What is Grace?

May 23, 2014

Romans 3: 23-24
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 

Royalty! The very word brings a host of different ideas to our minds. Some may think of red carpets, crowns of gold and extravagant wealth. Some may think of unlimited political power and freedom to do as one pleases. The reality is that none of this is true. In this day the royal houses of Europe have lost all but a trace of their political power and many of them are far less wealthy than a successful business men. The little power that is left to them is largely symbolic, having been limited by constitutions and bills of human rights. Still the idea of royalty provokes some awe in the best of us. Especially us Americans who have no royalty of our own.

Did you know that when a commoner marries royalty, the commoner is no longer common but royal? Of course, you might say. That is as it should be. When Kate Middleton married Prince William he did not become William Middleton, rather she became Princess Kate. Upon becoming a princess, Kate's life changed drastically. She immediately became a celebrity and with that came certain obligations and responsibilities. As a member of the royal house she is supposed to represent the people of Great Britain. She can longer go in public unattended or unguarded. Here every public move is watched. The way she dresses is supposed to set the standard for the latest styles. She is always to act as a lady and should never be involved in anything scandalous. How she chooses to conduct herself will become a symbol for the women not only of Great Britain, but of the world.

In many ways, we can compare the life of the commoner -become-princess to the church of the living God. How so? All of us were once lost in the muck and mire of sin. We did as we pleased as long as we were one of the masses. Our lives had no meaning and no purpose. But when we became Christians, we accepted a proposal from the Son of God, the Crown Prince of Peace to become a part of his bride. As such, we are now royalty in every since of the word. With that knowledge should come a sense of responsibility. As royalty we should have a desire to set a certain standard of living for those who are watching us. This is not necessarily because we are expected to do so but because we love our husband, Jesus Christ.  One day the one we know as the Son of God will cease his role as the mediator for our sins and will take his seat as the King of Kings to judge the world. On that day his church, the bride of Christ, will rule with him in all of her glory. With that knowledge, surely we should be striving with all our might to be like Christ and represent him at all times to the world we will one day judge.

All of us have sinned. Surely none of us would deny that. We know how frail we are spiritually and how prone we are to mistakes and bad judgment calls. "After all, we are human", is the oldest excuse in the book for why we do some of the things we do. Yet this verse is not a license to sin. Rather it is an invitation to forsake our sins and walk in the glory of God. How do we know? Because the next part says "being justified freely by his grace through the "redemption" that is in Christ Jesus. Wow! What a thought! We are justified through Christ's redemption. "To redeem" Is to buy back from someone who held power over us. So through the grace of Christ we are bough back from the power of sin that once held us in bondage. Now we are no longer under the power of that sin but set free to live in victory over sin in Christ Jesus.

The problem is that most of us don't really understand who we are in Jesus Christ. When we are born again (redeemed), we are no longer commoners who have to live under the power of the law of sin.  Now instead of having to obey the law for fear of punishment, we exemplify the law from a sense of honor, knowing that we have become an example to others.

 In most countries a member of the royal house can not be charged with any crime. That's right. The prince and princess of Wales are not going to be given a traffic ticket. Who is going to give a ticket to the Queen's grandson? So does that mean they can do as they please? Far from it. They are actually held to a higher standard than you and me for the reasons we mentioned before. Whatever they do, the people of the kingdom will do in imitation. Therefore, if law and order is to be upheld, royalty must show the people how to live. They do not do this for a fear of displeasing the queen but for respect for her rule.

This is the perfect picture of grace. As a Son of God I am no longer bound to the law. I have been set free. The penalty that it carried before is washed away because of Jesus' blood. If I do make a mistake, it is already taken care of. I can go to my father, the king, and he will make the charges disappear. But I can not live as I once did; the people who know I am a Christian expect me to represent my father to them. Whatever they see me do, they will imitate. Why? Because they understand the relationship I have with God and will assume that whatever I do is acceptable to him. Surely if the King's son can get away with it, we all can. Consider the scandal when Prince Harry was caught on tape in a Las Vegas hotel room playing strip poker. Why would the queen let him get away with such! You get my meaning.

