Nov 3, 2022
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"See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” —Hebrews 12:15 (NIV)
“Grace is not blind. It sees the hurt full well. But grace chooses to see God's forgiveness even more. It refuses to let hurts poison the heart. Where grace is lacking, bitterness abounds. Where grace abounds, forgiveness grows.” —Max Lucado
The Church Is for the Rapist and the Molester
Earlier this week while I was praying, these words came out of my mouth:
"The church is for the rapist and the molester."
I know that's a difficult statement. Those who know me may be shocked that I'm even writing it.
When those words first left my lips, my flesh cringed for a moment. But as I continued to pray, my spirit rejoiced. I've been asking God to help me see people the way Jesus sees them and to think the way Jesus thinks.
As I reflected on that statement, I realized why my spirit rejoiced: I had stopped placing limits on God's grace.
Who are we to decide who God can or cannot reach?
At the same time, I was reading Romans 1:18-32. Often, homosexuality becomes the focal point of these conversations because it is one of the sins listed in that passage. Let me be clear: the Bible calls believers to hate sin, not people. But Romans 1 does not isolate homosexuality from every other sin. In the same chapter, Paul also addresses fornication, greed, envy, deceit, gossip, slander, arrogance, and many other sins.
Sin is sin.
As I continued reading, I moved into Romans 2:1-4. Paul warns against hypocritical judgment. I understand this to mean that a person who is actively gossiping while condemning a fornicator is standing on dangerous ground. The gossiper is living in sin just as surely as the fornicator.
However, if we keep reading, Romans 2:2 says:
"And we know that the judgment of God falls justly and in accordance with truth on those who practice such things."
That verse challenged me.
God's judgment is not based on our opinions, preferences, or personal rankings of sin. It is based on truth.
The message of Romans is not that sin doesn't matter. The message is that none of us are righteous apart from God's grace. Romans 1 reveals humanity's sinfulness. Romans 2 warns us against hypocrisy. Romans 3 concludes that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
That means the church is for the rapist. The church is for the molester. The church is for the homosexual, the adulterer, the addict, the liar, the gossiper, and the thief.
The church is for sinners.
But the gospel is not, "Come as you are and stay as you are."
The gospel is, "Come as you are and allow Christ to transform you."
God's grace reaches further than we often imagine, but His grace also calls us to repentance. We cannot afford to minimize sin, nor can we afford to limit God's mercy.
The same God who can save me can save anyone.
And if I truly want the heart of Jesus, then I must leave room for the possibility that God's grace can reach the very people my flesh struggles to forgive.
Except The Lord Build Part 1
“Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it;” This frequently quoted scripture reminds us of the futility of labouring without God’s guidance. While hard work is important and encouraged, this scripture warns that our efforts may be wasted without a foundation rooted in God’s will. We often plan based on the variables we can see, hoping that unforeseen events will not…
GRACE ABOUNDS by Daniel Jeddman
GRACE ABOUNDS by Daniel Jeddman
When God is on your side ANYTHING is possible! If nothing goes nothing comes. Let me tell you of a nice inspirational story. “…There was a woman called Miriam she had 3 sons and 2 daughters but she had divorced her husband. Life was indeed difficult for her but in all she took steps of faith to cater for her 5 children whose ages ranged from 5years old to 19years old. She was a strong…
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GRACE ABOUNDS by Daniel Jeddman
GRACE ABOUNDS by Daniel Jeddman
When God is on your side, ANYTHING is possible! If nothing goes nothing comes. Let me tell you of a nice inspirational story. “…There was a woman called Miriam she had 3 sons and 2 daughters but she had divorced her husband. Life was indeed difficult for her but in all she took steps of faith to cater for her 5 children whose ages ranged from 5years old to 19years old. She was a strong…
View On WordPress
Today I was walking in the supermarket and suddenly I heard a noise of things breaking. I walked down the aisles and saw that some people were murmuring . When I walked down their aisle, I saw a group of people staring at them.
An older lady had hit the shelf containing plates and glasses with her cart and many had fallen to the ground and broken.
Kneeling on the floor embarrassed, the old lady was frantically picking up the shattered pieces, while her husband peeled off the bar code from each broken dish saying:
See!!! Now we will have to pay for all this.
What a sad scene. Someone has a mishap, and all eyes were on her. When I knelt beside her to explain to her not to worry, a young man came and knelt beside us and said:
- Leave it, we will pick this up. Let’s get your information, so you can go to the hospital and have that wound in your hand looked at.
The lady looked at him, embarrassed and said:
- No. But I have to pay for all this.
The young man said:
- No maam, We have insurance for that kind of loss, and you do not have to pay anything.
When the young man got up, I could see that he had the information for the supermarket manager and sent the customer to get checked out.
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For you who have read this so far, I would like you to give me a minute. Wherever you are, close your eyes, and imagine God doing the same for you!
Collect the pieces of your broken heart for all the blows that life has thrown at you. , God will heal all your wounds and I assure you that your sins and mistakes will be forgiven.
There is a warranty called grace, that when you recognize that you were wrong and you accept God as your only savior, the manager of the existence of the universe (GOD) will tell you: "Everything is already paid for ... go on your way, go!
Thank you Lord.
#Grace Abounds - Hillsong Worship #PraiseTheLORD #GODisWithYou #JESUSlovesYOU