The things you learn.....

Its been a week here... yes one of those kind of weeks.... Not all bad but challenging...

And all that I can think about is Grace.....

let me step back a bit and fill in some of the back story and maybe make some sense of why Grace is so much in my mind this week..

We had a situation in our town that has caused a lot of soul searching for those of us who are professing Christians.. A highly respected member of the clergy and business  was found dead this week of suicide.. Shocking  to say the least.. but the worst was yet to come.. it seems that he was under investigation for abuse..sexual abuse of a minor when he was much younger..  the initial incident seems to have occurred over 40 years ago. 

This  member of the clergy was a tireless worker.. Creating socially active responsible entities to help those who needed help. Health care. hospice care, homeless shelters.. all good things.. and yet in the end it seems his faith failed him.. Suicide is not an option..It just isn't..
I don't know where he ended up at the end of the fall that caused his death.. whether he asked forgiveness or not and whether it was genuine or not.. all I know is he is dead.. and a ton of people are hurting..

My wife and i have talked a few times this week about this.. wondering why?  How? and is  he in Heaven...I don't know the answers to that but this I can surmise..
In retrospect..
His Faith was based on works.. LORD see how much I have done for thee.. that pays for the sins I have committed.. right?
the problem is is that when the sin was found out or released.. that he realized he could not do enough to atone for the sin that was committed..  And not being sure of his Faith felt ot he wayside..

This is where Grace comes in... Grace is how we are truly saved.. WE cannot do enough to atone for a white lie or a half truth.. We can't..Sin is SIN is SIN.. murder, fib,idolatry, gluttony its all the same Its SIN.
and it keeps us from the love of GOD and his mercy..

the works we do are good.. but they cannot be the basis of our faith.. Our faith comes through Christ and Christ alone.. it is only because of his atoning death on the Cross that we are able to spend eternity with him.

If  your view is that well,   I'm good enough..I've done enough.. I'm a good person..(most of the time). God will let me into heaven.. I'm sorry but your wrong.. we must accept the free gift of grace that Jesus Christ provides..  It is so simple and yet... It's not... because at that point we are no longer in control...  and we will try and rest that away on a regular basis.. but here is the neat thing.. when we do that.. and realize it and ask God for Forgiveness.. the Grace thing comes into play again.. and he gives us more Grace and forgives us.

So Grace is a great thing!  it is through Grace that we are saved..it sis through Grace that we stay saved and it is through Grace that we are able to call on the Father and ask for more of that Grace..

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