Galatians 5:2-6
Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
In the OT it was a requirement for all men within the Israelite community to be circumcised. Jesus was circumcised and Paul was too. The issue is not with circumcision but with what following religion leads too. it leads to being alienated from Jesus. The greatest threat to grace-living is religion-honoring.
We don't look at grace-living as a life or death issue but it really is. Once I allow religion to start playing a role in my relationship with God I begin to feel that I don't need His grace. I start looking at my goodness like the Pharisees. When I live as though I don't need God's grace I take God out of my worship, my prayer life, the intent of my reading and understanding Scripture.
People that are religion focused point out the faults in others without remembering that they need, and still need, God's grace. The grace we've received is not a badge to wear to show how holy we are. If anything grace does quite the opposite it points out that I am like everyone else; in need of a Savior.
Hebrew 12:4
In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
I don't know anyone who has ever hated their own sin to the point that they were willing to shed their own blood for it. In the OT countless animals were killed for mankind's mistakes. Then Jesus the perfect Son of God came as the last and final sacrifice so that we could live. Still we have yet to shed our own. It is so easy to point out the sin in others and ignore the secret battle raging inside one's own soul.
What Jesus did so long ago was to shatter religions death grip on humanity. You can read of His criticism towards the religious leaders and teachers of His day in Matthew 23. One of my favorite, if I can call it that, is this verse.
Matthew 23:15
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
They made people fear their religious power rather than let them experience the redemptive freedom of God's grace.
When dying on the cross Jesus completed God's plan to have a personal relationship with His creation that He had missed since Adam and Eve.
Matthew 27:50-51
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He gave up His spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.
God is tired of religious hearts. He doesn't need any more bad press. God was tired of playing hide and seek with His children. He could now make Himself known to each one who sought after Him.
God wants people to realize that they can accomplish nothing outside of His grace and freely live as though their life depended on it.
Every part of your life needs to be dependent on God's grace. Without it your life in Christ will fade to just religion.
Showing posts with label grace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grace. Show all posts
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
The Grace Scandal: No Right to Be Ungracious
Matthew 18:21-35 contains the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant that was in response to Peter's question, "How many times shall I forgive my brother?" A servant in this parable was forgiven of a tremendous debt he owed his master only to turn around and have an argument with another servant who owed him very little. When the master heard about this he became angry with the servant and had him thrown in prison until he could pay back what he owed.
In The Grace Scandal: Grace Abuse I said that we are not meant to keep a count of peoples' sins against us. Here is why:
Our debt to God far outweighs the debt any man can owe us; and God forgave us of it all.
What if you've been abused mentally, emotionally, physically, and/or spiritually?
You still need to give grace.
Our actions toward others should always reflect the grace that we've been given. Not one of us is worthy before God without His grace. So we do not have the right to be ungracious.
What about people who take advantage of you?
It's not about playing dumb to peoples' actions but not allowing their influence in your life. If you know a person is abusive than that person needs to have limited access into your life. You have been given a brain so respond with intelligence and act with grace. Honestly, what rights do you really have? If your life is lived in Christ what can people rob you of here?
Matthew 6:14-15
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
That is one of the toughest and pointed statements about forgiveness I believe in Scripture. It clearly says that my forgiveness depends on if I'm forgiving.
That servant should have been very generous toward his friends. He should have forgiven every single debt that his fellow servants owed him. This is a major fault within the church where we received our righteousness from God and so think, whether intentionally or unintentionally, that we are better than the sinners around us. We don't have a special place in God's eyes that isn't offered to every person.
So in our search sometimes to find fault with others so we can feel better about our own faults we become angry and bitter towards those who have hurt us. It's easy to forgive someone of something insignificant; but those who leave wounds that cut deep are rarely easily forgiven. The forgiveness we're meant to show is toward all.
