Yesterday, I introduced the idea of grace with a diagram. We will build on that now, so if you missed it, go back and watch Tuesday’s content.
Grace is the most powerful force in the world, it is what makes Christian faith stand out like a jewel—the world craves it—people are so hungry for grace, often desperate for grace—and grace is there for all people.
Imagine grace in Syria, imagine grace in Iraq, imagine grace in a time of marriage breakdown, in your workplace. Just imagine grace everywhere…grace says there is nothing I can do to make God love me more, there is nothing I can do to make God love me less…how would that change the way people act in our world?
Imagine grace in your life…a fresh start, forgiveness, a relationship with God, and hope for the future. A certain way of life, of obedience to God’s way of living is an important part of this, but as outcome, the thanksgiving for God’s love, rather than a way of earning it in the first place.
We’re invited to practice living in God’s kingdom now. This affects many areas of our lives. It reorders our priorities, views of success, sex and marriage, money and possessions, and the poor. That is a big, loaded list.
From the outside, although it looks strange and different, those who practice living God’s kingdom here and now in these ways find that it’s exactly what they were created for – that they’re living according to the script written for their lives and their world, and it’s a natural fit like none other, even though it’s new and different.
We all want to be free, and so sometimes when we hear about laws, living a certain way, we think someone is trying to control or take away our freedom. But imagine a train, that gets bored running up and down its tracks, and looks at countryside, longing to be “free” of the rails. If it does hop the rails, it will meet with disaster and destruction, not happiness and freedom. A train is not designed for fields, but designed for tracks. A train is never more free than doing what it was designed to do…run on tracks.
It’s the same with humans, we’re designed by creator with a specific way of life. For best results, follow maker’s instructions.”
Question: Have you ever gone off the rails in life, thinking you were enjoying your freedom? What helped you get back on track?
Reminder: Earlier in this series, we saw the importance of reading the Bible together in sync, so our new daily bible readings start today in our mobile app and web site.
Read the Bible in Sync Today
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Will we ever make ourselves sinless and perfect? Not in this life. Our hunger and thirst for righteousness is meant to be ongoing
But this really is God's plan for us. He wants to make us perfect by his Holy Spirit.
We were made for perfection, but gave it up. Like a rebellious child who needs to learn from their own mistakes. But we were in such trouble, we can’t help ourselves out. God intends for us to enjoy his care, kingdom again.
Made it possible by coming to earth as Jesus, the perfect man and perfect God, and destroying the power of sin and death to separate us from him. He's working on perfecting us, to be ready for his return.
He will make us perfect.
Open ourselves to him...ask him to...allow him to.
To do the impossible.
To love our enemies.
To do everything else in the Sermon on the Mount so far!
The underlying truth behind everything he's said is that he intends for us to be perfect.
Become perfect, as your heavenly father is perfect.
Become acceptable to him, to live in his kingdom of heaven.
Back to Day 1: How do you react when you fall short of that standard? One way is to look for help.
Jesus says he is the help we need: “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except through me”.
If you’re finding perfection, fixing yourself, trying to make yourself holy far too challenging, impossible….Jesus says, "Try me!, I’m the way!"
He is the way, and the destination. He will help shape your life move in this direction as well…as long as you are willing to follow him.
Challenge: Go through the last few weeks worth of examples. Anger, Lust, Lying, Retaliation, Loving Enemies. Rate out of 5. Which lowest? Recognize imperfect, and ask God to begin perfecting that area of your life.
