, not but what I have done, who I know, and the works I perform. The only righteousness that we can attain of any heavenly value is the righteousness that comes through Christ, the kind that hides our life in HIM!
What danger is there in thinking that by our legalism we can attain the favor of God!
(Galatians 1:6) I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
(Galatians 1:7) Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
Some assume to have the corner on the market when it comes to the gospel.
Baptismal regeneration
Acts 2:38
Predestination
HA! I see only one gospel mentioned here… The Gospel of Christ, also called the “Grace of Christ” This is the gospel of grace and there is NO OTHER!
Pauls sums it up well
(Galatians 2:20) I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
(Galatians 2:21) I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Silly Rollie Pollie! Gee… kind of hard to squash him now… So I place the little defenseless guy into my hand, I carry him to a safe place… and grant him the freedom He wants… All he needed to live was grace…
Thanks God for the lesson… I’ll try not to be a silly Rollie Pollie…
