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Today’s devotion builds on the thoughts from Sunday’s Sermon – Week 3 of “Compelled – Living the Value of Visible Grace”  (LISTEN HERE).

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How many relationships in your life could have been saved by grace?

I’m not talking about relationships of individuals with their Savior, Jesus, but individuals that you no longer have a relationship with because grace was absent?

Let me take it one step further.  How many relationships with people in church have been severed or never established because of the lack of grace?

Have you ever had a visitor come into your church who wasn’t a “seasoned church goer” who never came back?  Maybe you don’t know.  I have.  It doesn’t take long for a guest to walk in and feel the glare of judgment or the eyes of compassion.  It doesn’t take long for an individual to feel the warmth of a group or the chill that says, “I don’t belong here.”

There may be many factors, but underneath is grace or the absence of grace.  Do we believe every person in the church and who walks through the doors of our church needs grace?  Yes.  “All have sinned.”  That includes you and me.

Do we believe that everyone who walks through the door will hear about grace?  As a pastor, I hope so!

Do we believe that everyone who walks through the door will experience and feel grace?  I want them to.  I pray you do too.  However, if we are honest, “showing grace” can sometimes be lacking.

In fact, just think about yourself for a minute.  If someone asks, “How are you doing?”  Will you simply reply “fine” and move on?  Or is there someone that you would feel comfortable opening up and saying, “I’m really struggling in my marriage”?  Or, “I just found out my adult son is gay.” Or…you fill in the blank.  What I notice, is that there is a subtle fear in church of really opening up about the sin that is affecting our life because we feel like we would be judged or made to feel “less than” because we had sinned or are dealing with sin.

A common concern of those outside the church is the judgment of those inside the church.  I had a young lady say, “I don’t think I’m good enough to come to your church.”  To which I replied, “If you only knew the stories and sins of everyone sitting in the pew.”  (For the record, I didn’t not relate all I knew!)  But this interaction has affected me to want every person who walks into the church to not just hear about grace BUT ALSO experience grace…not matter what their spiritual journey has been or not been.

So how do we do that better?  Perhaps the opening words of Paul’s letter to Titus and many of his other letters gives us a hint because it is not just a formula to open a letter, it is the reality of his heart and how he views people.

Titus 1:4 To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

I get that not everyone who walks through the door is maybe not yet a “true son in our common faith”…but prayerfully that will come.  But we can view all people who walk through the door, and all those that have been there a long time, as individuals to whom God wants to bring his grace and peace.

For those who are true sons and daughters in the common faith, can we not first see them as saints of God, one’s who “share in God’s grace” with us?  Even saints still struggle with sin.  The Apostle Paul did.

Romans 7:17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So here’s what grace does for relationships.  It removes judgment and condemnation and instills love and forgiveness (more on that tomorrow).  It is not surprised when people need grace, because everyone does, but rather is ready to communicate and show grace to forgive and overcome sin.  Grace restores and strengthens relationships because it removes conditions to remain in that relationship. It shows favor, even if the other person does not deserve it.  When we see each other through the lens of grace, we realize grace must be at the heart of our relationships.

If it’s not, and we are always waiting for perfect people to be with, we will be lonely people.

Grace and peace to you, my friend.

Apply: Think of a relationship in your life that is strained.  What guidance does God give you as you ask how to see the relationship through grace and apply grace in the relationship?

Prayer: Lord, help me see everyone as you do…one’s in need of grace (just like me), and one’s with whom you desire me to show grace.  AMEN.

Today’s devotion builds on the thoughts from Sunday’s Sermon – Week 3 of “Compelled – Living the Value of Visible Grace”  (LISTEN HERE).

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Grace is a word that we use often in our Christian faith.

Grace is a hard word to fully define or grasp.

Grace is spoken of as “undeserved love.”  The letters of GRACE have been used to say, “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.”  I am not going to quarrel with these helpful phrases.