Grace is the most beautiful word in the Bible, yet the most misunderstood. Grace takes a commoner and makes her royalty. Grace forgives her social blunders and recognizes that she (or her) was not raised in a palace. Grace teachers her to be a princess in every sense of the word. Grace doesn't leave her where she was but exposes her to a higher standard and then expects her to live there with all the privileges,  and yes, responsibilities of one befitting a queen.

Let us exemplify his grace today - the world is watching!

Living in Grace,

Sullivan Jones 

Homesick

Have you ever been homesick? It is a common malady. It happens to almost everyone at one time or another. It is that feeling you get when you've been away from home for a few days. Sometimes it starts the minute you leave home. It has different symptoms. Most of the time it is just a feeling of emptiness, a longing to see someone. But it can have real physical complications as well. Everything from headaches, to stomach cramps, to phantom aches and pains has been attributed to homesickness.

I once accompanied a young man to the emergency room to interpret for him. When we arrived, to my relief, the doctor spoke Spanish fairly well. He had done a couple of years in a clinic in Mexico. After checking the young man over thoroughly he began to ask questions about his family, friends, etc. Finally, he diagnosed the man with a serious, although not medically related disease. You guessed it - homesickness. The doctor went on to explain to both of us that home sickness can cause us to feel all sorts of pains that aren't really happening to us.

As I pondered homesickness this morning, I couldn't help but think of my church family. Apart from my flesh and blood family, I miss my church family the most when I am away. There have been times when I am away working or at home sick that I couldn't be in church. I could hardly wait until service was over to ask someone how church was. I wanted to know who was there, what was preached, if there were any visitors, who got baptized, etc. Why? Because this is my spiritual family and I was homesick.

I know there are people who make every excuse not to be in church. All I can say is that they are missing out. I love the feeling of being at home that I get in church. I have known the people in my church for many years. They have been there for us through sickness, death, loneliness, you name it. We have all seen each other at our highest and lowest points and we still love each other. Why? Because we are family and that is what families do.

I have friends and spiritual family all over the world. Perhaps you do as well. Some I will see again many times. Some I may never see again because of distance. The short time we spent together, however, forged a feeling of spiritual connectedness that does not go away. The good thing is that there will be a family reunion of all my brothers and sisters in the Lord one day. On that day, when the trumpet of the Lord sounds, we will all gather around our fathers throne, throw the crowns he has given us at his feet, and the the party will begin. Some people we will see that day we will have know for a lifetime. Some we will not have seen for may years. For some, it will be a first time meeting. But the good news is, it will never end. The reunion will go on for eternity. Just thinking about it makes me homesick for that day.

Don't you want to go? You can. Your reservation is already made. You just need to secure your place by obeying God's plan of salvation found in Acts chapter 2. The invitation is open. Don't miss out on the party of eternity. Everyone will be there, will you? 

Forsake the Way of Wickedness

I love Isaiah chapter 55. It is quite possibly one of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible. It starts off with these immortal words:

Ho, every one that  thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price. 

The prophet goes on to ask, Why would you spend your hard earned money for that which does not satisfy? The meaning is clear. There is a source of hunger that no bread, milk, or wine can satisfy. It can only be satisfied with the Spirit of God. It is the empty spot in man that only God can fill. A God-shaped void, if you will, exists in the heart of every human being alive. We will never be completely satisfied or at peace until that spot is filled with God's spirit.

This is, of course, the heart of the gospel message. Jesus referred to this verse in John 7:37 when he said, "If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink." The gospel message is simply this: if you will come to Jesus he will wash away your sins, change your course in life, and quench your spiritual hunger and thirst. However there is a part of this message that we often overlook.

