BeautifulFlower
Well-Known Member
Christianity’s Best Keep Secret…
by PrettyfaceANB
My church has a Young Adult (18-35) ministry called Crossroads Café on Friday nights. Tonight was so incredible. I want to share a brief overview of what Minister Bobby Manning preached to us tonight. He preached from John 8:1-12. Please read this scripture before reading forward.
As Christians, we seek to live for God by way of example from Jesus Christ. We spread our theology around the world. Yet, the world only sees what we are against. We hate homosexuality, abortion, drunkardness, etc etc… As a result, a bunch of rules and hatred toward sin is all the world sees in us. Then we wonder why the world doesn’t see why we say we are different. Honestly, on the outside looking in, we don’t like that much different. We should stand against the things God hates. Yet, we forget the key component. We forget what Jesus did for us when we were still sinners, still living apart from Him. We forget what Jesus still does for us every single day.
Grace… (definitoions of Grace)
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is GRACE. This is what makes Christianity different from any and every religion in the world. Other religions instruct that you do XYZ to receive acceptance and approval from God. Jesus came to die for us and took the punishment for our sins because there is nothing, no list, no XYZ we can do to make it to heaven. I repeat…THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO RECONCILE YOURSELF TO GOD. The requirement for salvation is that you believe that Jesus died for you and that He is Lord.
As Christians, we seldom extend grace. We act just like the Pharisees and scribes that condemned the adulterous woman. We put people’s sin on blast. We make them headlines on TV, blogs, in church, in front of everybody. We talk about them behind their backs. We shake our head at their wrong doing. We are quick to place labels, give correction, and make judgments, but not nearly as quick to show love, compassion, and caring. And we think we are doing what’s pleasing to God. WRONG! God is not impressed with your corrections and judgements and holy roller facade. People should see our caring and loving hearts before they see our correction. Even Jesus pardoned the adulterous women before He corrected her. Why do people leave the church (most of the time)? Not because of God, but because of His people.
We forget that we are ALL sinners and have sinned and fallen short. We know exactly how to deal with someone else’s sin but quick to overlook our own. We listen to sermons and think “Such and such should have been here to listen to this!” What about you?
Now you ask what about living holy and acceptable before God? I am glad you asked…
You live holy before God to say Thank You for sparing you from eternal damnation. You don’t live holy so you can get things from God. You don’t live holy because you’re a good person. Your greatest worship and praise to Him is to live as He defined in His covenant. When you become a Christian, Jesus cloaks you with His robe of Righteousness and the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you. This is how you begin to live for God. Often we expect unbelievers to act as we do. We expect them to change then receive grace and love. They cannot until they receive grace. Maybe it’s hard for you to extend grace because you don’t understand to what magnitude grace has been extended to you through Jesus Christ.
This is why Christian community is important for holding each other up, extending understanding and caring, serving and giving, sharing and caring. Then you extend correction according to the Gospel. The Gospel isn’t solely about living holy. It’s based on the undeniable, unexplainable, extraordinary, incredible GRACE of GOD. We need to get out and help those that are lost. They need to know we care. They need to know this grace but its starts with you. Even Jesus ate with the sinners.
Here is the catch! If you believe he is Lord and he came into your life, you will be changed. Not might. Not maybe. You will be changed. Your desires, purpose, goals, cares, focus, and heart will gradually be drawn further into the Lord so that you will eventually be a reflection of Jesus Christ. Why? Because He lives in you and He is changing you little by little. So if there is no change over time, you should question if you really believe what you say you believe.
I could go on and on but this touches a few things that were discussed tonight. I hope this blesses someone.
by PrettyfaceANB
My church has a Young Adult (18-35) ministry called Crossroads Café on Friday nights. Tonight was so incredible. I want to share a brief overview of what Minister Bobby Manning preached to us tonight. He preached from John 8:1-12. Please read this scripture before reading forward.
As Christians, we seek to live for God by way of example from Jesus Christ. We spread our theology around the world. Yet, the world only sees what we are against. We hate homosexuality, abortion, drunkardness, etc etc… As a result, a bunch of rules and hatred toward sin is all the world sees in us. Then we wonder why the world doesn’t see why we say we are different. Honestly, on the outside looking in, we don’t like that much different. We should stand against the things God hates. Yet, we forget the key component. We forget what Jesus did for us when we were still sinners, still living apart from Him. We forget what Jesus still does for us every single day.
Grace… (definitoions of Grace)
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is GRACE. This is what makes Christianity different from any and every religion in the world. Other religions instruct that you do XYZ to receive acceptance and approval from God. Jesus came to die for us and took the punishment for our sins because there is nothing, no list, no XYZ we can do to make it to heaven. I repeat…THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO RECONCILE YOURSELF TO GOD. The requirement for salvation is that you believe that Jesus died for you and that He is Lord.
As Christians, we seldom extend grace. We act just like the Pharisees and scribes that condemned the adulterous woman. We put people’s sin on blast. We make them headlines on TV, blogs, in church, in front of everybody. We talk about them behind their backs. We shake our head at their wrong doing. We are quick to place labels, give correction, and make judgments, but not nearly as quick to show love, compassion, and caring. And we think we are doing what’s pleasing to God. WRONG! God is not impressed with your corrections and judgements and holy roller facade. People should see our caring and loving hearts before they see our correction. Even Jesus pardoned the adulterous women before He corrected her. Why do people leave the church (most of the time)? Not because of God, but because of His people.
We forget that we are ALL sinners and have sinned and fallen short. We know exactly how to deal with someone else’s sin but quick to overlook our own. We listen to sermons and think “Such and such should have been here to listen to this!” What about you?
Now you ask what about living holy and acceptable before God? I am glad you asked…
You live holy before God to say Thank You for sparing you from eternal damnation. You don’t live holy so you can get things from God. You don’t live holy because you’re a good person. Your greatest worship and praise to Him is to live as He defined in His covenant. When you become a Christian, Jesus cloaks you with His robe of Righteousness and the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you. This is how you begin to live for God. Often we expect unbelievers to act as we do. We expect them to change then receive grace and love. They cannot until they receive grace. Maybe it’s hard for you to extend grace because you don’t understand to what magnitude grace has been extended to you through Jesus Christ.
This is why Christian community is important for holding each other up, extending understanding and caring, serving and giving, sharing and caring. Then you extend correction according to the Gospel. The Gospel isn’t solely about living holy. It’s based on the undeniable, unexplainable, extraordinary, incredible GRACE of GOD. We need to get out and help those that are lost. They need to know we care. They need to know this grace but its starts with you. Even Jesus ate with the sinners.
Here is the catch! If you believe he is Lord and he came into your life, you will be changed. Not might. Not maybe. You will be changed. Your desires, purpose, goals, cares, focus, and heart will gradually be drawn further into the Lord so that you will eventually be a reflection of Jesus Christ. Why? Because He lives in you and He is changing you little by little. So if there is no change over time, you should question if you really believe what you say you believe.
I could go on and on but this touches a few things that were discussed tonight. I hope this blesses someone.
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