(This study is valuable for everyone but is especially important for “guilty souls” to grasp the grace, mercy and love of God)
John 1:14 (Tap to Expand)
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
- Grace and truth often are contradictory qualities. (Some people are brutally truthful and others merciful and gracious)
- Jesus was full of both and we need to learn to embrace both.
- This is not an either/or but rather a both/and choice.
- Grace addresses the gap between Gods holiness and man’s weakness and failure. But is does not lower Gods standards down to man’s sinful behaviour, it rather lifts mankind up to Gods righteousness.
2 Peter 3:18 (Tap to Expand)
18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and saviour Jesus
- Understanding Jesus and his grace is not a once off thing. We need to continue to grow in embracing, understanding and accepting grace.
- Guilty souls constantly feel unworthy, and failing to live up to the standards of scripture.
- Definition of grace: “Unmerited kindness and mercy”
- Grace is what makes up the difference between human weakness and Gods’ holiness. Grace is our safety net.
- An Example: When building the Golden Gate bridge a number of workers fell to their deaths. They paused the construction and built a safety net to catch falling workers. Interestingly once the net was in place not one worker fell off the bridge. (Grace is our safety net)
2 Corinthians 5:14-20 (Tap to Expand)
14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
- Christ’s love, sacrifice and his grace that has been poured out into our lives compels us to no longer live for self, but rather for Christ and his mission.
- Q. How do we view people from a worldly point of view? (race, economic status, tribe, gender etc…)
- As Christians we rather view people from a spiritual point of view (lost and needing the gospel, or saved and your brother and sister in Christ)
- As Christians we have all been given the ministry of reconciliation as a job. Pleading with lost people to be reconciled with God, and a job title “Ambassadors of God’s grace.”
Matthew 18:21-35 (Tap to Expand)
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a]
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[b] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
A parable is an earthly story with a spiritual meaning
• This story tells us of someone who received a great deal of mercy and
forgiveness and yet did not show that same degree of mercy to others.
• In this parable we are the servant that has received mercy from God
(the master). The message for us is show that same degree of mercy and forgiveness to others.
• Q. Is there someone you have not forgiven for the hurt or harm they
have done to you? Is there someone you are harsh and judgmental towards?
For further study
• Gods’ justice and grace
• The Guilty Souls Guide to Grace
