Grace Upon Grace

I know that I'm a Wesleyan through and through. I don't think I ever doubted it, but watching someone come to faith in Jesus over the past few weeks has reminded me of how Wesleyan I am. The only words I could use to describe what I saw happening were Wesley's.

Each time I would write a response to a question, have a conversation, or see a reaction, I would say "God's working on [person]." Prevenient grace - God at work before we're even aware of the presence of God in our lives. I knew it was at work. I'd felt it in my own life, many years before. I'd seen it at work in the lives of others, but saw it in very real and tangible ways in this person's life.

Recently, I saw grace on the move in this person's life. Tears were streaming, hands shaking, questions forming, to say, "I know God loves me!" Justifying grace, as Wesley said, was the moment that you became convinced of your sin and your need for God.

Does that mean the questions stop? No! By no means! None of it stops at all....but we continue to grow in grace, to grow in faith, as we grow closer to God in Jesus Christ. Wesley called this type of grace sanctifying grace. It's a lifelong process. We ought not get too discouraged, because God continues to heap upon us grace upon grace, so that we can grow in our love of God and of our neighbors. I look forward to seeing what is in store for my new relative in Christ!

Nobody Sins Anymore...

...well, at least no one talks about it - and that's a problem! Lately, it seems as though churches are willing to sell out to pop culture, or self-help, or prosperity. The likes of prominent faces on bestseller lists should tell us that is indeed the case.

No one sins anymore...especially not televangelists who encourage people to find their best life, or to pray for God to bless them...while wearing clothing and perfect hair and makeup that could easily send thousands of children to school in Africa. No, those things aren't sins - as long as we live a good, moral life, and try to be a good person, that's really all that matters, right?

Except that such a stance isn't Biblical. From the beginning, the Bible reminds us of our sinful nature. We were created to be in relationship with God, but we keep falling short; we miss the mark; we cannot bridge the gap that exists between us and God.

Pop culture, self-help, prosperity, the highest-paying job, the best clothes, and even serving regularly at the homeless shelter cannot and will not bridge the gap. Paul reminds the church at Rome that all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. Our works, our possessions, our vanity, all of our attempts at getting right with God are in vain.

Jesus makes it right. Jesus bridges the gap. In Jesus, we find forgiveness of our sins, and one who died on our behalf. Jesus allows us to be united with God. To say that nobody sins anymore simply isn't true. Our sin took God's Son to the cross. Everyone sins - so let's talk about it, release it, and allow Jesus to work in our lives, so that we can be united with God in love.