If you talk about grace long enough you will sooner or later run into Christians with a concern about the subject.  My favorite objection to an emphasis on grace comes up from time to time and it goes something like this…”If all you talk about is grace people will lose all sense of duty and run amuck.”  In fact, virtually the only time I ever hear the word “amuck” is when someone is objecting to my talking about grace.  Eventually, just to be sure I was hearing correctly, I looked up the definition of “amuck” and found it to be “to run about wildly in a murderous frenzy.”  Huh?  Grace causes people to do that?

But I understand the concern.  Every descriptive passage of what the Christian life actually looks like seems to be full of things we “ought to” do.  And Paul, the all-time grace champion, gives us more of them than anyone.  What is more telling, he speaks of such things in his own life.  For example, in Romans 1:14 he says “I am under obligation both to the Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and the foolish.”

And he is not alone.  Listen to Jeremiah in 20:9 of his book.  “But if I say ‘I will not remember Him or speak any more in His name.’ then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot endure it.”  Even Jesus, as He went to Jerusalem and the cross, relentlessly moved ahead of His disciples, driven to go.  These verses make one thing clear, even in a grace-centered life, duty and obligation exist.

So how do we resolve the grace/duty dilemma?  How can we live a grace-based life and still recognize that there are some things we “ought to” do?  For me it starts by grasping that grace and duty are not either/or choices.  You can have both in your life.  In fact, if you look closely at the passages above you can see the core truth, duty flows from grace.  Had they not received grace from God, neither Paul nor Jeremiah would feel the duty they do. 

Pastors have taught the duties that flow from grace for generations.  And they always struggle with a core reality in that teaching; you simply cannot impose on, or impart to, another that sense of grace/duty.  All you can do is teach it and, hopefully, illustrate it in your life. 

But the temptation is always there for them to turn the duties into law, a deadly but understandable mistake.  I have never met a pastor who did not earnestly desire the fullness of the Christian grace walk for his people.  I’ve seen their hearts ache and break when they feel they are failing in this effort.  Is it any wonder that they sometimes resort to a technique we’ve all learned from our mothers…a little “ought to” guilt goes a long way.  When I pray for our pastor, or any pastor, this perpetual, near- universal heartache they share is always the center of my prayers.

Grace, properly taught, will describe our duties in Christ.  Grace, properly witnessed, will inspire our hearts to want these duties.  Grace, properly received, will empower these duties.  When Peggy and I set our hearts to learn, witness and receive this grace, amazingly, we ended up on the mission field.  We didn’t start by saying “We ought to go into missions.  Let’s see how we can get there.”  But as we went along the “ought to” of missions in our hearts sent us overseas.

Where will your grace walk take you?  It may not be to Sri Lanka, as ours did, but isn’t it exciting to know that grace-inspired duty will lead you to someplace you never dreamed you’d end up?  It may take you no further than to church every Sunday.  But don’t be afraid to take the grace/duty walk.