It is not me that works, but Christ in me.

I'm amazed sometimes at how men speak on behalf of God. I hear conservatives bash the liberal media yet many christians use the same tactics. They use some meaningful scripture and give it's reference then right in the middle of a sentence say... "but God says"... I'm interested who gives a person inalienable rights to just determine what the Word of God is saying. Isn't it multifaceted? Haven't you come to a scripture you've read years ago only to find new understanding in that same scripture now? I recently saw this in a blog by a pastor... "God says if you do this... He'll do that" and the principle of obedience became law in his blog. But what of God's mercy.. does this version of 'unconditional love' apply here? Isn't this statement dripping with Legalism.. I thought God's grace was based in His unconditional love and acceptance of us. What about the Goodness of God bringing us to repentance? Sure we take the first step in Salvation but is everything after that based in OUR ability to initiate all the goodness of God or is His Mercy new every morning? His forgiveness Free? Does He withhold from us because WE haven't done something? God is My Father and he longs to give me good gifts and not withold any good thing from me...... regardless of what I can or can't do...hm. His strength is made perfect in my weakness... my inability to do anything that will move His hand. His hand moves because God is Good and Merciful and kind, not because of anything that I do.