The Work of Grace (Part V)
20/07/08 10:26
For
this final installment on the Grace of God, I have
tried to come up with a really absurd scenario for us
to think about. Can you picture a man giving another
man a fistful of one hundred dollar bills? When the
latter receives the money he immediately throws it
into the fire. The money is gone! The first man gives
him another fistful of dollars and again, the man
throws them into the fire. Or picture another man
holding on to rolls of pennies and refusing the bills
because he doesn’t want to let go of the
pennies. Absurd? Unbelievable? What on earth are
these men thinking? I know that you may be thinking,
“Who on earth would be so foolish?”
In reality there is something more absurd and unbelievable than this. The prophets Isaiah and Jonah make mention of those who forfeit the grace of God. “Though grace is shown to the wicked they do not learn righteousness.” Is.26:10 and again, “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.” Jonah 2:8
The Spirit of God is telling us, through these two men, that there are people who miss the grace of God and forfeit the blessing that could be theirs. No one in their right mind would refuse a fistful of free money and in the same way, no one in their right mind should refuse the free gift of God.
As Christians, we all have received this grace, which brings us unto salvation, and so therefore, it is really only Christians who are in there right mind.
I know what you are thinking, “Hey, I’ve seen some “Christians” who were definitely not in their right mind.” But we need to be careful here for as Paul says, “To one’s own master, a man stands or falls.”
Who are we to judge the grace shown to a man which Christ has apportioned? For example, should we who live in the land of plenty (the grace of God), who are surrounded by mountains of Bibles (the grace of God), with churches on every corner (the grace of God), and are free to express our faith (the grace of God) – should we judge those who haven’t the blessings of this grace.
Should we not think rather, “Since I am afforded all these blessings, I should all the more readily conform to the image of my Savior”?
I know that I am saved by the Blood of the Lamb, but I wonder if I still show evidence of the wickedness of my old nature? For all these graces have been shown to me yet I am still dissatisfied about my spirituality.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m just trying to get us to think here. I have plenty – do I bless God by learning to be generous? I have at least seven different Bible translations – am I student of that Word, searching those scriptures to point out the Living Christ to me? I am free to express my Christianity – do I hold on rather to the things of this world? I don’t want it to be said of me that I forfeited the grace of God or that I missed it all together. The grace of God has appeared to us all. May we spur one another on to holy living that none of us miss it. May the grace of God be with us all.
The Lord bless you this week!
Pastor Jim
In reality there is something more absurd and unbelievable than this. The prophets Isaiah and Jonah make mention of those who forfeit the grace of God. “Though grace is shown to the wicked they do not learn righteousness.” Is.26:10 and again, “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.” Jonah 2:8
The Spirit of God is telling us, through these two men, that there are people who miss the grace of God and forfeit the blessing that could be theirs. No one in their right mind would refuse a fistful of free money and in the same way, no one in their right mind should refuse the free gift of God.
As Christians, we all have received this grace, which brings us unto salvation, and so therefore, it is really only Christians who are in there right mind.
I know what you are thinking, “Hey, I’ve seen some “Christians” who were definitely not in their right mind.” But we need to be careful here for as Paul says, “To one’s own master, a man stands or falls.”
Who are we to judge the grace shown to a man which Christ has apportioned? For example, should we who live in the land of plenty (the grace of God), who are surrounded by mountains of Bibles (the grace of God), with churches on every corner (the grace of God), and are free to express our faith (the grace of God) – should we judge those who haven’t the blessings of this grace.
Should we not think rather, “Since I am afforded all these blessings, I should all the more readily conform to the image of my Savior”?
I know that I am saved by the Blood of the Lamb, but I wonder if I still show evidence of the wickedness of my old nature? For all these graces have been shown to me yet I am still dissatisfied about my spirituality.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m just trying to get us to think here. I have plenty – do I bless God by learning to be generous? I have at least seven different Bible translations – am I student of that Word, searching those scriptures to point out the Living Christ to me? I am free to express my Christianity – do I hold on rather to the things of this world? I don’t want it to be said of me that I forfeited the grace of God or that I missed it all together. The grace of God has appeared to us all. May we spur one another on to holy living that none of us miss it. May the grace of God be with us all.
The Lord bless you this week!
Pastor Jim
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