Matthew 5:43-48
You have heard that it was said, "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
She was 9 years old when her small village had a napalm bomb dropped on it during the Vietnam War. This picture shows her running down the street naked because the clothes she was wearing had burned off. She had to have 17 different operations. She was angry and bitter towards those who caused her such suffering. She envied those who were "normal".
At age 19 she became a Christian. When she read the words "Love your enemies" she didn't know how. It didn't happen over night. She eventually learned to count her blessings instead of thinking negative thoughts:
Don't hold a grudge.
Don't be bitter.
Don't live in anger.
Don't let the sins of others be the thing that prevents freedom and grace in your life. You must show grace because you've been shown grace. You have no right not to.
In The Grace Scandal: Grace Abuse I said that we are not meant to keep a count of peoples' sins against us. Here is why:
Our debt to God far outweighs the debt any man can owe us; and God forgave us of it all.
What if you've been abused mentally, emotionally, physically, and/or spiritually?
You still need to give grace.
Our actions toward others should always reflect the grace that we've been given. Not one of us is worthy before God without His grace. So we do not have the right to be ungracious.
What about people who take advantage of you?
It's not about playing dumb to peoples' actions but not allowing their influence in your life. If you know a person is abusive than that person needs to have limited access into your life. You have been given a brain so respond with intelligence and act with grace. Honestly, what rights do you really have? If your life is lived in Christ what can people rob you of here?
Matthew 6:14-15
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
That is one of the toughest and pointed statements about forgiveness I believe in Scripture. It clearly says that my forgiveness depends on if I'm forgiving.
That servant should have been very generous toward his friends. He should have forgiven every single debt that his fellow servants owed him. This is a major fault within the church where we received our righteousness from God and so think, whether intentionally or unintentionally, that we are better than the sinners around us. We don't have a special place in God's eyes that isn't offered to every person.
So in our search sometimes to find fault with others so we can feel better about our own faults we become angry and bitter towards those who have hurt us. It's easy to forgive someone of something insignificant; but those who leave wounds that cut deep are rarely easily forgiven. The forgiveness we're meant to show is toward all.
Matthew 5:43-48
You have heard that it was said, "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
The Kim Phuc Story (pronounced "fook") is an amazing story about forgiveness. You may not remember her name but you probably have seen this picture of her:
She was 9 years old when her small village had a napalm bomb dropped on it during the Vietnam War. This picture shows her running down the street naked because the clothes she was wearing had burned off. She had to have 17 different operations. She was angry and bitter towards those who caused her such suffering. She envied those who were "normal".
At age 19 she became a Christian. When she read the words "Love your enemies" she didn't know how. It didn't happen over night. She eventually learned to count her blessings instead of thinking negative thoughts:
"Why did I get the scars?", "Why did I get burned in the fire?", I thought, "Kim your face and your hands are fine; and your feet weren't burned! You were able to run out of that fire and live!"Kim went through hellacious pain and agony and carries quite literally the scars of her past. She could easily use them to remind her of the evil of those that did this to her. But instead those scars remind her that her freedom comes when she forgives.
Don't hold a grudge.
Don't be bitter.
Don't live in anger.
Don't let the sins of others be the thing that prevents freedom and grace in your life. You must show grace because you've been shown grace. You have no right not to.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The Grace Scandal: Grace Abuse
Matthew 18:21-22
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked,"Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins agains me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
The idea behind this scripture is that we, mere humans, aren't meant to keep count of a person's sin against us. So if that is the standard that Jesus made for us humans by all means God's standard is greater.
If God's grace is limitless can I abuse it?
A human life is filled with many stories. Some of those stories are completely joyful and wonderful. Like the story of when a man and woman marry. However, in every human life there are some stories that we wish we had never encountered. Many of those stories bare a cold and dreary question; can God forgive me, can God forgive what I have done, can God forgive what I'm about to do?
And these are the questions of the ages. The truthful and simple answer is, yes. God can and will forgive. Because we're all jacked up Jesus had to be raised up. Ever since then we can find forgiveness from God every day, all day, and till our vary last day. God's grace is meant to be abused. We shrink at that thought but God wants us to run to Him instead of away from Him because of our sin.
