SINNER SAVED BY GRACE...LET US DRAW NEAR...

MEDITATION MONDAY

.

Hebrews 10:22 encourages us to to follow through with receiving the grace that has been extended to us. As christians, we are invited... we are encouraged... we are blessed with these words...

.

"... let us draw near to God..."

.

Our scripture memory for the month ends with God, the Son, coming to earth to show humanity what God is really like. We needed a visual!

.

John 1:14

"The Word became flesh

and made His dwelling among us.

We have seen His glory,

the glory of the One and Only,

who came from the Father,

full of grace and truth."

.

That last line of verse 14 is often interpreted two other ways than what it says:

1. full of grace, or

2. full of truth

There are many who see God as the "Santa Clause in the sky" who has such a soft heart that in the end everyone will get to be at the party no matter what. Then, there are others who view God as "THE Santa Clause in the sky" who has a bundle of switches with each person's name on it, as He watches with "the all seeing eye" for people to disobey.

.

A balance of grace and truth is what Jesus' life on earth told us about GOD. GOD extends to us the arms of "the greatest love the world has ever known" (full of grace) with the understanding that the only way we can each come into His holy presence (full of truth) is as friends of His Son, Jesus the Christ.

.

Derrick, is a teacher who is working on his master's in pastoral counseling. In the summertime, he works alongside our preachers, Dan and Steve. Yesterday, Derrick spoke to our church family. His lesson was entitled:

GOD, I DESIRE YOU!

His lesson began at creation, in the garden, with ELOHIM and Adam and Eve. He stressed two themes that run through the entire Bible:

• God desires a relationship with us

• God's glory

Derrick said that it boils down to this:

1. God speaks
2. I listen (trust and obey)

3. God is glorified

The problem we have in following that plan is articulated in Proverbs 14:12:

"There is a way that seems right to a man,

but in the end it leads to death."

Recently, Derrick got this really good muffin mix. He knew if he followed the directions, on the box, that those muffins would turn out just the way the box promised.

Yet, Derrick decided he'd like to add a banana.

Surely, these muffins would be amazing as "banana muffins". The end product? "HORRIBLE!"

.

"It's like when God says to 'Do A' and we choose to 'Do A, B, and C', Derrick said, "... and then we wonder how things got so horrible."

.

Derrick had a lot more wonderful things to share! Yet, for us today, I ask you to join me in meditating on the following:

1. Christ displayed God's glory to us in His great balance of GRACE and TRUTH

2. He wants us to trust and obey the TRUTH as He gives us GRACE for today and bright hope for tomorrow.

3. God's GRACE allows us to be transparent with Him... to ask questions... to pour out our hearts to Him...

4. God's TRUTH gives us opportunity to trust and obey that following "A" is enough and that His GRACE is sufficient!
   
   

.