I learned many things from my decisions in life. I would like to share one of them with you now. I want to say here that I am thankful for the Grace of God. Even when we don't seek Him, he still loves us and desires for us to seek and know Him. The Grace of God is a wonderful thing. Grace is undeserving or unmerited favor. The Grace of God is so far reaching that it is sometimes offensive to us. We so often live in a world of wanting people "to get what they deserve." When we see some behaviors that we do not like or that are offensive to us, if we are not careful, we will say or think, "I hope that person gets what they deserve." Friends, I am thankful that God did not give me what I deserve. If he had, I probably would not be alive and I certainly would have no chance of ever being able to be in His presence. But thanks be to God, I don't get what I deserve. I get what He offers and I receive. He offers complete and total restoration and forgiveness. Don't get offended. He offers that to you as well. All you have to do is receive it. But to receive something, you have to at least want it. To want forgiveness, you have to need it. That's because we so often want to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. Much of the Bible is written warning us to not think more highly of ourselves than we ought. There is even a parable which states that those who come in for their wages (of the day) but started much later receive the same wages as those who came in at the beginning of the day and worked longer hours. Doesn't seem fair? That's Grace. Only seems fair if you need it. We all need it. Jesus even warned those who thought they didn't need it to think again. Living in the world and squandering our wealth (as the prodigal son parable so aptly describes) has one beneficial factor if a person comes home again. It fosters an appreciation for Grace. There is a story in the gospels (Luke 7:37-50 for reference) that talks about a woman who had many sins who poured precious perfume and wiped the feet of Jesus with it. The Pharisees (religious people) were offended that this "sinner" was touching Jesus. (offended by grace). They were much more offended when He forgave her of her sins (v48) (offended by grace). He used this time as a teaching lesson for his disciples. He said that anyone who is forgiven little loves little. Anyone who has been forgiven much, loves much. Anyone who KNOWS they need THE GRACE OF GOD will love Jesus MORE. Grace is the attribute of God that offers forgiveness. I remember going to Bible conferences where Pastors and Evangelists would get up in front of the crowd and when they introduced each other, they would say things like, "He has always served the Lord with dignity.....He went to his marriage bed a virgin when so many were living in sin.......He has never wavered from his calling." Yes, I heard all of these things. That's great but you still need grace. It's one thing to say you need it, it's quite another to KNOW you need it. Am I advocating sin? No way. But I am saying that realizing you are truly a sinner who needs grace is a wonderful thing. If we allow Him, God has a way of turning our mistakes (sins) into triumphs. Let me explain with one example: I can praise God with much more clarity and freedom NOW than I could many years ago as a Pastor. Because I am experiencing the True Grace of God, I am thankful for His Greatness and His Wonderful Grace! I've preached on grace many times as a Pastor before I "wandered far away from God" (as the old gospel hymn states) but I know what it truly is more now. Do you want to know who I believe understood the Grace of God more than anyone who has ever lived? The thief on the cross. Talk about coming in late in the day! He received the full days wages just like all the other workers who had worked the entire day! (to borrow from the parable of the workers). That thief doesn't have his fleshly body anymore to hold him back, but if he did, I imagine that his worship in heaven would be more intense and greater than anyone there. He would truly have been praising God for His Grace! Only now he gets to praise Him without the human frailties and limitations.
Father, thank you for your marvelous and matchless Grace!!!
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