Because God's grace can be abused doesn't mean it should.
The problem we have is that we confuse overlooking and forgiving. Overlooking sin is simply ignoring it or treating it as ok. That is not what grace does. Forgiveness, on the other hand, needs to be accepted and that acceptance requires a change in my relation to that sin.
Romans 6:1-2
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
When we ask, "Can God forgive me," do we really want that forgiveness if it requires repentance?
Grace pushes us towards repentance. Grace that is followed through with repentance makes me free. Grace that is misunderstood makes me fear. When I abuse God's grace I constantly worry if God will truly forgive my sin.
What we go through to commit sin breaks our relationship with God. And because of that we change; and there is no guarantee that we will ever come back to God.
See many people in these situations who abuse grace and when they are confronted about their actions say, "Only God can judge me." God is the judge but the reality is that they wouldn't want Him to judge them at that moment.
Romans 6:14
For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
None of us are sinless but grace should cause us to sin less not more. God's grace dictates that I can sin and He'll still love me but my love for Him and His grace towards me should prompt me not to sin.
A sinner sins; it's their nature. Sin is not a choice. Even their good deeds are sin based. But for a Christian sin is a choice. A Christian who is not struggling with sin but is addicted to it says, "I have more faith in the power of sin than the power of Christ's sacrifice." And I would have to wonder about the genuineness of their salvation.
At the heart of this issue isn't can I abuse God's grace but why would I. The closer I come to the Light of the World the more evident becomes my need for His grace. The closer I come to Him the more I am in love with Him and would hate to cause anything to come between us.
Are you asking, Can God forgive my sin? Yes.
Can I abuse God's grace and be forgiven? Yes.
Should I? No.
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked,"Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins agains me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
The idea behind this scripture is that we, mere humans, aren't meant to keep count of a person's sin against us. So if that is the standard that Jesus made for us humans by all means God's standard is greater.
If God's grace is limitless can I abuse it?
A human life is filled with many stories. Some of those stories are completely joyful and wonderful. Like the story of when a man and woman marry. However, in every human life there are some stories that we wish we had never encountered. Many of those stories bare a cold and dreary question; can God forgive me, can God forgive what I have done, can God forgive what I'm about to do?
And these are the questions of the ages. The truthful and simple answer is, yes. God can and will forgive. Because we're all jacked up Jesus had to be raised up. Ever since then we can find forgiveness from God every day, all day, and till our vary last day. God's grace is meant to be abused. We shrink at that thought but God wants us to run to Him instead of away from Him because of our sin.
Because God's grace can be abused doesn't mean it should.
The problem we have is that we confuse overlooking and forgiving. Overlooking sin is simply ignoring it or treating it as ok. That is not what grace does. Forgiveness, on the other hand, needs to be accepted and that acceptance requires a change in my relation to that sin.
Romans 6:1-2
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
When we ask, "Can God forgive me," do we really want that forgiveness if it requires repentance?
Grace pushes us towards repentance. Grace that is followed through with repentance makes me free. Grace that is misunderstood makes me fear. When I abuse God's grace I constantly worry if God will truly forgive my sin.
What we go through to commit sin breaks our relationship with God. And because of that we change; and there is no guarantee that we will ever come back to God.
See many people in these situations who abuse grace and when they are confronted about their actions say, "Only God can judge me." God is the judge but the reality is that they wouldn't want Him to judge them at that moment.
Romans 6:14
For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
None of us are sinless but grace should cause us to sin less not more. God's grace dictates that I can sin and He'll still love me but my love for Him and His grace towards me should prompt me not to sin.
A sinner sins; it's their nature. Sin is not a choice. Even their good deeds are sin based. But for a Christian sin is a choice. A Christian who is not struggling with sin but is addicted to it says, "I have more faith in the power of sin than the power of Christ's sacrifice." And I would have to wonder about the genuineness of their salvation.
