BoldGrace

Today I watched the Opray show and it was all about children around the world who are sold as slaves.  Their parents sell them as young as 4 years old so they can have money to feed the rest of the family.  These children work from 4:30AM until dark and are only fed one meal a day.  They are often beaten and never shown any love accept from each other. 

In contrast to that story I was able tonight to watch as my daughter Amy got into the final 8 out of 55 contestants in the Wayne County Idol singing competition at our local Fair.  I was so proud of her I wanted to burst, and I have to say there was a great temptation to ask God for a little help as she goes into the finals this coming Saturday.  But before I uttered that prayer my mind kept going back to those poor children who are being abused every single moment of their precious lives with no one to cheer them on or even give them hope.

I don’t know if my daughter will win or not, but this I know, God loves those poor slave children the same as he loves my Amy and I am so glad that HE is everyones God.  I wish I could understand better why things like that go on in the world, but until that time what I’m left with is my absolute faith in a God who loves us all and cares even when a sparrow falls to the ground. 

So, tonight when I lay down my head I will thank God for my children and I will thank God for His love for all the children of the world with a perfect love, even if we don’t see it right now.

I wrote the following post December 30th, 2006 at my old site.

Just as God sent Abraham on a journey that he was completely unaware of where it would lead him, we too have been sent on our own journey and each of us must find our way.  Every journey is unique with its own unique set of circumstances.  Who is able to understand such a unique journey as this?  The answer is easy and yet many still do not understand it.

The answer I am referring to is “God”.  Only God knows where we came from and where we are going, and yes, he knows every step in-between.  I am not saying we can’t help each other along the way because I know this pleases God when we love one another and seek to lighten the load of a burdened soul.  But there is a big difference in helping another fellow traveler and forcing him to walk with us

Abraham’s great journey is filled with personal mistakes, bad judgment, and even weak faith, and yet he is held up as an example of the kind of human faith God would have us all to have.  Was that faith based on law?  I think not, because the law didn’t even come into play until many years after Abraham.  Just what was it based on then?  Paul says it best in Romans 4 talking about just what did Abraham believe?

Rom 4:5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.

Abraham believed in a God who would justify the ungodly.  I too have come to this same faith.  But one major difference I have with most institutional churches is that I believe he justifies the ungodly regardless of whether they have faith or not.  Now I’m not saying faith is not required, I’m just saying no human being outside of Jesus Christ has the faith that justifies the ungodly. 

The Gospel is the declaration of that which has ALREADY HAPPENED!

It is NOT the declaration of what will happen if you believe.

The Gospel is the declaration of what HAS HAPPENED so you can believe.

Selah

Geo

In my last post we talked about "missing the mark" (G264). So what is or was the "mark" that we miss and thus we are declared "sinners" (G264)?

This as far as I can tell this is the"mark"…….

Joh 13:34  "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (Jesus)

Joh 13:35  "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."  (Jesus)

Joh 15:12  "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. (Jesus)

Joh 15:17  "This I command you, that you love one another.  (Jesus)

When we fail to love ALL no matter who or what they are then we "miss the mark" (G264) It is ONLY when we fail to love that we are "sinners" (G264)

There is NO OTHER sin (G264) since the Cross than this.

Love

Geo

In the New Testament the word “sinners” is used 30 times. And NONE of them refer to Adam’s Sin i.e. OFFENSE Which in Strong’s Concordance is G266.

Each time the word “sinner” is used it is from the Strong’s G268, which is from G264, which means, “to miss the mark” Again NOT, ONE time is G266 used in describing “sinners”. And why is that? Because G266 or OFFENSE i.e. The Unbelief of Adam was taken away at The Cross and there is now NO SIN of Unbelief because Jesus Authored and finished Belief i.e. FAITH! So neither you, me, or any of mankind SIN any longer.

If that is true then what about when it calls us “sinners” those 30 times in the New Testament? Is it possible to be a “sinner” without SIN? YES! Because a “sinner” is not one who fails to follow a law, rule, regulation or belief. A “sinner” is one who misses the mark! You see the sin of missing the mark (G264) was NEVER a problem between man and God! Even under The Old Testament and its laws, rules and regulations being a “sinner” (G264) was NOT the problem! It was The Sin – OFFENSE/ UNBELIEF (G266) of Adam that was the problem. And it was that ONE SIN –Unbelief/ Offense (G266) that Jesus died for thus taking ALL peoples into Righteousness in the SAME way as Adam’s ONE act of UNBELIEF took ALL into SIN (G266 – Offense/ Unbelief).

