Grace in a Dark World

All it takes is one look at the beginning of a check out line to realize that we are living in a very lost and dark world. Articles and pictures of people who are changing the way God designed them to be, and other articles bashing and condemning a bad choice once made by a young boy who has been freely forgiven by God. It's sad really, that people in this world would embrace a gender confused person wanting to change God's blueprint, but be so hateful and condemning of someone who has been changed (in heart, soul, and mind) by God, made clean, and set free. The world just cannot wrap their heads around the abundant GRACE of God.

As Christians we are told to be the salt of the earth. No christian, and no person for that matter, is perfect. We.are.all.messed.up.people. We all sin and fall short, but the difference is Christ. We can either accept Christ and his gift of mercy and grace, or we can bury ourselves in the lies and deceit of the devil and this world.

The controversy with the Duggar family has actually brought to light more so that their are so many lost people. As I listen to news stories arguments about this specific topic it really just amazes me that people honestly have no clue of what forgiveness in Christ really is. They don't understand how or why God would be so gracious to forgive and entirely blot out & make new a person who has committed such wrongful acts. Honestly I was once in that same boat. I could not fully grasp the fact that I had been forgiven and MADE NEW. I would condemn and bash myself for the things that I had done in my past. Even though God had already blotted out and forgiven me I was still wallowing in self shame.

How did I come to fully understand God's pure grace? Through a lot of prayer and through reading His word. I can see God now with a smirk shaking his head at me every time I would ask him to forgive me for the same thing He had already forgotten about. Isaiah 43:25 paints the picture perfectly:

"I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." 

My sweet pastors wife a few weeks ago in sunday school said that it's not our job to condemn and hold people down in their sin ( thanks Debbie! (: ). This stuck in my heart and has been on my mind through the past few weeks. No it is not our job to shame and hold people captive for a sin that God Almighty has already erased. We shouldn't do this to others and we shouldn't do it to ourselves. We need to hold on to the grace that has been given and rest in it! Refreshing huh? ( anything with the word rest in it is refreshing..amen mommas?) 

 "But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it."- Ephesians 4:7

Lets be the salt of the earth Christians. Shine God's glory and grace in your life to all those who you come in contact with. Share your struggles and sins so that they may see the wonderful place God has brought you to. Point someone towards God's grace and give them encouraging verses that may help them understand the power in Christ we have to overcome sin. Be a blessing!!

" Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." -Romans 3:20-24

God Bless,

-Haleigh