I LOVE coffee! In fact, I might even have a bit of an inordinate affection for all things java. In the morning, I drink it black, but I love a good latte or cappuccino in the afternoon. Recently, I’ve even grown to love iced coffee, which I once considered an oxymoron. Because of my coffee addiction, I get really excited when I receive a gift card to one of our local coffee shops. That means I can pop in at any time, order my drink of choice, swipe the card, and walk away. I owe nothing because someone else has already paid for my order. But equal to my joy in receiving a gift card is the disappointment of swiping it that final time, only to discover that I have used up all that was credited to me. From now on, I must pay for my own coffee. Is it possible that we have approached the grace of God like it’s a gift card from heaven? It gives us access to God, but there is a fixed amount credited to our account. If this is how we understand God’s grace, then our next failure could mean that we swipe the grace card, but our access is denied. Praise God we can approach the Father because of our position in Christ and not our performance. Through his sacrifice, we have gained unlimited and unconditional access to God; nothing and no one can change that status.