At the heart of this issue isn't can I abuse God's grace but why would I. The closer I come to the Light of the World the more evident becomes my need for His grace. The closer I come to Him the more I am in love with Him and would hate to cause anything to come between us.
Are you asking, Can God forgive my sin? Yes.
Can I abuse God's grace and be forgiven? Yes.
Should I? No.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
The Grace Scandal: You Never Give Up On Me
Romans 8:35, 38-39
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The amazing implications of Romans 8:35, 38-39 is that you cannot out-sin God's love.
God never gives up on us.
This portion of Scripture is well known almost to the point that familiarity has lessened it. But the reality of Jesus' life on earth proves that He will never give up on us.
John 1:10-11
[Jesus] was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.
The very people that Jesus was coming to show His love and grace to rejected Him. He gave them life and they spit in His face. At any moment Jesus could have said,
"I'm tired of the disrespect. I quit! I've had enough; if they are going to act like this than so be it! To hell with them all."
But He didn't.
His love remained through all the hatred, all the conspiracy, all the way to the cross. If He didn't give up then He won't give up on you now.
While hanging of the cross Jesus showed His love for all mankind (Luke 23:33-35). I believe Jesus would have hugged the Roman soldiers as they beat Him and nailed Him to the cross. So I seriously doubt that what I do right now would make Him give up on me.
Luke 15 contains three parables that illustrate God going after something that had been lost. The Shepherd left 99 sheep to go looking for the 1 that was lost. The Woman with 10 silver coins loses 1 and does some spring cleaning to find it. The Father whose son left with his inheritance to squander it on the world's pleasures only to return back home with nothing and starving. Following each story of the lost being found there is a great celebration not condemnation.
The Shepherd and the Woman in these stories went searching for what was lost. The Father waited for the son to return. He waited patiently and still looked for his son hoping one day he would return home. Understand this the father loved his son so much that he allowed the son to do with his life as he chose. But once the son's journey brought him back to the father; the father ran to him.
The reality is that we quit on God; not the other way around. Don't get that twisted.
If one Christian wrongs a person, from that point on all Christians are hypocrites and God is fake. But for some reason they miss how many times the world has brought them down because they always retreat to the world. The world lets them do what they want. They give up on God simply because they don't want to deal with the reality of their circumstances. What they don't realize is that God loves them so much that He will allow them to go to hell if that's the course they choose.
There is only one thing that can separate us from God's love and grace and that is SELF; us simply not wanting His love and grace. However, even that won't stop God from loving you and offering you His grace.
I would have written myself off a long time ago. But God went after me. His love found me. His grace was too irresistible. I don't completely know why but He never gave up on me. So I know God won't give up on you.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The amazing implications of Romans 8:35, 38-39 is that you cannot out-sin God's love.
God never gives up on us.
This portion of Scripture is well known almost to the point that familiarity has lessened it. But the reality of Jesus' life on earth proves that He will never give up on us.
John 1:10-11
[Jesus] was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.
The very people that Jesus was coming to show His love and grace to rejected Him. He gave them life and they spit in His face. At any moment Jesus could have said,
"I'm tired of the disrespect. I quit! I've had enough; if they are going to act like this than so be it! To hell with them all."
But He didn't.
His love remained through all the hatred, all the conspiracy, all the way to the cross. If He didn't give up then He won't give up on you now.
While hanging of the cross Jesus showed His love for all mankind (Luke 23:33-35). I believe Jesus would have hugged the Roman soldiers as they beat Him and nailed Him to the cross. So I seriously doubt that what I do right now would make Him give up on me.
Luke 15 contains three parables that illustrate God going after something that had been lost. The Shepherd left 99 sheep to go looking for the 1 that was lost. The Woman with 10 silver coins loses 1 and does some spring cleaning to find it. The Father whose son left with his inheritance to squander it on the world's pleasures only to return back home with nothing and starving. Following each story of the lost being found there is a great celebration not condemnation.
