Scandalous Grace

Karen said...

My biggest struggle with getting to know God is getting over the people who hurt me in God's name. It took me a long time to realize that those people were just doing what they thought was right, in persecuting me and turning me away.

But I have learned that God doesn't want that. He loves people who wear shorts, people who cut their hair, and people who hold hands before marriage. These are his children. He is willing to meet us half way, or three quarters if we need it. That is his grace.

The only thing I'm going to disagree with you on is God meeting us half way (or even three quarters of the way). God meets us where we are!!! (Please read exclamations in an excited way - not an angry way) In our ugliest moment He is right there. The reason this is so hard for us, is often because we refuse to be where we are. God doesn't meet us where we pretend to be, where we want to be, or where we think we ought to be. God meets us where we are. Those who have truly experienced His grace, meet them in the climax of their rebellion, can't help but offer that scandalous grace to others. There are those who are tuned into His unconditional love, and they can't help but love others unconditionally.

Sadly, there are MANY in the church who believe they have to earn His love by doing this, this, and this. (their earn-God's-love checklists are actually more focused on NOT doing this, this, and this.) When people are focused on their performance and constantly trying to earn God's love, they either people they are doing a good job and become blinded by pride, or they feel they aren't measuring up and become blinded by self-rejection (due to feeling rejected by God). Then when a list-focuser sees someone else (who isn't as focused on list keeping) they do the only "loving" thing they know how to do, and try and get them to list-focus too. You are so right Karen, the more you stay focused on God, and actively trust His unconditional love and grace for everyone, the more you will be able to share that unconditional love and grace with others.

This is one of the reasons I am so drawn to Jesus. He was born into a world totally focused on their religious lists, and Jesus came along and loved wild people wildly. Jesus loves outside the lines. Consider this, throughout His life, notorious sinners were drawn to Jesus; while religious people were infuriated by Him. Scandalous grace is the reason why the holiest man who ever lived was put to death as a blasphemer.