I just the book, Grace is not God's Backup Plan: An Urgent Paraphrase of Paul's Letter to the Romans. It is an amazing book. I have never understood – and I have tried – Romans. What did Paul have in mind? It’s hard for me to translate while I am reading it. Adam Miller, the author, does a good job rewriting Romans. The law brings misery if grace isn’t there to save us. Since you can never keep the whole law (commandments), we become miserable people - trying and trying. Or, we become prideful people if we think we have it down. Neither (frustration or pridefulness) were the reason why the law was put in place. The law is simple all the commandments and covenants that we are to keep.  Because we love Jesus, we strive to keep his commandments.  We love Jesus because He has offered us His Grace. We are under grace.  Our sins are remitted.  His grace motivates us to do better.  To improve. Why do we want to improve? Because we are so grateful that grace (mercy) has satisfied the demands of justice. Since the process of improvement is continual and on-going, we must be justified (perfect in Christ) during the journey. Perfect in Christ or justification means that our sins are overlooked as we continue to exercise faith unto repentance.  And that is what grace does as long as we are humble, walking meekly.

If it is all about Grace then Pride is the grace killer. President Benson was right when he said pride is the universal sin, the great vice. Meekness is strength under control. It is also being merciful, especially when treated poorly, persecuted, etc.. It is knowing that people are coming from their natural man (egoic states of object identification) and permitting yourself to be buffeted.  This is called suffering.  That is power or strength under control. Diminish the natural man (ego) and power and light increase. Meekness is walking in grace. Since, under grace, you have to willing to let everything go, the more things you have, the harder it can be to let it go. You can have things but as soon as materialism and pride sneak in, you fall from grace. Or, you at least have struggle to find grace again.