Let's Write Some Grace

Ah, three mornings of breakfast cooking for about 130 people, it's a good service way to begin each day of the Rodeo Bible Camp. I see an e-mail ad this morning that invites me to save $1,400 on this purchase. Now, if this were true, then I would purchase this thing for a price, and the company would deposit $1,400 in my savings account. Shouldn't something advertised as "savings" work that way? Unfortunately, things advertised as savings are only disguised spendings. What else do we disguise in life? How about trying to disguise our effort as grace? Or, do we disguise judgment as something else?

Today: an attractive female woman stands on the stage in clothing designed to arouse, we can call her Seduction. In front of the stage we have your average single man, and he is falling into lust much as we might expect. We'll call him Fornication, not a pretty name, but lust is not a pretty sin. To his left, we see another woman, but she also is looking up at the stage with lust on her mind. We'll call her Homosexual. To Fornication's right is the married man, and he too has fallen into lust. He gets to be Adultery. Which one of our three sinners staring up at their temptation is worst in terms of sinfulness? True, none of the above. Yet, I have seen Christians treat one group as worse than others. On the other hand, who can be saved? Yes, absolutely! All of them. Grace does not play favorites or withhold itself from one type of sinner. The work of Jesus was good for all who call on His name. Whatever your sin name, the grace given by God through Jesus Christ saves completely.

One day you or I might be named Lust, and on another day we might be named Greed, or any of the many other sins. Whatever the sin, grace covers the sinner. No, grace does not cover up or hide the sin. Grace flows from God to cover the sinner. While all of my effort at polishing the cup seems to produce only temporary change, God's grace is at work in me changing the nature of His vessel. One day, Jesus will present us to God as cups of love full of grace, or maybe it will be cups of grace full of love. Either way, no name of sin will attach to us in that day of God's glory.

God bless you all,
Bucky