However, grace seems more than that – especially the grace that God shows to us.  The term grace has a root that means “joy or rejoicing.”  Sometimes the word “gift” is also used for this term.  At the heart is the heart of God that leads to the action of God on behalf of the people of God.

Perhaps a definition of grace is this, “A gift of God’s divine favor.”  The result of this gift? Certainly a reason for rejoicing.

So what happens when God gives us the gift of his grace?

Romans 5:15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.

Romans 3:23 There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Grace changes our status before God.

Justification changes our status from sinner to saint.  What do I mean?

The “gift brought justification” or “we are justified freely by his grace.”

If you picture a courtroom setting with God the Father as the judge.  We are the defendant and the prosecutor is the Accuser himself, Satan.  With our lives marked out before the standard of perfection, the case seems clear cut that we as the defendant have “sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”  In fact, if there were a jury present, the evidence is so clear and the defense so limited, that without much if any deliberation the jury would declare us “guilty.”  The Judge wouldn’t need the consensus of the jury, but he too when examining the account of our life would readily find us guilty and meet out the proper punishment for anyone who is a sinner, “Depart from me.”

However, before the judgment is handed down, Jesus Christ steps before the Father as our intercessor and pleads our case.  He asks that his perfect life be considered in place of our imperfect life.  He asks that the punishment that our sins deserved would be laid on him and that he would sit in our place as a sinner and be treated as such so that we might be declared not guilty and be set free.

The Judge accepts the deal Jesus presents and declares Jesus guilty and declares us not guilty…a binding decision that secures our status as saints before God.

This decision by the Father is the gift of divine favor that gives us great joy.  How do you think you would feel leaving a courtroom where the guilty verdict was inevitable and instead you were declared not guilty?  You get to leave with confidence and full belief in your heart that you stand right before a holy, righteous God because of his grace shown to you through Jesus Christ.

This message for many of your readers is not new, but I want to have you focus on this gift of grace and how God in Christ treated you.  It is the ONLY way and the ONLY starting point from which we can show grace to others.  We can only give away what we have been given.  And the reason we have been given grace is not just for us, but to give away to others.

Apply: Take a moment to mentally or physically make a list of all the reasons God would have to condemn you and declare you guilty of sin.  Then visualize or mark a cross on your paper and write with big letters, “NOT GUILTY.”  How does it feel to be the recipient of God’s amazing grace?

Prayer:

1 By grace I’m saved, grace free and boundless;
my soul, believe and doubt it not.
Why stagger at this word of promise?
Has Scripture ever falsehood taught?
No; then this word must true remain:
by grace you too shall heav’n obtain.

3 By grace God’s Son, our only Savior,
came down to earth to bear our sin.
Was it because of your own merit
that Jesus died your soul to win?
No, it was grace, and grace alone,
that brought him from his heav’nly throne.

6 By grace! On this I’ll rest when dying;
in Jesus’ promise I rejoice;
for though I know my heart’s condition,
I also know my Savior’s voice.
My heart is glad, all grief has flown,
since I am saved by grace alone.

Today’s devotion builds on the thoughts from Sunday’s Sermon – Week 3 of “Compelled – Living the Value of Visible Grace”  (LISTEN HERE).

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Is grace at the heart of your church…your life?

Recently I was talking with a more recent attender of our church whose daughter and grand children go to our sister church and the school part of that ministry.  She asked, “Is grace at the center of the Lutheran church?”  Before fully answering, I asked, “Yes, but tell me why you ask that?”

She went on to explain that she has heard that word and concept more from her family who has been attending the Lutheran church near by and in our services.

Wow!  What better observation to see, feel and experience than grace!  Without any prompting to see this reality play out in our churches teaching and practice.

Grace was the key breaking point of Martin Luther away from the Catholic Church.  Was our salvation secured by our effort or by God’s gift?  The Scriptures clearly put our salvation squarely on the heart and gift of God.  Period.  Sola gratia (by grace alone.)

