Grace - an excuse for laziness?

1Co 15:10  But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. (KJV)

There seems to be an insidious malaise among believers who claim grace for faith and practice. This malaise is also seen in churches where grace is upheld, and preached regularly. And this malaise is that because we are saved by the grace of our LORD Jesus Christ, therefore, we are in rest, His rest. And correctly so, all sense of a life driven by performance seeking and trying to meet God's bar of righteous standards are completed in Christ's finished work on our behalf. We therefore, in Christ, can also rest.

Very sadly, I have come across believers who believe this glorious truth, and who are utterly lacking in commitment, let alone zeal, for Christ, His Name, His kingdom, and His righteousness (Matt 6:33). Some examples of this utter lack of commitment is when they wake up on a glorious Sunday morning, and instead of rousing themselves to attend corporate worship, would rather head to some coffee joint, and enjoy the LORD's Day, with family and friends, at a nearby mall or rest and recreation place.

I come across believers who believe the glorious gospel of grace, and use it as rationale for coming late for gospel commitments such as prayer meetings or ministry meetings. And I have seen believers, in this ultra-modern world of Information Communication and Technology (ICT), who say they believe in this awesome truth, and whilst during gospel meetings, would be busily engrossed in their 'smart' devices (unlike themselves!), whilst matters of the King and His business are discussed!

During worship services, and from the prayers of many, you get the idea that grace seems to be some sort of insurance or rubber-stamp for sins, including future sins. And the truth is that indeed, Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8), and He does save us across time, and yet, I get the sneaky suspicion that believers are using Christ as an excuse for their unwillingness to surrender to His Spirit, who alone can mortify the deeds of the flesh.

From the verse which begins this post, the apostle Paul had a completely different orientation about how grace figures in works. For Paul, grace was the motivator to work harder than all the other apostles. In fact, for Paul, it was the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ which was the power of the Holy Spirit, enabling and empowering him to make known the gospel of Christ to the known Roman world of his time.

So, what's our ridiculous excuse for not showing up where God wants us, and when He wants us? What's our incredibly stupid reasons for not being committed to His cause with zealousness? No wonder there remains a judgement for believers as well, the judgement seat of Christ referred to in Rom 14:10, 2 Cor 5:19, 1 Jn 4:17.

The grace of the LORD Jesus Christ was purchased with an exceedingly great cost, the life of our Savior Himself. We dare not cheapen that grace with our lackadaisical attitudes toward worship and ministry unto the Lamb who was slaughtered for our sin. The great gift and promise of the Father - the Holy Spirit Himself - was given to all who would believe upon the LORD Jesus Christ. How dare we cheapen, quench, and grief the Holy Spirit of God with our utter laziness and refusal to work faithfully, and zealously in His kingdom?