Monday, October 22, 2012

Grace Confrontation - What Else To Call It? I Don't Know

In life, we are inevitably confronted with our imperfections. Speaking out of turn, a misplaced action aimed at another, self-centered actions motivated by our own insecurities, etc. etc. etc. There are countless ways each day that we show forth our own humanity and its total imperfection apart from being in Christ. Our response to seeing these imperfections in our lives can be a defense of our actions, which are wrong.  We can illicit our friends' compassions in order to hear that we are not quite so bad. We can stand firm in our defense by claiming we are stressed or whatever.

BUT.....the most obvious response should be forgiveness, quick and sure- asking for it and receiving it. Even forgiving ourselves is important to forego the endless stress of self-condemnation and guilt which often occurs in our own lives. We can often accuse ourselves in the secret recesses of our thought life. Forgiveness toward others and ourselves means we are perfectly imperfect in our humanity and without Christ, we are nothing and can do nothing. We give ourselves no excuse except to walk in humility and grace towards ourselves and towards others. We are perfectly human in union with Christ, new creatures walking in a day by day revelation of that simple truth. Ups and downs, ins and outs - life graces us in Christ to walk and move in Him. We are in Christ and in grace we live and have life.

The enemy or the devil who is alive and well, waiting for the misplaced moments in our lives to pounce on our imperfections levels charges at us  of "Guilty! Guilty! You worthless pitiful creature!" It is at these moments when you don't turn and run. You look at the situation smack dab in the face. Receive the grace of Jesus Christ which totally exposes these same imperfections in which the enemy brings accusations towards you. His grace exposes but loves you without measure for you are an imperfect human in union with a perfect Christ.

His grace knows all along you can't do anything without Him or apart from Him so this does not bring any surprises to Him.  In grace you walk and you move and you live and you be in His perfection - the perfection of the shed blood of Jesus Christ and the finished glorious work of the cross which has given you victory to overcome. What? Any and all circumstances, accusations, situations. Who? The devil who has been conquered and defeated by our glorious Risen Savior. How? By revelation in the reality that you can do nothing apart from Christ. This is freedom, my friends. Not freedom to coast in life but freedom to shake the accusations off of  your life, and to walk again, to move again, to live again, in complete assurance that in your humanity, you are in union with Christ. 

1 comment:

  1. Isn't it amazing how we are taught that, in real life, we must stand tall, be strong, do now waiver, act as if we can do everything so that we can get promoted by "man" in our jobs, our community, and even amongst supposedly friends? It is this teaching that causes us to become stressed and defensive against the smallest allegation. Our minds tend o push us to put more emphasis on the "world" and their thoughts than on the grace of God. Because of His grace, all we need to do iris allow His Spirit to take over our spirit thus, as Debra wrote," we receive freedom to shake the accusations off our lives and to walk again, to move again, to live again, in complete assurance that in our humility, we are in union with Christ!

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