Grace. The free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings. That's what the definition of grace is. We talk about grace all the time. God's grace. Showing grace. I even named my daughter Arilyn Grace. I didn't understand the magnitude of grace. God has really been showing me lately that grace isn't just meant for God's gift of salvation that we don't deserve. It's also giving grace to others when they don't deserve it. Something Pastor Paul said recently has stuck with me. He said we aren't meant to be consumers, we're meant to be conduits. So it's not meant to just stop with us. It's meant to flow through us to others.
Matthew 18:21-35 The Parable of the unforgiving servant
21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
What happened there? He was a consumer, not a conduit. God gives us grace, and that should be flowing through us, so that we are giving grace to others. He loves us, and that should be flowing through us, so that we are loving others. Before, I just thought we just soak up all that grace from God, and hold onto it. Now I think that if it's not flowing through you, to others, then you don't really understand it.
I heard a song recently. The talented Amy sang it in church. Called 'So Will I.' I must have listened to it a hundred billion times since then. Every bit of it gets me. Every time I listen, I hear something new. The particular line in that song that describes grace perfectly for me is 'And as you speak, a hundred billion failures disappear.' Just like that. Nothing I did. Nothing I could have done. Jesus did it. Amazing grace.
I started writing this blog, to account of God's many blessings in my life, and the work he's continually doing inside me. For my kids. It's nice that others are reading my words, but I'm most excited that someday, my kids will be reading my words. So I have thought about what I would really want them to know about grace. I guess it's that God gives it freely. It really is completely undeserved. That is why it's so important to show that grace to others. To give it to them as freely as it was given to you. They will know the grace of God through experience. Through our love. In a world of consumers, be a conduit.
Matthew 18:21-35 The Parable of the unforgiving servant
21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
What happened there? He was a consumer, not a conduit. God gives us grace, and that should be flowing through us, so that we are giving grace to others. He loves us, and that should be flowing through us, so that we are loving others. Before, I just thought we just soak up all that grace from God, and hold onto it. Now I think that if it's not flowing through you, to others, then you don't really understand it.
I heard a song recently. The talented Amy sang it in church. Called 'So Will I.' I must have listened to it a hundred billion times since then. Every bit of it gets me. Every time I listen, I hear something new. The particular line in that song that describes grace perfectly for me is 'And as you speak, a hundred billion failures disappear.' Just like that. Nothing I did. Nothing I could have done. Jesus did it. Amazing grace.
I started writing this blog, to account of God's many blessings in my life, and the work he's continually doing inside me. For my kids. It's nice that others are reading my words, but I'm most excited that someday, my kids will be reading my words. So I have thought about what I would really want them to know about grace. I guess it's that God gives it freely. It really is completely undeserved. That is why it's so important to show that grace to others. To give it to them as freely as it was given to you. They will know the grace of God through experience. Through our love. In a world of consumers, be a conduit.
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AxmTYklsjo190QW
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