The Greatest Force on Earth

"Bill, when I look at you I marvel at the grace of God."  Now, that phrase could be taken in a couple of different ways.  It could mean "you were such a mess that only God could help you," or it could mean "God's grace is so wonderful that it has changed your life completely around."  Both are true.  Let me add that it is true of everyone who have experienced His grace.

The theological definition of the grace of God is His unmerited favour accredited to us.  One who was lost because of the blindness of sin, who was on the road to perdition, and who was completely without merit to receive grace.  As a guilty criminal who finds that on the day of his sentencing that his crime has been paid for, his criminal record cleared and walks away as if he never committed a crime.  That is grace.

Grace found me when I was a grade 12 high school student who thought that life was all about sports and drinking.  I was your average teenager who did not understand or even care about spiritual things until grace found me.  It found me when I began to realize that life was more than drinking buddies and hockey games.  Grace found me while I lived in a super dysfunctional home with a domineering Mom and a Father who had walked away from God as a young man.  Grace found me when I finally understood that in light of Christ's death and resurrection I was responsible to decide to accept His Grace!  I could not pin the blame on my parent's for not providing the right home environment, or my schools for not providing me the kinds of friends who would encourage me to search for God.  I was at fault and I was in need of grace.

Grace, in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, has had and continues to have a profound impact on my life.  Because of grace I have the motivation that I need to get up every morning and face the challenges that God puts in front of me.  Because of grace I see those around me who are in deep and urgent need of her.  I understand the theological/biblical argument of why people need grace, that grace that is so drastically and clearly illustrated when Christ faced the wrath of God that I deserved.  As much as I understand that argument, it is because I have experienced the truth of grace that I desire so much for each person to experience it as well!  To live without guilt because Christ died for our guilt, to live with purpose and conviction that God's plan includes me is so liberating that it motivates me for every day that I live!

Those of us who have experienced grace at times forget what it was like to live without it.  Like, those who get up every morning and try and get through the day by their own strength.  Or, those who have convinced themselves that life is all about what one touches and sees and life is over when the heart stops beating.  Those who so live without grace need to see in us who have experienced grace models of gracefulness.  We, who have experienced the liberating power of Christ through faith in His death, burial and resurrection, must imitate our Father in heaven.  We were where they are now, let us be instruments of grace!

After all these years, I marvel at the truth that God's grace reached even me!  I will be eternally grateful.  You?

Wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin;
How shall my tongue describe it, where shall its praise begin?
Taking away my burden, setting my spirit free,
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me!

Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus,
Deeper than the mighty rolling sea;
Higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain,
All-sufficient grace for even me;
Broader than the scope of my transgressions,
Greater far than all my sin and shame;
O magnify the precious name of Jesus, praise His name!

The Missing Ingredient

I will never forget it.  An example of being a servant that was so clear, so humble in its character that it has defined for me what this principle is all about.  Our church youth group was going on a camping and canoeing trip to a park in Northern Ontario, almost the most beautiful spot on the planet.  As we prepared for that trip we thought it a good idea to open cans of stew and pour the contents into zip lock baggies and iron them shut.  It seemed like a good idea at the time because we would not have to carry cans in our backpacks, which were prohibited anyway.  

As we paddled the first couple of days, we were having a great time, canoeing and camping and all that goes with it, those wonderful portages of 1000 meters!  Great times!  Whew!  But by the third day as we were with much delight enjoying our stew, I began to not feel so well!  And as night approached a thing called food poisoning had its grips on me.  If you have ever been to one of those parks you will recall that the "facilities" yes...those facilities, are not exactly like those in a 5-star hotel.  Not at all, really!  As I began to "lose" my dinner and a few other meals, I had never felt so horrible.  

When this occurs, one does not feel exactly ready to tidy up as it were.  Here is where the servant part comes in, our Youth Pastor, in discovering my situation, begun to clean the outhouse where I had lost it all.  As far as I know, he did not get a raise in pay for that, he did not get a job promotion but he did serve from his heart of love for the Lord!   The story of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples in John 13 is equally as shocking.

What was it that caused Jesus to do the task of a servant?  Why would he bend down and wash stinky, dirty and even ugly feet?  He was about to fulfill the assignment for which God had sent Him to earth, to die on the cross for the sin of the world.  This rag tag group of His followers needed to understand that being in leadership didn't mean that they were at the top of the food chain having others serve them!  They needed to serve one another, they needed to humble themselves and follow the example of Jesus.  

Too often in Christian circles we are looking to be served instead of serving.  We are many times like those disciples who, while the Lord was facing the cross and the fulfillment of God's plan, were arguing about which one of them would be the greatest in the Kingdom!  Unbelievable!  We want the best seats; we want others to wait on us!  How different Jesus is!  For those who belong to Him the way up is down, the way to be a leader is to be a servant of all!  

I don't know about you, but I am challenged in the way I live my Christian faith every time I look at the life of Christ.  What an example He has set for us!  I wonder if the world would notice if our churches were filled with people who first were looking to serve instead of being served.  I think so.  As we proclaim the wonderful grace of Jesus may we do so in such a captivating way through our service to one another and our service to those around us, that people would seek the Lord because of the radical difference He has made in our lives. 

Did You Think It Would Be Easy??

Dr. Luke, in writing the history of the early church, better known as the Acts of the Apostles, underlines for his readers how tough it is to be a Christian.  In speaking of the missionary trips of the Apostle Paul, Luke writes, “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”  Why in the world would he write that?  Didn’t he want to encourage people to be a part of this movement of God?  Wasn’t the goal to grow the church, not tell people how hard it is to be a part of the church? 

As we read the story of how the early church was established, we cannot escape the fact that there was suffering involved in living the life of faith.  There is trouble that comes from inside the church and trouble that is external to her.  We see Christians, who tried to get away with false appearances in Acts 5, then there is trouble with the widows in Acts 6, Stephen is martyred in Acts 8 and Christians are scattered because of the persecution! That is just the first 8 chapters of the book.  Sounds like fun, doesn’t it, anyone want to sign up! 

We are told that there are more Christian martyrs today than at any other time since the first century.  Not only do people suffer for their faith but believers are not exempt from the same pains as people who do not know the Lord.  Christians die of terrible diseases, they are killed in traffic accidents, and they are even murdered. 

The hope and joy of being a believer is not found in anything we think will alleviate our pain.  Life hurts, it is difficult and no one is safe.   Our hope is found in the truth that Jesus has conquered our biggest enemies, sin and death, and has promised us victory as well!  That encourages me!  I am encouraged that the Sovereign God knows me so well that He has a plan for me life.  The plan He has for me is that not only do I have hope in a future life but that I have hope today because of the victory He has obtained for us through the resurrection of His Son!

 

I recall the story of a would-be basketball player who got roughed up under the basket and came away with a bloodied nose.  On returning to the bench with his proverbial tail between his legs, the coach offered the following words, “Stop sulking and get back out there, what did you think basketball was like?”  No one can learn to play real basketball by watching the pros play on television.  You cannot see or experience everything that goes on under the basket!  You cannot feel the elbows to the nose on your 40” plasma! 

Life for the Christian is lived in the difficulties that we experience.  They help us develop a dependency on the Lord, and how great is that!  We often want to be self reliant but God’s desire is that we be dependent on Him!  I have learned and still am learning that I need to trust Him more and more as He works out His plan in my life.  And that is exactly where He wants us to be!