Amazing Grace

As I mentioned in my first post, I am reading a book, borrowed from a friend in faith, that is all about Gods Grace. It is called The Ragamuffin Gospel By Brennan Manning. I wasn't sure if I should type this, when I was 100% done with the book, but my mind is overflowing with all these differently viewed concepts, so I decided to go ahead and start it. I am only on the beginning of chapter four...


Grace - 1) Mercy; Clemency; Pardon: an act of Grace. 2) The freely given, unmerited favor and love of God


Most people with some sort of christian faith or religion, have the Grace of God all wrong. I didn't grow up in a religious house hold. Occasionally as a little girl I remember attending church on big events such as Easter, but no more. However, I was raised to believe that in order to get into heaven, or for God to love me I had to be the perfect child without sin, and I knew that, I was not. When I started attending my current church, I learned that a lot of my perceptions on religion were wrong. God sent his only begotten son to die on the cross in order to forgive the sins of the flesh that people do EVERYDAY. I accepted Jesus Christ into my life, but yet until reading this book I still didn't totally understand God's Grace. 


Today, the American church "accepts grace in theory, but denies it in practice". Jesus dined with sinners and tax collectors. To dine with somebody means to become friends with them, and in His case, to forgive them of their sins. Religious people couldn't understand why he would to this, or for what purpose. All throughout the Book of Luke, Jesus dines with all kinds of sinners, and would place EVERYBODY on the same level. No matter their society ranking or wealth. God LOVES us all the same, and because of his Grace, we are all the same. "The church is not a museum for saints, but a hospital for sinners. (Morton Kelsey)" It is a place for everybody to come, remove their false coverings they place on for the rest of the world, admit they have sinned, and feel the grace of God as they are forgiven. A man who understands Grace, understands that "Once saved, Not always saved". He understands that you will never be perfect and GOD STILL LOVES YOU and you are forgiven BECAUSE OF HIS GRACE!!! Salvation is by grace through faith. Meaning that if you have faith, God has grace, and you will be saved. People need to have faith, not that he exists, but through Trusting Him. 


The most famous saying I heard in church as a child was; "God loves good little children." Well geez, at that rate he would always hate me... But almost every church I have seen or participated in is living in the house of FEAR and not in the house of LOVE. They use things such as; "If you sin once today, God will never forgive you, and won't forget." instead of; "God loves you, if you sin, discuss it with him, and move on." To many people focus on what humans do (the sins) instead of what God does (the Grace). We are humans, mortal, God is amazing and all powerful. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9). 


God gave us a mind to shape ideas and a heart to beat with love. He gave EVERYONE grace, so before you judge those around you, think.. If Jesus preferred to dine with them instead of the wealthy, obviously they realized the gift of grace and accepted it, and because they know Gods grace and love, they are ahead of myself.


I don't know if this helped anyone understand Gods grace, like the book is helping my, but I hope it does.


Lydia S.


All of the quotes in this post are from the Book, and if you want the whole concept, he writes it much better than I.