Thursday, December 20, 2007 6:40 PM
posted by Aric Thorpe

An abundance of grace

Let me start by saying that, as humans, perfection is a difficult estate to attain to. Why do I say perfection? Because it is written, "be perfect for I am perfect." Ultimately that is our goal, perfection, not through our own works but through the person of Christ. We are called to live a life full of the Holy Ghost in righteousness and holiness. The idea of setting aside the works of the flesh and becoming perfected in Christ is a life long journey, and a journey in which we "will make mistakes." As such, we will all at some point or another have to deal with feelings of self-condemnation. I say “self” because it is not that God condemns us (He convicts us) but we often condemn ourselves, not forgiving ourselves of our shortcomings.

To make matters more complicated, within just about every body of believers you will find both purity of religion as well as the self-righteous. I say the latter in a negative context. There are those within all bodies of Christ, some more than others, and I should also mention "in good church bodies" as well, whose faith has become stagnate, whose hearts are bitter, and they are more oriented towards pointing out the faults of others and their own self-righteousness than towards lifting you up as a brother or sister in the Lord and helping you grow. Why do I mention all this? Why do I point out the obstacles of "self-condemnation" and condemnation from the "self-righteous” crowd? I mention these things because of the potential destruction that they can bring upon your life. If this sounds like you, then I have a word in due season for you; "receive an abundance of grace."

Romans 5:17 says, "For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." It is not a mistake that the Bible says those that receive an "abundance of grace... will reign in life through Christ Jesus." I think that the Holy Spirit was trying to convey something very specific through the penmanship of Paul in this passage of scripture. We must not allow ourselves, nor men, nor Satan to hold us back from the abundant resource of grace that is available to us in the person of Christ. We "must" take hold on this revelation if we are to reign in life through Christ!

What good does it do God for you to sit down with your head between your knees after you have already poured out your heart to God in repentance, after you have missed it and confessed your sins? Godly sorrow certain is profitable but sulking, weakening of the knees, crippling of your faith and purpose, what does that profit God, or you? The Bible says that a just man falls seven times, and rises up again (Proverbs 24:16). Consider David, “a man after God’s own heart,” as the Bible refers to him, who murdered a man for his wife. Consider Peter that denied Christ three times after walking with him and hearing the words from his mouth. Consider the apostle Paul, a man who called himself the chief of sinners because he condemned people to death for their faith in Jesus before he himself came to know the Lord Christ. All of these are men that the Bible describes as being just, all of them fell at some point or another and in their own way, and all of them rose up again knowing this, that God is good, full of love, full of mercy and that He wishes to forgive us. David said of Him, “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalms 30:5- KJV).

I encourage you, that when you have missed it, as we all do, or when others that are supposedly your brothers speak de-constructively and condemningly into your life, to receive from the abundance of God’s grace in the person of Jesus Christ.

Memory Verse:

Hebrews 4:15, 16: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”