A quote from my Uncle, Eric Peterman, who puts things in a way I can really enjoy and understand them:

The essence of religion (and there are all colors) is to avoid the necessity of actual grace by contriving means by which I avoid offending God and by which I please God. In short, in that view I try to out-Grace God.

Grace needs to be amazing.  So amazing that we’re in awe of it.  If we try to live the Christian life without ‘using’ Grace we miss the point that it is the very life system by which we operate.