The Shepherd and the Woman in these stories went searching for what was lost. The Father waited for the son to return. He waited patiently and still looked for his son hoping one day he would return home. Understand this the father loved his son so much that he allowed the son to do with his life as he chose. But once the son's journey brought him back to the father; the father ran to him.
The reality is that we quit on God; not the other way around. Don't get that twisted.
If one Christian wrongs a person, from that point on all Christians are hypocrites and God is fake. But for some reason they miss how many times the world has brought them down because they always retreat to the world. The world lets them do what they want. They give up on God simply because they don't want to deal with the reality of their circumstances. What they don't realize is that God loves them so much that He will allow them to go to hell if that's the course they choose.
There is only one thing that can separate us from God's love and grace and that is SELF; us simply not wanting His love and grace. However, even that won't stop God from loving you and offering you His grace.
I would have written myself off a long time ago. But God went after me. His love found me. His grace was too irresistible. I don't completely know why but He never gave up on me. So I know God won't give up on you.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
The Grace Scandal: One Way Love
The Bible college definition of grace is: unmerited or undeserved favor.
What I want us to understand about grace is more than the definition but actually what it is. Grace simply is "one way love". I first heard this tweeted by Pastor Tullian Tchividjian and it is spot on with what God's grace is.
Matthew 15:1-14 talks about an encounter that Jesus had with the religious leaders of His time. They accused Jesus' disciples of not keeping certain traditions. Jesus' reply was that they keep their traditions but squash what God has said to do. Then Jesus quotes Isaiah. In essence saying that they only honored God externally (by doing religious acts and accusing those who didn't) but internally there was no connection with God.
What motivated people in the Old Testament (OT) was guilt. God used guilt in the OT to point out that something had to be done to pay for the sin that was committed. What pointed out the guilt was the Law.
Israel had 613 Laws to follow perfectly for them not to be broken in their lives. Of course no one is perfect. When just one Law was broken by a person then all the Law was broken by that person. So guilt reigned in their lives. Each time they broke a Law they had to DO something to make it right. The Law never says "You are forgiven" only "You are guilty." We desperately need a "Not guilty" verdict.
Religion than can be interpreted as guiltyism. No matter what I do in attempting to be free from my guilt I will fail; going to church, giving money, and doing good deeds will never be good enough. We can never pay this debt. Religion tries to make you feel guilty so that you will DO something to please religion.
Guilt does not equal grace.
Romans 8:3-4
For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in sinful man in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
The word guilt appears in the OT 170 times and in the NT 16 times.
The word grace appears in the OT 11 times and in the NT 116 times.
Motivation by guilt was replaced with a motivation to accept His grace. Rather than focusing on obeying a long list of requirements Jesus emphasized grace; so guilt-oriented religion was replaced by grace-oriented relationship.
Grace is not about doing but about receiving. Jesus already did everything that God required.
Guilt accused us so we needed a sacrifice. A payment was needed for the wrong done. Jesus paid the debt so we wouldn't have to. He did it without humanity even realizing it. That is one way love.
Romans 11:6
And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
The Pharisees were all about rules and traditions. They were grace killers. They looked at the letter of the law. From creation God has desired a relationship with mankind. He constantly walked with Adam and Eve before they sinned. He said that He would raise up a people not a religion from the children of Abraham. So with Jesus' sacrifice God can have a relationship with us once again.
The grace of God is God showing love to a people who really don't deserve it. Nothing we can DO can pay God back for His grace. It's a one way love and God just asks that we accept it before it's too late.
What I want us to understand about grace is more than the definition but actually what it is. Grace simply is "one way love". I first heard this tweeted by Pastor Tullian Tchividjian and it is spot on with what God's grace is.
