Biblical Church Begins With Giving Grace To Others

Last time I wrote about how God's grace overwhelms us and cleanses us and makes us whole, and I used the illustration of me knocking my orange juice into the hot tub. It made a big cloud in the water, and an aroma of citrus floated up, and my mistake was very apparent for a few minutes until the cloud of polluted water dissipated under the power of the jets and the filtering system. God's grace and love – demonstrated through Jesus dying on the cross so that our sins might be forgiven – washes away our sins and mistakes, making us whole again and setting things right as we confess our sins to God and ask Him to come and lead us into a healthy and happy life in Him.

What I didn't talk about last time and, after further review, want to talk about this time, is how our sins and mistakes do tend to leave a cloud hanging over our lives and even stink up our relationships with the people around us. Put simply, we are better off if we live according to His commands in the same way as a toddler is better off following the instructions of a loving parent – it is best for him to not eat the dirt or best for her to not play in the street. God, being the loving parent that He is, has set out similar guidelines for how we should live and our lives go better when we follow His instructions.

Don't get me wrong – God is not vindictive when we fail to follow His commands – but while He is quick to forgive us, people are not always as forgiving. In fact, most of us lean towards being downright judgmental and condemning. We see the orange juice in the hot tub or hear the obvious lies or catch someone in the act and our first instinct is to point fingers or accuse people. Their imperfections become labels we stick on their foreheads; they become known for their broken relationships, their addictions, their failed jobs, their own unmet expectations or unfortunate choices.

If we are honest with ourselves, we know that we have all been there on both sides of the pointing fingers at one time or another. We all know how it feels when we have screwed up and everyone is pointing at us and talking behind our backs. And, unfortunately, we all know how it feels to be puffed up and full of ourselves as we point our finger and spread the gossip.

If we're not careful, we can fall into a pattern of being quick to want God's grace and forgiveness for ourselves but slow to extend God's grace and forgiveness to others. We can go to church every Sunday rejoicing in God's love and forgiveness and then go about living our lives the rest of the week without a thought that our co-worker or neighbor might need His grace as well. We see the cloud of impurities hanging around our friend's or acquaintance's life and decide that he or she wouldn't have any interest in receiving God's grace or that God couldn't possibly want or accept that person.

Both of these are lies from the pit of hell – God does love that friend or acquaintance and he or she just might want to have a relationship with God more than you think, especially if you let them know that God loves them and doesn't condemn them. Remember that Jesus died for the sins of the world, including not only yours and mine but also the teenager robbing the liquor store, the woman doing tricks for meth, and the man caught up in a web of adultery, deceit, or greed. Jesus died for all of us, so that we can all find forgiveness and healing in Him, and none of us is disqualified from His grace.

So declare God's love to everyone around you and accept the one standing beside you regardless of the imperfections you might see in his or her life. And if people have hurt or betrayed you, or if their sinful actions or mistakes have caused you bodily harm or loss of property, extend God's grace and mercy to them anyway. Forgive them as Christ has forgiven you. Let God's love fill you to overflowing so that His love and mercy overflows to them.

Hopefully they too will receive God's love and direction for their lives, but if they don't, if they are unrepentant and reject God's love in Christ, you will rest easy knowing that you did what was right and what God wanted you to do. Remember that God doesn't ask us to stay in unhealthy, dangerous, or abusive relationships or situations; He simply asks us to do as Jesus did and share God's love and invite people to follow Him.

Let's pray together today along these lines: “Help me, Lord, to see others as you see them – as people you died for, people that you love and want to turn back towards yourself. Help me not to judge them nor condemn them but to instead offer them life and forgiveness in the name of Jesus. Help me especially with these people and situations that I bring before you now.... (continue praying as you feel led...)

This devotional is authored and published by Randy Brockett. All publishing rights are reserved but readers are encouraged to repost (please include this copyright info) or share his insights with their family, friends, and congregations. For other devotionals by Randy, see www.blesseddisciples.com, dwellinchrist.blogspot.com, and www.discoverbiblicalchurch.com.