"Grace" Enough Said!

Howdy howdy everyone it’s a new week and I pray this note finds each of you looking forward to the challenges the week presents. Last week I spoke with you about one of the main lessons I feel God has been showing me since leaving on this journey. This week I want to continue by talking about lesson #2. Granted he has shown and taught me so much more but these are the biggies. The continuing theme you might say. Last week was Gods Love I began with that one for two reasons. 1. It’s the first thing he showed me. 2. It’s the basis for everything. God is Love and without love nothing else would be possible. What I want to chat about today is Grace. We all know the word. If you’ve been around the church for any amount of time you know the word is tossed around about as much as any other word. But do we truly recognize the power and meaning of this word? I think we might have an idea of its power when it comes to God extending Grace to us. The more we struggle with sin the more we seem to understand grace. Christ even talks about this in Luke 7: 41-43 (I’ll let you look this one up) but this is not the angle of Grace I want to talk about today. Today I want to talk about the power of us extending Grace to others or maybe even more so the “Literal Destruction” that happens when we don’t live a lifestyle that exemplifies Grace. I doubt anyone would argue that God calls us to extend Grace to others he makes it clear that this is what he expects. Matthew 18:21-34 is the parable of the unforgiving servant. The master forgave the servant of a massive debt yet the servant refused to forgive another for a small debt. The whole thing ends with a stern warning in verse 35 “So my heavenly father also will do to you if each of you from his heart does not forgive his brother his trespasses” Also read Eph 4:31-32 and Col 3:13. It’s clear we are called to forgive as Christ forgave us not begrudgingly. Actually the statement currently stuck in my brain is “If God the creator of this universe, our creator is willing to forgive anyone at anytime for the sin they have committed what gives me the right to even consider holding onto a grudge.”

Now please forgive me for the rest of this. My head is full of 101 things to say and examples to give so I fear the message may get muddled. I’m trying my best to set it clear as I do believe that this is at least for me the most important message God has ever shown me. Certainly the most powerful. In my observation of life and “the church” It seems that not only do we struggle to forgive others of wrongs they have done to us but we also seem to struggle with forgiving people of sins period. We look at people stuck in a lifestyle and set it in our minds that they are beneath us. I’m not going to say we do it on purpose sometimes it’s a lie that is whispered in our ear and we don’t remove it quickly so it begins to sink in. (Please note: I am saying WE so please do not think I am claiming to have it all together. Quite the opposite actually.) I began to process this the first page of the first chapter of the book “What’s so Amazing about Grace”. We see a prostitute confessing that she is so strung out and controlled by her addictions that she has prostituted her daughter two years of age to support her drug habit. She is asked if she’s ever gone to the church for help and her reply haunted me. “I already feel bad enough about myself. Why would I go to the church?” Ouch! Here is Yancey’s next quote “What struck me about my friends story is that women much like the prostitute fled toward Jesus, Not away from him. The worse a person felt about herself the more likely she saw Jesus as a refuge. Has the church lost that gift? Evidently the down and out, who flocked to Jesus when he lived on earth, no longer feel welcome among his followers.” Again OUCH! I read that and it was as if someone had punched me in the gut. I knew that statement was true. But then I went on to think about those in the church. Surely we treat them with love, respect and grace. Or do we? Let me ask you a question. If you stumble, lets say you’re single you go out on a Friday night drink too much and find yourself in the middle of a one night stand. Do you tell anyone from your church or do you hide it? You’re married and have an affair. Do you keep it hidden? You’re an alcoholic and fall off the wagon. Do you feel free to talk about it? Do you share your struggles with pornography? You struggle with Jealousy? “Larry just because we’re slow to talk about our mistakes doesn’t mean the church won’t accept us.” You may be right, but the fact of the matter is. We have all heard or participated in gossip about others. “If they chat about them what will they say about me?” Gossip is not showing Grace. We are quick to confront but slow to offer help. I’ve known people caught in sin struggling to get out and because it was an “A” level sin their friends turned their backs on them. The church cut them out of the ministry they were involved in without offering a plan for reengagement or offering help in the process of reconciliation. Now I’m not saying we are broken. I’m not saying we don’t do some things right. Some people are pretty good at this thing we call Grace. I am saying that we need to err on the side of love whenever possible. Our check to see if we are getting closer to Grace is “Do others feel safe confiding in me?” When is the last time someone came to you in confidence? If it’s been awhile ask yourself why. Are you too busy to listen? Have you participated in Gossip? How do you respond to those that “Don’t fit in”?

