Friday March 21, 2014 Future Grace and other related thoughts

Verne shared what follows with me and I felt that others would be benefited and encouraged by it.  I asked Verne for his permission to post them here and he graciously said yes.  Thanks Verne.

I’m not up to speed in our study of grace. I am still just marveling at how much our loving God lavishes us with so much that we do not deserve. He not only shows us mercy by withholding deserved punishment, but he gives us the things we need, things we want, and more. I’m thinking on a mankind or societal level. 

This past week I encountered this phrase. “Man cannot pass laws to make moral what God has deemed immoral.” My family is being blessed with four new little bundles of life this summer, three little boys and one girl. Sue has been crocheting little blankets, bonnets, booties, and unknown items all winter. She was crocheting a little purple dress for our nephew’s first child one evening while we were sitting in our living room and this thought came to mind. Here we have a situation of loving anticipation. Preparations and changes are being made to welcome her. She has a full name already, Parker Marie Montana. She is taking my mom’s middle name. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Parker can be brutally dismembered and “flushed” and no one need be in the least amount of trouble. Since 1973 it is legal. We have laws. Man says so. But God continues to show us mercy and floods us with grace. How awesome is that?

So I have written this paragraph to ratchet up emotions and demonstrate that mankind can do the most disgusting and sinful acts and God still gives us his grace. So as Christians, what are we supposed to do? React to our emotions over things like this and retaliate “on God’s behalf”? Finger pointing, strong words, maybe some FB posts?

Last week Chuck Swindall was preaching on Christ’s sermon on the mount. The section on loving your enemies speaks to me in this situation. The pro abortion crowd being my enemy here, certainly an enemy to our new little ones. In Matthew 5:44-45, Christ says,

“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those that persecute you, so that you may be sons of your father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

 God’s grace to us all.....and if I can truly embrace this and act accordingly, God’s will is done and his grace will abound on even a higher level.

For me, I think my understanding of grace and the need for future grace is growing but not complete.