A spiritually sick, rebellious fool? Guilty as charged!

6 responses to “A spiritually sick, rebellious fool? Guilty as charged!”

1. 

   betterthanexpected2013

   June 27, 2013

   Reblogged this on betterthanexpected2013 and commented:
   That was so great. Just today, I got a major rejection from a brother who is a great person but who thinks I’m not and doesn’t want to do business together. Like 3 different people who I think are pretty great don’t think the same of me. Please don’t criticize them. That’s not my point.

   I’m pretty new to the radical grace of God. So, facing this level of rejection would fairly devastate me in the past for, maybe a week. Then it would hurt for a long time. Well, I can’t tell you how comforted I am that God says I’m great. And his opinion has judicial authority. I’ve heard this in church a lot. But, somehow, I’m really getting it now. I’m finding new levels of peace and joy.

   I’m a pretty messed up person, if Jesus weren’t in the picture. I get great strength from remembering many times each day that I’m God’s favorite person (tied for first place with everyone else, btw) and he sees me as innocent and worthy. I really like how you, Steve, wrote this post. It really encouraged me. I need to think about these things about 100 times every day to keep myself in peace/joy.

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   1. 

      Simon Yap

      June 27, 2013

      You were sick. You no longer are a messed up person!

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      1. 

         scorchingwords

         June 28, 2013

         Amen. Thank you!

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   2. 

      scorchingwords

      June 28, 2013

      Me too brother! Knowing He loves us as we ARE, not as we should be, is liberating! He loves us so much, He would rather die than live without us. Isn’t that humbling? And He loves us so much, he knew we could never achieve His standard of righteousness our selves, so He gave it to us as a free gift! What a God!

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   3. 

      scorchingwords

      June 28, 2013

      Have you seen this, brother? Never has a preacher reduced me to tears the way Brennan Manning can reduce me to tears. Watch this, on God’s COMPASSION: “Come now wounded, frightened, angry, empty, lonely … and I’ll meet you where you live… and I’ll love you as you are, not as you should be.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dMwu1rhTCQ

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2. 

   Jim McNeely

   July 15, 2013

   This is a wonderful post. I am overjoyed to be a guilty, rebellious, sick fool who is justified and saved by the precious blood of Jesus! It is while we were yet sinners that Christ died for the ungodly! Our understanding of the degree of grace that is afforded us through Christ’s blood has to be deep and scandalous enough to raise the Romans 6:1 question (shall I sin all the more that grace might increase?) If not, it still smacks of life under the threat and punishment of the law. But we are free indeed, and the only virtue worth pursuing is the virtue born of the heart freely chosen as an act of love towards God and towards our fellows. “Sanctification” is nothing if it isn’t completely divorced and separate from justification. If we can screw up our sanctification enough to affect our justification, then we are justified by works and not by faith. Our sanctification must flow from that kind of justification or it is no free gift at all.

   Blessings to you! How wonderful to find another crazy grace friend. Love and peace to you.

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