Grace is and should be at the heart of a church’s theology.  Really there is no other reason to exist and there is no other doctrine or teaching that makes sense apart from understanding and making grace the center of it…as the Scripture does.

The Apostle Paul realized that his work had been all centered on performance and effort, until it wasn’t.  Only when the power of the Spirt and encounter with Jesus did he realize that his salvation was not based on the zeal and effort of his works, but on the gift of God.  He too made this the heart of his life’s mission:

Acts 20:24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.

As one’s who have been given the gift of grace, this too is the heart of our belief, our theology.  May God allow us always to treasure it…and live it!

As the conversation mentioned above continued, the comment was made, “My daughter is always talking about grace to her kids.  I hear her more often say, “We have to show them some grace.”  While the specific situation wasn’t shared, it was alluded that the person to whom grace had to be shared was not always “worthy” of it.  How true is that?

Grace must not just be at the heart of our theology, it must be at the heart of our church visibly too!  Grace always must be given, and always implies a deficit.  We did not earn God’s grace, yet he gives it.  As we have been given grace, we too must be ready and willing to give that grace away…in most if not all cases where the person has done nothing to deserve it (which is why it is grace!)

This week’s devotions we want to understand what “showing grace” looks like as we interact with each other.  Because honestly sometimes our churches are not filled with grace.  It may be talked about, but it may not always be visible.  It may look like what was going on in the Galatian churches that Paul had to address:

Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

So my prayer is that as grace is at the heart of our church theologically, it will also be in the depths of our hearts personally, so that it may always flow from us visibly.

Apply: Evaluate: What is your appreciation of the grace of God?  How well do you do at “showing grace” to others?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the amazing gift of grace which you give to us freely.  As we apprehend this gift by faith, we ask that the grace you have shown to us may more readily flow from us to others.  AMEN.

Today’s devotion builds on the thoughts from Sunday’s Sermon – Week 2 of “Compelled – Living the Value of Unconditional Love”  (LISTEN HERE).

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Are their boundaries to unconditional love?

The fear in showing unconditional love is that someone will take advantage of that love.  In fact, a hypothesis that swirls in my mind is that conditional love comes from being burned by showing unconditional love.

What do I mean?  Someone wrongs you and you love them anyway.  They wrong you again.  You love again.  They wrong you again.  Done loving unless…

It’s understandable.  So are their limits to unconditional love?  Here are a few thoughts…

1. Unconditional love does have boundaries but not conditions.

The Good Samaritan did not stay at the hotel until the man was able to leave.  He offered to reimburse the inn keeper (boundaries), but he didn’t expect anything back from the injured man (unconditional).

Luke 10:35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

2. Unconditional love can be rejected without making it conditional.

Matthew 23:37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.

Jesus realized the people he desired to experience his unconditional love pushed it away.  He did not force his love on them or force them to love them.  His heart wanted the people to experience the unconditional love he brought.

People in our lives can reject our love.  It hurts because our heart longs for them to experience that love.  While our love is always available, it is not forced upon someone.  It hurts when our love is pushed away, but when someone pushes our love away it doesn’t mean we have put conditions on it.

3. Unconditional love engenders love not selfishness.

1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.

Our response to unconditional love is unconditional love.  When a person continues to spurn the love of God, they remove themselves from the blessing of God’s love.  This may be the same for our love.  Our desire is that showing unconditional love will engender unconditional love in response.  When it is spurned, one may be removed from the benefit and blessing of our unconditional love.

4. Behavior does not conditionalize unconditional love, but behavior comes in line with unconditional love.

2 Corinthians 5:14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Christ’s love for us is not conditional on our performance, but our performance is driven by the love we have been shown by Christ.  Therefore, our unconditional love affects others in a way that they are also compelled to show unconditional love to others.

So what does that mean in our church culture?

The unconditional love of Christ is to work into our hearts and to spill over into the lives of others.  There may be situations where the boundary of love is raised when love is spurned or rejected.  However, it is our prayer that Christ’s unconditional love fills our heart and lives and through us is shown to others.  When others see the love of Christ in us and among us, it is our prayer that this culture and value of unconditional love becomes engrained and experienced in all of us.