Verse number 7 says, "Let the wicked forsake his way." That is right, the wicked. In the culture in which we live it is no longer acceptable to call anyone or anything wicked. It is considered as passing judgment to call anything wicked. Yet what many fail to realize is that the Bible calls a great many things wicked. We love the next verse in Isaiah chapter 53. In verse 8 we are told that God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts and his ways are higher than our ways. We like to take this verse as  meaning that God has something better in store for us than we can imagine for ourselves. While this may be somewhat true, it is not the intended meaning of this verse. The meaning of this verse is clear from verse 7: Let the wicked forsake his way.

The clarion call of the gospel has always been for the wicked to forsake his sin and turn to God. There was a time when almost any denomination in Christianity preached basically the same message. REPENT! Repentance was a clear call to turn from unrighteousness and beg God for his mercy. It was to ask God to cover us with the blood of Jesus and withhold his judgment from us. That is what true repentance is. That message has been replaced by and large with a message that says believe and confess.

While confession of and  belief in Jesus Christ is necessary for salvation, we must not let belief and confession replace the message of repentance. God's message of salvation has always been and still is , "Let the wicked forsake his way." It was this message that spared Nineveh when Jonah preached and it is this message that will spare America or any other country today from God's judgment.

Anyone that knows the word of God can look around and tell that America is on a collision course with the judgment of God. We call that which is unrighteous, righteous. We persecute those who boldly proclaim the truth. The only standard of truth we have in America today is "Thou shalt not judge." Can I tell you that there is a judgment coming. It is not a judgment of any man but the judgment of God himself. Yes, God is a merciful God. The end of verse 7 tells us to return to the Lord and he will "abundantly pardon." But the only way for the pardon to come is for the wicked to forsake his way.

We as Christians must intercede for our country. Instead of being angry at politicians and other we must realize that the problems this country has is the fault of the whole. For all of us have sinned and deserve God's judgment. Let us seek after him today as the people of Nineveh did at the preaching of Jonah. Let us beg him to spare our families, our cities, and our nation. He is a merciful God and it may be that he will hear our cries and spare us. But the only way that will happen is if

                                                           THE WICKED WILL FORSAKE HIS WAY! 

Conversation

Recorded Conversations

One of my communication assignments for this week was to observe conversations for two days and compare them with the things my class had learned about principles of conversation. The main principles of conversation, according to our text, are turn-taking, dialogue, immediacy (closeness) and flexibility. What I learned in looking for these things was pretty enlightening. First, I saw that there were two types of conversations going on around me. The first one was to convey information about work. These were pretty impersonal. The second conversations were obviously a need for comradeship. I saw dozens of times when we (almost everyone in the building) made up reasons to go to another person’s office and share something that was not purely work related. Below are some things I noted.

Work Conversations

• Sharing information about work or just gossiping.
• A lot of complaining accompanied any talk about work or management.
• There was a definite lack of communication at times. People assuming others knew something they hadn’t been told.
• The conversation was much more playful when a department manager wasn’t around.

• The more informal the conversation, the less the rules of etiquette were observed.
• There was more interrupting, over - talking, etc. in playful, argumentative conversations than in serious conversations.
• One could tell how long two people had known each other and the closeness of their relationship by their conversations.

In conclusion I would say that it is obvious that communication is a part of our need for companionship. Most of the conversation I saw happening was more about being together than just sharing information. It is obvious that we humans need each other. We were not meant to be alone.

Thoughtfully,

Sullivan Jones

Communicating Ethically

I recently had to write a paper for a communications course on " A Scriptural Foundation for Communication Ethics." I thought I would share it with my readers. I had to repent a few times as I wrote the paper.

God Bless,

Sullivan

Perhaps no area is more important to the cause of ethics than how we use our words. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 15.4 (KJV) that the wholesome tongue is a tree of life. It also tells us in James 3.8 that the tongue is a restless evil and full of deadly poison (NIV). Our words have the ability to give life and bring death. With such a power given to us, it is no wonder that Jesus said we would give account to God for every idle word spoken (Matthew 12.36, KJV). Psalm 45.1 says that my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Whether written or spoken, my words should be used ethically.