Please don’t just read this and say “It doesn’t pertain to me” or “I’ll get to this later on” it is important that we recognize the area’s in our life that we don’t model Grace and learn to make the adjustments, that we go to God and begin asking him to give us his eyes so we can view others not through our tainted glasses but through Gods perfect eyes. This is literally a matter of life and death for many. How many suicides happen because “I’m to ashamed to face anyone”, How many leave the church and turn from God because “I can’t measure up to the standards” I know this may be hard to believe but I am a stubborn person. I may plan on apologizing to someone because I know it’s the right thing but then I’m told by another “You need to apologize” Suddenly I don’t want to apologize. But if in love I’m asked “Have you thought about telling so and so you’re sorry?” It’s not so offensive and I do it. How many others are holding onto anger or unwilling to repent because of our lack of Grace? I heard a stat the other day that just blew me away. I had already been processing the dangers of un-grace when I heard this and went yep if this doesn’t drive the point home nothing will. Did you know that eighty percent of those getting abortions today claim to be “Church Goers”? Now I realize this doesn’t mean they all claim to be Christians or that all of them have a great understanding of scripture but it does mean that 80% have the option of talking to more than just Planned Parenthood. I know that shame is not the only reason for abortion. But if eighty percent attend church then I think it’s safe to assume the majority are getting an abortion because they don’t want anyone to know they had gotten pregnant. But lets assume I’m wrong for a moment. Forget all about the reason for an abortion. How many women have come to you and admitted they had an abortion? How many men have confessed urging their girlfriend to get one? If eighty percent attend church odds are you are friends with someone that has. We know God still loves them. Hopefully they know God still loves them. Can they go to you and know you will still love them?

Here’s the thing. I can continue to come up with example after example of why we need to show Grace and where we need to show Grace and how we can show Grace. After I’ve given all the examples I can think of you could chime in with just as many that I hadn’t thought of. Yes there are many examples and studies that show some will never go public with their faults no matter how open and loving we are. Others will always look for reasons to fault us as “The Church” But that shouldn’t stop us from doing everything possible to model Grace. Once upon a time those struggling with life came to Christ we are his church, his family, his representatives, we need to do what we can to make them comfortable with us as well and trust the Spirit to fill in the blanks. Once we do the hospitals won’t be as busy, more will live longer lives, more will live happier lives, the church will be closer to unity, Christ will be lifted higher, and Heaven will be busier.

I know this is all easier said than done. I know many of you reading this need to experience Grace before you can share it. You need set free from the shame you are feeling. You can’t believe God can forgive you because you’ve never known what that feels like. Just like last week I’m going to ask you if you haven’t asked for Gods forgiveness and accepted Christ as your savior “ASK FOR IT NOW”. He’s sitting and waiting for you to do it. It may be hard for you to believe but there is a major party waiting to break out in heaven and you are the guest of honor. Now for everyone feeling the shame of unrepentant sin find someone to chat with. Take that step let it out so you can feel the release and experience Grace, God’s Grace! If you don’t have anyone you can trust tell me. Please! If you’re not comfortable then for the time being set up a new e-mail that allows you to be anonymous and tell me. PLEASE! I want you to experience freedom in Christ. I want you to experience the freedom that God has given all of us.

I know I’ve pretty much wrapped this up but I feel the need to clarify a little of what I’ve said. Possibly a bit from a paranoia stand point. I am spelling out an incredible need for Grace I’m not saying everyone reading this is a judgmental bigot. Lets assume you are a “Grace Giver” No one since the days of Christ is as filled with grace as you. All I’m saying is you still have two area’s to be aware of. 1. Until we can match the Grace of Christ we still have a ways to go. (He offered Grace before we ever asked for it. Romans 5:8) 2. Satan is working overtime to make sure others don’t see Gods Grace. We need to work overtime to be sure they know it’s available.

I love you guys. Have a great week and as always. Lets live it “UPSIDE DOWN”