Sunday, November 7, 2010

Grace



Nothing breaks my heart more than seeing someone “fall” from God and have His people throw them out on the street as if worthless.
Our job as God’s chosen people is to SHOWER grace on all. Grace is NOT conditional. It’s the very essence of who God is and why he sent His son.
Please do not get me wrong and think that I’m trying to excuse sin. True grace does NOT EXCUSE sin, but showers UNENDING love and compassion on the sinner.
Grace does not have a time limit.
Have you ever had a really bad injury and when it happened you didn’t even feel pain? That’s what our sin is like. At first we are numb to our sin and don’t recognize it. It is only when the numbness and shock wears off and the pain sinks in that a person can truly start to heal. You have to be broken in order to be restored. This takes time, so be patient. You can’t fix something that you don’t recognize as broken.
Steps to redemption or a guide to achieving grace makes the person focus on the dos and don’ts. That is not grace, it is probation. It’s like serving time or doing community service. It is not unconditional and free of charge. By putting a stipulation or a checklist on grace it’s saying that Jesus is not enough.
Jesus is MORE than enough.
God made us a promise and that promise is that there is nothing you can or can’t do to make Him turn his back on you. It’s a promise from God sealed through Jesus. As God’s chosen people we must also make a promise that there is nothing someone can or can’t do to make YOU turn your back on them.
In order for someone to be restored and renewed they must be shown grace. Without grace there is no reason for them to change their ways. They don’t see a reason to change if everyone’s still going to hate them anyway. What a sad message we have sent to the church and His people.
Believe me, I am not saying that I am guilt free. I have been conditional with my grace and my love more than I would like to admit.
However, there came a time in my life where all I needed was grace and it was no where to be found. It was conditional. It had a time limit and it showed no compassion. That is not grace from God, that is worldly and the difference is huge.
The second most important commandment in the bible above loving God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength is to love others. Loving others means showing them God’s compassion and grace.
Next time someone disappoints you, sins, or you find yourself judging, please stop yourself. Think about Jesus and what He would do given the situation. Think about grace and forgiveness, the very reason why God sent His son. Put yourself in that persons shoes and think about how you would want someone to treat you had you been the one to fall. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. It is our duty to carry out God’s word to His people.

Blessings,
Nora

5 comments:

  1. Amen! Sometimes this is difficult, but it is the law of Christ...
    lovely words Nora!!!

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  2. Sweet Nora..what an amazing gift this is to me this morning. Grace can be such a buzz word and a word that is so cast aside. Never before has it been broken down in plain english for me, that makes me completely understand the 'who, what, when, where, why' of Grace. I am so blessed by you and your few-and-far-between posts. They have such an impact on me, and furthers my relationship with the Lord.

    I am blessed by YOU!

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  3. everything in this post is so true and well said...It breaks my heart sometimes to see how we treat each other when we should know better... Thank you for posting this!

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  4. Beautiful post. Thank you for stopping by my little corner of blog world. Please send me your email.

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  5. Thank you so much for this post. You have no idea what meaning it has for me right now! I found you through Aubrey's blog, and when I linked over here, I literally paused.

    I know this is going to sound really weird, but your blog and this particular entry, is the 8TH post I have 'stumbled upon' and read in the last 2 days about "Grace". I have been struggling with certain feelings lately and it has never been more clear that God is trying to get my attention. I have asked for answers, and as always, He has delivered. Thank you for your part in that!

    I am inspired and comforted by your blog. Definitely following you, now.

    BTW, my name is Angie. Nice to meet you. :)

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Thanks so much for taking the time to read and give feedback. Your comments brighten my days!