Post by Zac Loh on Jul 14, 2010 8:00:56 GMT -5
How do we thank God for His grace? Remarkably, the answer is: “Have More Of His Grace!”
God is good all the time. But God is not always happy with how we think, feel, behave or act. He loves us. But He is not happy all the time. I cannot accept the notion that God is the happy-go-lucky type smiling non-stop at everything. Do not believe such misleading version of grace.
Stay in His grace, and He will be happy to give you more of His grace. Grace is real. And grace is living. And grace is definitely much more than a doctrine or concept.
We should never romanticize the liberty of grace to the point - at the cost of God’s happiness. Jesus died once because humanity incurred the anger of God. Jesus is not going to die again, and over and over again. Yes it is absolutely true that when we sinned, we can ask and receive the forgiveness of God. Our God is a forgiving God. But it doesn’t mean that God is happy that we sinned nor is He happy with our sins.
And please don’t say that because of grace, sin doesn’t matter anymore. Don’t entertain the idea that we are to focus only on the forgiveness-and-acceptance of grace and set aside the issue of sin. God loves the sinner. But He doesn’t love sin …which is an understatement really …because God hates sin!
The way to thank God for His grace is more than mere thoughts-and-words. It is to stay in His grace, by obedience, by submission and by surrendering to His leading, His will.
Jesus had done everything so that you can obey, submit and surrender. This also is grace. Jesus has done everything so that you can have this grace.
You don’t have to do anything to deserve God’s grace. But it doesn’t mean you can do anything regardless of God’s nature, character, values, standards and purposes.
You can’t do anything to obtain God’s grace. But it doesn’t mean that God is still smiling when you don’t listen to what He has to say to you.
What kind of grace is that?
“Anything goes” grace means God is no more a person who can exercise His choice over your life. If thus the case, God is no more your God, it is spiritual anarchy.
Did I burst your bubble? Did I tear down your ideal mental picture of God? Did I poke a hole in your otherwise perfect comfy thinking?
Grace-and truth hurts a while. However, when you get over it, grace-and-truth brings a balance and wholeness that which nothing else will.
God disciplines you because you are His child. An unloving or psychotic father might have enjoyed disciplining his child BUT NOT GOD.
God is good all the time. But God is not always happy with how we think, feel, behave or act. He loves us. But He is not happy all the time. I cannot accept the notion that God is the happy-go-lucky type smiling non-stop at everything. Do not believe such misleading version of grace.
Stay in His grace, and He will be happy to give you more of His grace. Grace is real. And grace is living. And grace is definitely much more than a doctrine or concept.
We should never romanticize the liberty of grace to the point - at the cost of God’s happiness. Jesus died once because humanity incurred the anger of God. Jesus is not going to die again, and over and over again. Yes it is absolutely true that when we sinned, we can ask and receive the forgiveness of God. Our God is a forgiving God. But it doesn’t mean that God is happy that we sinned nor is He happy with our sins.
And please don’t say that because of grace, sin doesn’t matter anymore. Don’t entertain the idea that we are to focus only on the forgiveness-and-acceptance of grace and set aside the issue of sin. God loves the sinner. But He doesn’t love sin …which is an understatement really …because God hates sin!
The way to thank God for His grace is more than mere thoughts-and-words. It is to stay in His grace, by obedience, by submission and by surrendering to His leading, His will.
Jesus had done everything so that you can obey, submit and surrender. This also is grace. Jesus has done everything so that you can have this grace.
You don’t have to do anything to deserve God’s grace. But it doesn’t mean you can do anything regardless of God’s nature, character, values, standards and purposes.
You can’t do anything to obtain God’s grace. But it doesn’t mean that God is still smiling when you don’t listen to what He has to say to you.
What kind of grace is that?
“Anything goes” grace means God is no more a person who can exercise His choice over your life. If thus the case, God is no more your God, it is spiritual anarchy.
Did I burst your bubble? Did I tear down your ideal mental picture of God? Did I poke a hole in your otherwise perfect comfy thinking?
Grace-and truth hurts a while. However, when you get over it, grace-and-truth brings a balance and wholeness that which nothing else will.
God disciplines you because you are His child. An unloving or psychotic father might have enjoyed disciplining his child BUT NOT GOD.