Apply:  Ask the Lord to help you see where you can grow in your love and foster the culture of unconditional love in your relationships and in your church.

Prayer: Lord, let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, since as members of one body we were called to peace.  In all things, may we be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among us richly as we teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to you Lord with gratitude in our hearts. 17 And whatever we do, whether in word or deed, may we do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  AMEN (adapted from Colossians 3:15-17)

Today’s devotion builds on the thoughts from Sunday’s Sermon – Week 2 of “Compelled – Living the Value of Unconditional Love”  (LISTEN HERE).

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Don’t you wish there was a place that you could step into and know that even though people knew your failures and your past, you were still loved, cared for, and accepted?  Do you wish there was a place where you knew that if something happened and you needed help, there would be a number of people to rally around you?  Do you long for a place where you could be yourself, would not have to put on a front or façade and could show up as the real you?

I suppose heaven will be that – although we will all be perfect in Christ.

However, the Church is a place God has put together to be a place where unconditional love can be received and lived.  Church is the place where we get to put unconditional love into practice.

(Note – I am not suggesting sin is not addressed and dealt with.  I look forward in the future to discuss the interplay of unconditional love and fair justice.)

This series is not just to teach the theology of the value, but to help us form a culture that models this value.  So what does that culture look like?  Here’s some guidance from Colossians chapter 3

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Getting along in a Christian congregation is much like getting along in a family.  There are times we say things we shouldn’t and hurt feelings.  Sometimes we see something and we are offended by it.  Sometimes we rile against feeling judged or made to look bad.

Creating a culture of unconditional love will be challenging, but the Scripture and love of Christ will help us.  Here’s an example:  In a previous church I had someone upset at me for over six months.  I didn’t realize it at first but toward month 5-6 I could sense there was something off in the relationship.  So a setting arose where I could ask, “Something seems to be off.  Is something bothering you?”  “Yes,” she replied.   “You know back in _____ you preached a sermon and said ______.  I believe you were talking directly to me and my family and was offended by it.”

Now we can deal with it.  I was able to hear her and she me and the relationship was restored.  However, for months a grievance festered.  It is not loving to avoid conflict and instead carry a grievance.  Sometimes the other person does not even know.  Most often when talked about the situation resolves with love and forgiveness.

A culture of unconditional love seeks to lovingly resolve conflict or hurt quickly.

A culture of unconditional love sees people through the lens of Christ.

In a church, we can often expect perfection…from others.  When we sense anything wrong or someone crosses us, we are tempted just to leave the church.  I will be the first to admit, “I am not perfect.”  Whenever I meet with prospective members (or current members), I tell them, “I will need your forgiveness and you will need mine.”  We are a bunch of sinners enjoying the love of Christ and seeking to follow him more closely.  We must apply the love we have received from Christ with each other…we all need it.  Pride tells us we are better than others are and do not deserve to be hurt by others.  Humility, gentleness, patience and forgiveness, go a long way to create a safe place in a church.  Let us assume no one in the church is intentionally trying to sin against another person, but they do and they will.  Humility is concerned more about the relationship than being right.  Patience gives more than one chance to amend an issue…it might take time.  Forgiveness is the ultimate glue to maintain a true (not superficial) peace.

People can “feel the love” or not feel the love.  It starts again in our own hearts immersed in the love of Christ and then letting that love flow in our relationships with others.

The more we work at it, the more the culture of our church will reflect the unconditional love of Christ and be a place where each of us experiences the unconditional love of Christ.

Apply: What is one thing you ask God to help you do better or more to foster unconditional love at your church?

Prayer: Again we marvel at the love we have been shown by you Father.  Empower us to show that love always, especially in your church.  AMEN.

(DISCLAIMER: Comments in this devotion do not imply there is any current issue or situation to which I am speaking.  I pray the comments empower godly living and unconditional love among us!)