week 4 questions 8 (pages 64-65)
we are to read pages 69-70 in our book Truefaced Experience.
Write down ways you can tell when you are in an environment of grace.
A grace filled environment is one in which people realize you could do better but for some reason, maybe beyond their understanding, you do not. Yet they respond to you as though you did do the right thing after all.
What is it that gives us the confidence to approach a holy God in our unholy state? (See Hebrews 4:16)
The fact that He says He wants us to draw nigh unto Him. I know there is no way that I can ever be holy as He is holy, (in my own strength) , yet I accept that He gives me the benefits of being holy and approach Him.
What is it that gives us the confidence to remove our masks before Him? (see 2 Corinthians 3:18)
To know that His likeness is transformed to us as we come before Him in an unhidden state. We must be open to His Holy Spirit. It says it plainly to me here. If I think I earn His presence by doing some good thing , I surely quench the Spirit. It is after this meeting of the Spirit that we are able to do good, not before.

week 4 questions 7 (cont.) page 63
Pages 65-66 in the book Truefaced Experience gives an analogy of talking to God across a lake. How does that "lake" describe your present realitites ?
In the story "the lake" represents "my sin". The truth is that I can not make the sin go away. It is there. It is suppose to be gone, no, it is that I have been given the same privileges as if my sin was gone, because what Jesus did on the cross for me, is my righteousness.
I want my sin to go away.
I realize I can not make it go away.
I want my sin to go away.
I do not want to continue to sin.
Not because I am worried about whether God will still like me or not.
I want my sin to go away.
It is still there. It is less there than it was, but it is still there. Sin that is less there is bumping into sin I did not know was there. So now a whole big pot hole of sin has to be blotted out. And before it can happen, I have to remain faithful.
That is, remain to have faith, in that it is Jesus Who died on the cross for my sins. Not that any work I can do will help remove this sin.
I must trust God that I am who He says I am. It feels like patience. It feels like , I must have patience. The truth is, I must have trust. I must trust God, these next 5 minutes, I must trust God , this next hour, I must trust God, through the night and when I wake up in the morning, the plan is , to trust God. I trust Him to work on my sin issues. I trust Him to be somehow removing this filthy cesspool of sin . At the same time I want to accept, that it is okay to enjoy the same benefits as one who has no sin. This is what Jesus did for me. He sinned not so that I could be treated as good as Him.
What great love He has for us.