Matthew 15:1-14 talks about an encounter that Jesus had with the religious leaders of His time. They accused Jesus' disciples of not keeping certain traditions. Jesus' reply was that they keep their traditions but squash what God has said to do. Then Jesus quotes Isaiah. In essence saying that they only honored God externally (by doing religious acts and accusing those who didn't) but internally there was no connection with God.
What motivated people in the Old Testament (OT) was guilt. God used guilt in the OT to point out that something had to be done to pay for the sin that was committed. What pointed out the guilt was the Law.
Israel had 613 Laws to follow perfectly for them not to be broken in their lives. Of course no one is perfect. When just one Law was broken by a person then all the Law was broken by that person. So guilt reigned in their lives. Each time they broke a Law they had to DO something to make it right. The Law never says "You are forgiven" only "You are guilty." We desperately need a "Not guilty" verdict.
Religion than can be interpreted as guiltyism. No matter what I do in attempting to be free from my guilt I will fail; going to church, giving money, and doing good deeds will never be good enough. We can never pay this debt. Religion tries to make you feel guilty so that you will DO something to please religion.
Guilt does not equal grace.
Romans 8:3-4
For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in sinful man in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
The word guilt appears in the OT 170 times and in the NT 16 times.
The word grace appears in the OT 11 times and in the NT 116 times.
Motivation by guilt was replaced with a motivation to accept His grace. Rather than focusing on obeying a long list of requirements Jesus emphasized grace; so guilt-oriented religion was replaced by grace-oriented relationship.
Grace is not about doing but about receiving. Jesus already did everything that God required.
Guilt accused us so we needed a sacrifice. A payment was needed for the wrong done. Jesus paid the debt so we wouldn't have to. He did it without humanity even realizing it. That is one way love.
Romans 11:6
And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
The Pharisees were all about rules and traditions. They were grace killers. They looked at the letter of the law. From creation God has desired a relationship with mankind. He constantly walked with Adam and Eve before they sinned. He said that He would raise up a people not a religion from the children of Abraham. So with Jesus' sacrifice God can have a relationship with us once again.
The grace of God is God showing love to a people who really don't deserve it. Nothing we can DO can pay God back for His grace. It's a one way love and God just asks that we accept it before it's too late.
Friday, March 18, 2011
The Grace Scandal: Who is Really Guilty?
What would you say if you were following a trial of a well-known repeat felon who pleaded "Guilty" to several crimes and the prosecution had a mountain of evidence to prove his guilt; then the judge hands down his verdict of "Not Guilty?"
What would you say?
"That is unjust!"
"The judge must have been paid off!"
"This is outrageous!"
After all the shock is over with and the judge gets the attention of the whispering onlookers in the courtroom he looks at the victim and says, "Guilty."
What would you say?
"Are you kidding me?"
"That is wrong! How can you punish the victim?"
"This is scandalous!"
This of course wouldn't fly in our judicial system but in God's judicial system it happens every time a person accepts God's grace. The criminal goes free because of God's love for them and because of Jesus' willingness to take on the criminal's punishment.
GRACE IS SCANDALOUS!
You may ask, "Can God really forgive..."
The father that lets his drug dealer friend rape his teenage daughter for another fix?
What about the mother who was too tired to fight anymore with her two toddlers so she drowned them?
What about the guy who was molested as a child who now stalks and then molests other children?
What about the terrorist who strapped a bomb to himself and walked into a school and fulfilled his deadly mission by taking the lives of all the innocent children?
What about the abortion doctor?
The homosexual?
Me?
What about me? Is the question we ask. Can God forgive me? What about the sin I battle with every day? Did I mess up too much? Did I out sin the love of God?
Before I can understand grace's greatness I need to understand whom I've offended and the cost of the grace He's giving.
We understand sin in the context of a human problem; the "right and wrong" and the "good and bad" defines those things. Because we discriminate and segregate sin into compartments like "the little white lie" or "it's not hurting anyone."
Psalm 51:4
Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge.
