Dirt 2

Recap

If we don’t genuinely love people who don’t know Jesus, they never will. The first step to seeing people know Jesus is to love, and be loving, to those who don’t.

Previously On...

A while back we talked about God defining terms. We don’t get to tell God what he means by the things that he says and therefore we need to be careful when we articulate our understanding to those who don’t know him.

During that series we spoke about Justice, Grace, and Mercy. Since I spoke on that topic I came across a great way to see how they are different. Here is the way it was put to me:

Justice is getting what we deserve

Mercy is NOT getting what we deserve

Grace is getting what we do NOT deserve

Justice

We want Justice when it would benefit us.

When a crime has been committed (Keying a car)

When we have been wronged

But if we are the one on whom Justice would fall we, more often than not, cry out for Mercy.

I can call for justice, but only I can extend Mercy. (Back to the keying of the car)

But God calls us to an extraordinarily difficult way:

What if I gave the perpetrator the car AND offered to fix it?

What we deserve

Romans 6:

Romans 6:23 NIV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Peter 2:24 NIV

24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

God’s mercy is not at the expense of his Justice. Justice was served. It was served by Jesus. God didn’t take away the penalty of sin, someone else paid. We need to be careful not to make God unjust, He is just. Justice came upon Jesus and Mercy flowed to us.

2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Amazing Grace

“Some followers of Jesus seem to be obsessed by the bad news of sin. They want to dwell on the penalty of sin and reality of hell… But we must always remember that our primary message is not the bad news of hell, but the good news of God’s grace offered in Jesus.”

We need a shift in our perspective: We deserve death and hell but have been given something we didn’t deserve - the love and friendship of God and an eternal place with Him.

It is one thing to acknowledge the reality that God is gracious, it is quite another to personally receive grace and breathe it into your soul each day.

Grace for the world

How do we keep this grace saturating our lives? When we understand the depth of grace on a regular basis, it flows from us.

Here are three characteristics of people defined by grace:

1.) Reckless Love - Love no matter what and in all circumstances and forms.

2.) Generous Forgiveness -

Matt

Matthew 6:12–15 NIV

12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 18:21–35 NIV

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ 30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

3.) Sacrificial Sharing - Generosity of heart and home pull people close enough for us to share the good news of Jesus and His grace with others.

Application

Get Reckless - Think of one extravagant and undeserved act of loving grace you can offer to a person in your life who is NOT a follower of Jesus. Offer it prayerfully with NO STRINGS ATTACHED!

Drink Deeply - For some of us, we haven’t recieved God’s grace into our lives in a while, for whatever reason. We need to be reminded of what he did for us. So I’m going to open the altars today, and as we sing, come and pray. Accept God’s grace anew this morning!