So am I a “sinner”? ABSOLUTELY! I miss the mark (G264) EVERYDAY in almost all areas of my life and so do you!

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!! I no longer remain in Sin (G266) BUT I do sin (G264) therefore I AM A SINNER! (G264) I can now as a “sinner” go boldly before God not because I hit the mark but because the Blood of Christ took away THE SIN (G266) of The World. It is because of that ONE act that ALL “sinners” (G264) regardless of what they believe can also BOLDLY enter into God’s presence!

I DON’T CARE ABOUT ANY OF THE RELIGIOUS ISSUES THAT MOST PEOPLE ARGUE ABOUT!

Rom 5:6-8 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Rom 13:8  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 

1 Cor 13:4-8  4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.

Bold grace has a purpose, a magnificent purpose that we can be excited about.  Bold grace is not just for the forgiveness of sins, or for letting us humans have a pass while we live this life.  Bold grace comes from our perfect God through the life of His son Jesus Christ and its power is far reaching.  Paul the apostle enlightens us on what is the purpose of this bold grace of God.

Titus 2:11-15

11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

1. First of all Paul tells us in verse 11 that this bold grace has appeared to ALL men.  That means undeserved favor has appeared to all men.  It does not appear to men or women who deserve it because there aren’t any. 
2. Secondly, he clearly shows us that this bold grace has some very specific purposes for all of our lives.  It teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts.  Teaching us to live soberly, righteously, and godly, and he is clearly talking about our earthly lives (this present world).  Now the very obvious thing about this bold grace is that it is given to us before hand  in order that we can have all these wonderful goals.  Without the knowledge of being loved even though we don’t deserve it we could never move toward what grace teaches us.
3. Third, in verses 13 & 14 we also see the clear description of what Bold Grace really is.  Christ giving himself FOR US!  Not a few of US, or some of US, or just those of US who deserve it, but for ALL OF US!  And just what is HIS goal for us?  To purify unto himself a peculiar people, zeolous of good works. 

Now for me, I am convinced that He accomplishes this in every single life.  You might say: "Well Cliff, I just don’t see that in a lot of people that I know."  What you are forgetting is that we are human and very limited in our understanding of God.  Every day that I allow this bold grace to teach me I am more and more in awe of our PERFECT GOD.  To deny the power of grace, is to limit our Perfect God to our thinking.  God’s thoughts are not my thoughts, and His ways are past finding out. 

Paul describes our creator as the GREAT GOD and OUR SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.  Ask yourself, how great is your God?  The God I see preached in most of our churches is powerless, with more power to send people to HELL then to HEAVEN.

John the baptist said:  BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD.  We have a creator that can and has accomplished more then we could ever ask for or imagine.   It’s time the world heard the truth.  We have the awesome power of Bold Grace and it has appeared to all men………Do you see it? 

This is a post I did on Eddie’s site May of 2005

Why press on if Christ has completed the work? Why do I encourage others to live like Christ? Why do I tell others about God’s awesome love for each of his children? Why do I warn my children and grandchildren about the dangers of sin if I believe they will be forgiven regardless of what they do? Why would I be motivated to live a productive life? These are only a few “WHY” questions that are often asked of me because of my stand on GRACE. 

First let me say that I press on choosing to live like Christ to the best of my ability because I believe there is no other life that measures up to his. Paul the apostle felt the same way and actually put it in better words then I ever could have. 

He said in Phil 3:8-9…..8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish , that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.   

Secondly, I tell others about God’s awesome love because when you let the Christ within be awakened your whole being will radiate with love and you can’t do anything but share it. Christ demonstrated love in the grandest style not only by how he lived but also by how he died. It is not all my scripture study, or my church attendance, or my daily prayers that give me confidence. It is HIS LOVE. When I let his love flow through me I feel a peace that can not be explained by reason or intellect. 

Thirdly, I warn my children, grandchildren, and all others who will listen about the dangers of sin because even though I know they have been forgiven I do not want them to suffer the temporary effects of sin. The temporary effects of sin can cause lots of pain in all our lives, and how can I stand by having experienced the love of God and let anyone suffer if I can be of help. 