Sin is a human problem in the sense that we humans are born sinful. But the Person that is offended each and every time we sin we don't consider. Some sin has earthly ramifications. All sin has heavenly consequences.
When we sin regularly we tell God that we enjoy earthly pleasures more than Your eternal presence. Yet each time we sin God offers us grace.
God's reply is, "I don't like what you are doing, in fact I hate it, because you put yourself above Me. I love you even though you do this and I want to make it right."
God wants to make it right? But He's the one who has been offended and He's also the one who loves you beyond your sin, beyond the darkness of your past, beyond the sinfulness of your present and beyond the struggles of the future.
Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
The cost was the life of Jesus.
While you and I were functioning in our dysfunction and could care less about the love of God; He loved us regardless. That word "still" gets me. It means that I couldn't get any farther away from God than that. In fact I enjoyed what I was doing; yet He loved me and yet Jesus died in my place.
This amazing love that Jesus has for us is so tremendous. What person could have loved you so much that they decided to take on and endure the full wrath of God so you wouldn't have to? What person went through such tumultuous torture so that one day He could wipe all your tears away?
We have all offended God. Jesus took all of our punishment. All I have to do to receive this grace is admit that I have sinned.
That amazing grace is scandalous!
What would you say?
"That is unjust!"
"The judge must have been paid off!"
"This is outrageous!"
After all the shock is over with and the judge gets the attention of the whispering onlookers in the courtroom he looks at the victim and says, "Guilty."
What would you say?
"Are you kidding me?"
"That is wrong! How can you punish the victim?"
"This is scandalous!"
This of course wouldn't fly in our judicial system but in God's judicial system it happens every time a person accepts God's grace. The criminal goes free because of God's love for them and because of Jesus' willingness to take on the criminal's punishment.
GRACE IS SCANDALOUS!
You may ask, "Can God really forgive..."
The father that lets his drug dealer friend rape his teenage daughter for another fix?
What about the mother who was too tired to fight anymore with her two toddlers so she drowned them?
What about the guy who was molested as a child who now stalks and then molests other children?
What about the terrorist who strapped a bomb to himself and walked into a school and fulfilled his deadly mission by taking the lives of all the innocent children?
What about the abortion doctor?
The homosexual?
Me?
What about me? Is the question we ask. Can God forgive me? What about the sin I battle with every day? Did I mess up too much? Did I out sin the love of God?
Before I can understand grace's greatness I need to understand whom I've offended and the cost of the grace He's giving.
We understand sin in the context of a human problem; the "right and wrong" and the "good and bad" defines those things. Because we discriminate and segregate sin into compartments like "the little white lie" or "it's not hurting anyone."
Psalm 51:4
Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge.
Sin is a human problem in the sense that we humans are born sinful. But the Person that is offended each and every time we sin we don't consider. Some sin has earthly ramifications. All sin has heavenly consequences.
When we sin regularly we tell God that we enjoy earthly pleasures more than Your eternal presence. Yet each time we sin God offers us grace.
God's reply is, "I don't like what you are doing, in fact I hate it, because you put yourself above Me. I love you even though you do this and I want to make it right."
God wants to make it right? But He's the one who has been offended and He's also the one who loves you beyond your sin, beyond the darkness of your past, beyond the sinfulness of your present and beyond the struggles of the future.
Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
The cost was the life of Jesus.
While you and I were functioning in our dysfunction and could care less about the love of God; He loved us regardless. That word "still" gets me. It means that I couldn't get any farther away from God than that. In fact I enjoyed what I was doing; yet He loved me and yet Jesus died in my place.
This amazing love that Jesus has for us is so tremendous. What person could have loved you so much that they decided to take on and endure the full wrath of God so you wouldn't have to? What person went through such tumultuous torture so that one day He could wipe all your tears away?
We have all offended God. Jesus took all of our punishment. All I have to do to receive this grace is admit that I have sinned.
That amazing grace is scandalous!
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