Do We REALLY Understand Grace
Did Jesus Come Just To Kick Your Ass
I ran across an amazing quote from pastor and author Peter Hiett today.
“So I’m convinced your deepest problem is not the cigarettes you smoke or the alcohol you drink in secret. It’s not the slander you speak and the gossip you cherish. It’s not the pornography you pleasure yourself with when no one’s looking. It’s not the baby you aborted; it’s not that you betrayed your brother, cheated on your bride, lied about the whole thing... It’s not even that you slaughtered the Lamb and killed the Messiah. Your deepest problem is that somewhere deep down inside, you believe Jesus the Messiah rose from the dead just to kick your ass, when, in fact, He rose from the dead so you would believe all is forgiven. It is finished! Justice is accomplished. And the Father is pleading, ‘Come home, come home, come home!’”
First of all, apologies for the language, but it simply does not pack the same punch or have the same impact without the raw truth of the ‘A” word. I trust you’ll forgive.
That being said, what is the ‘punch’ so to speak? The quote hits square at the heart of our acceptance, or lack thereof, of God’s amazing grace. We love to sing about it and preach about it, and talk about it… but do we truly accept it?
If you are like me, you often choose to remain in your stubborn belief that He could not possibly have come to redeem your mess. Yes its easy enough to acknowledge the idea of grace intellectually. If you grew up in the church, like so many of us it is a word and a concept that we can readily articulate. Grace is ‘unmerited favor’, right? It is an undeserved gift. Many of us understand this on a head level, but accepting it at a deep heartfelt level is a very different story. Eventually the concept comes barreling down on our deepest hidden sin like a ton of bricks. When it does and we are faced with allowing those bricks to crush whatever is left of our guilt and shame, we find it nearly impossible to accept. How could a perfect and holy God…?
Eventually the concept comes barreling down on our deepest hidden sin like a ton of bricks.ion...
Have you spent your life secretly fighting the idea that God’s grace could cover whatever ugliness you have perpetrated? Are you holding onto the idea that “Jesus rose from the dead to kick your ass”? Is it difficult for you to imagine anything other than a God who looks over His nose with judgement and condemnation on you for whatever it is you’ve done. Let me remind you of Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”! This verse is pretty definitive! If you are living in right relationship with Jesus, you ARE NOT CONDEMNED!! So stop kicking yourself and stop believing He is kicking you! Accept and live in His today!! In the words of Perter Hiett, “Come home”!
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