God’s grace is the free gift of himself, and in him we know forgiveness. As I have emphasized, everything flows forth from our understanding of salvation and the God who saves. The gospel message entails God’s self-giving to bring us into his own life. Therefore, the Christian life becomes oriented around the idea of communion with God. When forgiveness becomes the central defining feature of salvation, the Christian life tends to become little more than pretending to act like you know you are forgiven.