God's Grace - How Much Will You Take?

"The god which the vast majority of professing Christians love is looked upon very much like an indulgent old man, who himself has no relish for folly, but leniently winks at the indiscretions of youth. But the Word says, “You hate all who do iniquity (Psalm 5:5). And again, “God is angry with the wicked every day” (Psalm 7:11). But men refuse to believe in this God, and gnash their teeth when His hatred of sin is faithfully pressed upon their attention." - A.W. Pink

Those of us who believe in the God of the Bible as described above know that we have a great need for grace from that God. I have had many conversations over the past weeks and months about God's grace, and not a single person has denied that need. On the contrary, almost everyone has an attitude and accompanying statement that they are indeed thankful for God's Grace. The problem that I have is not the conversation that proceeds from the lips of a Christian to a pastor, but the "conversation" of a Christian in the older sense of the word. Our Conversation, meaning "general behavior", should be worthy of Christ. Phillipians 1:27 commands that conversation (conduct NASB) be worthy of the gospel.

The same Christians who are "grateful for grace" are the very ones who will let their speech be sprinkled with the words of pagans. These recipients of grace have a full grasp on the fact that Jesus paid the price, but seem to miss the explaination of what he purchased with His payment (or don't you know that you were bought with a price - He owns you.) Romans 6 describes the life of every person as slavery - either to sin or to righteousness. How can we profess with our mouth that "Jesus is Lord", and then profess with our life that He has had very little effect on our life.

God's grace is great grace for saving from Hell and to Heaven, but if that is all it is then the Bible lied when it says that we are dead to sin. God's grace is grace for living! I am so glad that God is gracious to me today - because I need that "Living Life Grace" everyday. Though I struggle daily with my flesh, I am thankful that I can see real results of the grace of God in my life.

Caleb, my 10 year old, called me on something the other day. I said something that most people would not even blink at, but he pointed out that it didn't sound like the stuff a Christian should say. I could have barked at him that it is not his place to correct his dad, but his point (though he could not articulate it) was that he was confounded. He wants to be like Jesus and like Dad - but at that moment those two were at odds. He could not figure out how to be like Jesus and like Dad at the same time when Dad wasn't acting like Jesus. When he made this point, I quickly realized what I had said and that it was sin. I repented aloud in front of him and the ones who were present to here the sin. Then I asked each of them to help me be more aware of words that are not Christ honoring by pointing out to me whenever they heard them from me. I believe that this is our job as Christians - to build one another up in the faith.

Don't go too far. We don't want to get out our Evangelical Super Spy Kit and go digging for sin in a brother or sister's life. We also don't want to take our personal convictions about some issue that is "gray" and try to ride herd on the Body of Christ. What we should do, however is to help fellow Christians to be Holy as God is Holy. We have the reponsibility that when we see a brother in sin that we should address it with him - admonish means to correct with a view to change. So if we ask with Cain, "Am I my brother's keeper?", the answer comes from Matthew 18, "Yes, you are."

I am aware that there are many more things that can be said on this matter, and that there must be a balance of Truth in Love. I guess I am just addressing the thing I'm seeing over and over. And I'm putting you on notice - If I consider you my brother, I will come to you with sin in your life. And I expect the same from my brother who loves Christ and me.

Pastor

"The holier a man becomes, the more he mourns over the unholiness which remains in him." -Charles Haddon Spurgeon

"What we mean by salvation is this, deliverance from the love of sin, rescue from the habit of sin, setting free from the desire to sin."-Charles Haddon Spurgeon