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“::Sometimes, we’re so busy casting God as the Guy who punishes sin, that we forget He’s also the Guy who DELIVERS from sin…the God who loves us and wants so much better for us than the chains we’re so fond of…the very chains killing us. Jesus is LIFE!:: #OnlyGrace”
Welcome to my FB status for today.
It’s really been bugging me…this idea that God has some kind of ranking system for sin, or expiry date for His love, and that after a while, we’ve pushed it too much, and it’s thumbs down time…off with your head. I have felt that way many times (like, MANY times), and I realised that it is a reflection of who I believe God to be. It is as if, because I have changed so much and gone so far from principles I used to hold dear, I believe that God’s view of me has changed as well…that God has changed.
Think about it, though. If you gave everything you had, your most valuable possession, just to make it possible for people to understand that you love them, what would make you decide it’s no longer worth it? The bar is set as high as it can possibly go…the highest price has been paid. What could make you decide to withhold love from an individual for whom you have already poured out ALL your love, that is, the ultimate expression of that love?
Would it be because that person had a bad year/week/way-too-long and went on a path of self-destruction? Are you likely to stop loving people because they are ruining their lives? Why, then, do we want to give God that role?
Do we even understand this salvation we’re inviting people to share? If we believe God is out to get us because we’re messed up (and because we mess up), why would anyone want to join us? Is the notion of becoming God’s next target so appealing?
Even if we hate ourselves, God doesn’t hate us. ♫Jesus loves me, this I know…♫? God doesn’t hate us because we sin. God doesn’t hate us, full stop. It is because God loves us so much that He has to keep us away from sin, because sin is both degenerative and inherently destructive. It exists for no purpose but the destruction of God’s creation.
A loving Creator doesn’t want us hiding from Him…running from Him. He wants us hiding in Him…running to Him, weaknesses and all. That is the whole point of grace…not that we are free to sin, but that we are free from sin…because He loves us.
Remember the grace. He saw us coming, man… and He chose us, for His glory.
Romans 5:8 (NIV)
But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
I like this song:
It Begins: 
My question is, at what point do people give up their salvation? I mean, it’s clearly not a matter of a bad year, but what is it then?
I think it’s a matter of sin being degenerative. The natural response is to run away, stay away from God. The more we do that, well, the more we do that. It’s impossible to be and stay close to someone you’re far from. Maybe they just think it’s not worth it after a while. (Perhaps my approach is overly simplistic, but yeah.)
Cool. Thanks.
#word. I was thinking about this same thing, well i’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Everytime I go into a sort of relapse the 1st thought is great Jordanna…wonderful…you’ve done it again. Why bother? You already suck…and you’re not getting any better. Then is like God says…I knew you from you were born, remember? Don’t run away from me now, run TO me…all the time no matter what. Even if it’s the same thing everyday, everytime,it’s ok. I’ll fix you. yup….#grace
God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He can’t possibly love you any MORE or any LESS than He does right now. Or than He did on the day you first came to Him. His love is not performance based! We are saved by grace, not actions (well, other than the action of accepting/believe in Him). Our good actions don’t make us more saved, and our bad actions don’t make us less saved.
Someone told me once that “what you worship God as, is what He will be to you.” Or something along those lines. If you see him as the great Punisher, you will live in constant fear and will most likely keep your distance from Him. If you see Him as a loving, forgiving father, you will most likely want to develop a deeper relationship with Him. “Perfect love casts out fear. He who fears has not been made perfect in love.” I sometimes think the reason Christians still fall into sin is because we don’t truly know who we are in Christ, and we live in fear instead of in boldness.
Good stuff… ONLY grace. God is good.