As someone who’s confessed to being a “grace-addict” on numerous occasions, there are certain questions and cautions that you hear a lot. It’s so difficult to get the Pharisee out of people that at the first hint of unmerited favor they pounce, wanting to be caveats and provisos where God has put a blank check. Such misunderstanding of grace is normal — it’s natural for us to want to justify ourselves by our works. As seasoned do-it-yourselfers, we baulk at grace and cling to our bootstraps. Which is why the message of grace is so important.