All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others

Of Grace ... sometimes you gotta wrestle.

Of Grace ... sometimes you gotta wrestle. Acts 13

'Ever listen to the podcast? Just click the link:

http://www.pastorwoman.com/podcasts/37792693-cf72-4052-9dd7-6e06ae3...

She is beautiful ~ young and vivacious with sparkling eyes ~ life is springing out of her every pore! How did I meet Lindsay? Having been in Nashville, Tennessee for the Q conference1 this week, a fellow I met said, 'you have to know this woman and she has to know you!' And so I contacted her, caught a 'Lyft' and crossed the miles to meet her on Saturday afternoon.

I located her in The Factory in Franklin, that has been repurposed to house individual retail spaces that is oh, so cool. We connected immediately and I asked her to tell me her story. It was a good story, a sweet story, a God story. This girl who had been steeped in the Christian faith, with some candor, revealed that after a major life disappointment, she had recently come to terms that she had been operating under the premise that God did not ultimately want good things for her. For everyone else, but maybe not her.

Thankfully, she wrestled, fought and grappled AND, being desirous of hearing from God himself, rested her case with him--that he, her God, loved her and wanted the best things for her. With that knowledge, Lindsay came to peace. Ultimately, she continued in the grace of God. And,

she continues to walk in the grace of God, but it is a choice.

Similarly, believing is a choice. Some believe in the truth of God to which they are exposed, and some do not. It has always been so. Think of it - even those listening to the greatest Christian teacher ever--Paul, impassioned, intelligent, well-read though he was--turned and walked away from him, from truth.

Let us look at what Luke recorded, "As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.

On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him."

Wait . . . here it is again-jealousy! Jealousy in the religious leaders caused them to slander Paul. We have seen it before, have we not? Jealousy in the Jewish leaders over Jesus' growing popularity and influence, caused them to push Pilate to get rid of him. Look at Paul and Barnabas' response:

"We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: "'I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'"

When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit."2

Two lines jump off the page: ~>continue in the grace of God~ ~>We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it...~

In truth, the two are inextricably linked: when we accept the word of God, we have the choice to continue in the grace of God. First, a choice to accept the grace God extended in Jesus, and second, a choice to walk in the dailiness of his grace in our lives. Just as Lindsay worked out,

God does want her good-actually, his best for her-

and that is because God, by his very nature,

is good and his disposition toward us is love.

Struggling with grace? Do not stop wrestling, Friend. I'm not.

Christine

1 - http://qideas.org/videos/why-culture-matters/

2 - Acts 13.42-52

* The Factory? http://factoryatfranklin.com/shopping/

0 members like this