GRACE: Come as you Are

"The world can do almost anything as well or better than the church. You need not be a Christian to build houses, feed the hungry, or heal the sick. There is only one thing the world cannot do. It cannot offer grace" – Gordon MacDonald.

Grace says that God loves your right now, just like you are. Then why does the 'church' or christianity get labeled as intolerant so often?

GRACE: more than tolerance

Tolerance: "sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own."

Why do I think that tolerance is a cheap substitute for grace?

· Doesn't value people only puts up with behavior or beliefs.

· Deals with differences, but doesn't embrace people for their good and bad parts.

· Because tolerance can't label something as "bad" or "wrong" or "sinful" (that wouldn't be tolerant, now would it?)

· There's no place for 'justice' in tolerance.

Grace accepts both the good and bad in people…

The world around us is good and bad

Your friends and family are good and bad

YOU are both good and bad

Your enemies are good and bad

Sometimes people have a hard time integrating the good and the bad parts of them. Some people try to hide or ignore the bad, sinful, compulsive, arrogant, or mean parts of themselves. But we are meant to be WHOLE people. There's something healthy about being able to accept myself and others for who they are right now... all of them (or me). Reality is healthy.

If we only acknowlege the good parts of ourselves, then we aren't being honest with who we are, now. We're lying and putting ourselves in unreal relationships - relationships where the bad parts of us are 'off limits' to discuss. If we get stuck in this then we can't change and move beyond our hurts, addictions, anger, etc. When we're in this 'all good' mode, then we de-value ANYthing that doesn't meet our expectations (Unsatisfied in job(s), churches, relationships, etc).

If we go to the "all bad" mode of ourself or the world...

·

End up in a mental hospital

· Depression

· Suicide

· Pessimism

· Hopelessness

· Lying to self and others

If we don't integrate the good and bad parts of us or the world around us, we can't successfully deal with the realities in the world.

We need to be fully integrated people.

Grace allows us to accept the good and bad parts of us and others.

Tolerance doesn't do that because tolerance can't label something as 'bad' or sinful or wrong.

GRACE: means we don't try to fix people.

If you found the mona lisa in your back yard covered in mud, you would be focused on the value of the painting. On the flip-side, if you saw one of my paintings covered in mud, there would be no value in spending anytime trying to clean it – a waste of time.

Back to the mona lisa – you should be excited and nervous to have something so valuable in your care. BECAUSE OF ITS VALUE - you shouldn't try to clean it up yourself, but you should take the art to a master who could guide the restoration process. That's a picture of Grace.

People should be introduced to God who is the master of restoration.

GRACE: ACCEPTANCE
QUESTION: How do we put skin on this kind of Grace?

Romans 15:7 "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God."

GRACE: NO CONDEMNATION

At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

Grace is beautiful. Grace is powerful. Grace can acknowlege our shortcomings. Grace takes me as I am.

As is. As we are. As you are. How are you? Do you have Grace toward yourself? Do you re-present God's Grace toward your world? Have you experienced Grace?

I'm trying to be fully integrated myself... celebrating the good parts and accepting the stupid parts. I'm trying to do the same for you.

just some of my late night thoughts.