Most everyone is familiar with the scriptural admonition against lying (Exodus 20.16, Mark 10.19, KJV). However, there is more to being ethical with our words than refraining from lies. Many people who would not tell an outright lie think nothing of sharing some “harmless” gossip. Proverbs 26:22 (KJV) tell us that he words of a talebearer are like deep wounds that go down into the spirit. I am convinced that we would be far more ethical with the things we share if we fully understood the ramifications of breaking a confidence. In fact, gossip is listed among the seven things that God hates most in Proverbs chapter six (KJV).

We should also be careful to use ethics when giving information especially in public speaking. For the minister of the gospel, this is especially important. I have seen pastors use examples that were quickly discredited with something as simple as snopes.com. When it was discovered that the “fact” was false, the entire sermon was discredited, leaving his listeners to doubt everything he said. The Pastor (or Sunday School teachers) is dealing with the eternity of the soul and should do his best to make sure that what he says from the pulpit holds up under scrutiny.

Recently, I saw a televangelist holding up a bottle that supposedly contained water from the Jordan River. For a hundred dollars he promised his listeners a bottle of this “miracle” water that would cure any disease. Micah 3.11 pronounces a curse on those who prophesy for money (KJV). Surely, this was not God’s intention when he said to pray for the sick (James 5:15, KJV).

With our words we will be justified and with our words we will be condemned, according to Matthew 12.32 (KJV). Our words have been given to us so that we may build relationships, praise God, and, most of all, proclaim the gospel. Surely, there is no area where ethics is more needed than in communication. Let’s be Christ like with our words. The world is watching us! 

Triumph in Destruction

Matthew 6:19-20 

 19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

This is a photo I snapped from among the rubble  in Winston County last week. When I see things like this it makes me think of the parable Jesus told about the houses on the rock and the sand. The wise man built his house on the rock and when the storms of life came his house stood still. The foolish man built his house on the sand and the storms of life blew it down. Whoever wrote this message on that door has shown us all that his/her house is built on the rock. God is good!

Praising Him Daily,

Sullivan Jones

Is God good?

I know the phrase "God is good" has become almost a cliche to some of us. We use it so much that we say it automatically. Sometimes it is almost as if we are trying to convince ourselves of his goodness. Yet we continue to say it, partly because we believe it most of the time, and partly because we are expected to say it.

But is God really good? (Don't throw stones yet, please). Is God good when everything is going wrong in my life? Is God still good when I don't understand why he lets things happen? What about when a loved dies young or a Christian is murdered? Wasn't God supposed to protect them? These are valid questions and I don't believe God minds us asking.

Several years ago a close friend was taken from me at only 19 years of age. He was in the prime of life. There were so many things we didn't understand. Why God, seemed to be the only prayer I could form. Yet God did send an answer in his time. The answer he gave me is from Isaiah chapter 57, verse 1. The scripture says:

"The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come."

When I read these words I remembered something. God is the giver and taker of all life. He understands things that none of us can understand. The prophet is reminding us here that God can see the future. And when the righteous are taken from us (especially when it seems too soon) we can rejoice that they are taken away from the evil that is to come. Their battles are over. They are eternally in the presence of God and need never face another heartache. 

This life is full of troubles and woes. Unfortunately, because of Adam and Eve's sin, death has entered the world and the heartache that goes along with it. But the grave is not the final resting place for a child of God. The hope of the Christian is found in I Thessalonians 4: 15-18

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

The hope of the Christian is the resurrection (rapture) of the church. Though troubles may come in this world, God has not left us without a promise. He will come again and receive us unto himself. This is the only thing worth living for. The promise of His return! 

So, I ask again. Is God good? He most certainly is? 

Looking for Jesus,

Sullivan Jones