Last, and most important, is why would I be motivated to lead a productive life? The answer to that one is simple. The proof is in the pudding. I tried living life without Christ and was miserable. I then tried living life with Christ plus law and was miserable. I then tried living life with Christ, minus me, plus nothing, and I found all the motivation I could handle. When I accepted his grace without all the add-ons of the traditional church I found a peace that can not be explained. I noticed the desire to be like Christ was growing, not diminishing. I now get up each new day with a sense of freedom and excitement for this life. 

In conclusion, the best advice I can give to anyone is to give this unconditional GRACE a chance. Start forgiving others without strings like Christ has done for you. Start loving others without strings, as Christ has done for you. Start encouraging others to live productive lives because it is the best thing to do. My Father loves us all and will not see any of his children go down in defeat. And so, let our message be one of VICTORY, and not defeat.  

Note:  Since I wrote this post in May of 2005 I can say that my spiritual life has continued to flourish as I walk in this unconditional grace and love that is a gift from God to each and every one of us.  I have continued to be blessed by so many of you who have visited, made comments and shared your own life stories.  Giving up on religion is the beginning of a wonderful, free, peaceful life with our Father.  Once you really believe that He loves you no matter what, you will be amazed how your spiritual life will soar. 

It is midnight and the beginning of Father’s Day.  I am 55 years old and all my children are now grown and doing well, but as I look back I can’t help but think about so many areas I could have did better.  Oh, I’m not thinking I was a bad father, but I also know I was not a perfect father either and I fully realize that I made mistakes and decisions that if I could I would change them now.  I am writting this post because even though I can’t change the past I want my children and grandchildren to know what I would have changed so that maybe they can at least have the benefit of my regrets.

So, here I go with some of my regrets:

1. I would have made sure each child was given special attention from me.  Having five kids made it too easy to just treat them all as a group rather then as individuals.   I think I could have spent more time with each of them as individuals making sure they each felt special.
2. I would have worked less hours and went to more of their school and sports events.  Oh, I went to some mainly because my sweet wife Nancy dragged me there, but working a lot of hours made it just too easy to not go.  This is a tough one because all Fathers and Mothers have to balance this area very carefully as they feed and clothe their children.  I just think looking back I could have balanced it better.
3. I would have spent more time making sure their education was a priority.  Nancy was 17 and I was 18 when we got married, and we had four kids by the time we were twenty-four.   Being that young is not an excuse but I do think looking back we just didn’t push homework and education as much as we could have.  Thankfully, they have all done well, but in todays world education is more important then ever.
4. I would have been more patient.  I can remember saying things in anger because I simply wasn’t patient enough in allowing my children to make mistakes.  I do remember apologizing when I would lose my temper, but lookning back I wish I had just been more patient.
5. And last, I wish I had never blamed any of my kids for stealing my pens.  Every time one of my pens came up missing from my office I was way too quick to blame my kids.  If I had it to do over again I would have just bought more pens.

Now I’m sure there are many more things I could could apologize for but it will just have to wait until next year on Fathers Day.  Until that time I hope my grown children and grandchildren will learn from my regrets.  I would also like to leave them with one of mine and Nancy’s favorite scriptures.

My Dad has been gone for over ten years now but rarely does a day go by that I don’t think about him.  There were many wonderful qualities about my Dad and I feel extremely fortunate to have been his son.  His name was also Clifford as that is my name, my son’s name, and his son’s name.  When I was a kid I wasn’t sure that I even liked that name but now I wear it with great pride because it originated from a Father that I deeply respect and love.

As I think about what draws my heart closest to my Dad it would have to be the constant feeling of security that I always felt with him.  I remember as a child we would be coming home on a Friday night after going to the Drive-in theator to see a scary movie and all I could think about was "My Dad can protect me from anything."  In all the years that he was living I can not think of one single incident where he ever made me feel abandoned.  On the contrary, I knew as long as he lived that no matter what trouble might come my way he would always be there to do everything in his power to get me through it. 

I could go on and on with stories of my Father and his dedication to his family and friends but the real point I want to make is that all my Father was doing in making me feel secure was something that did not originate with him.  He was simply acting on something that was in his heart from creation and it is called the LOVE OF GOD.  I would not call my Dad religious, and as a matter of fact he didn’t even attend church, but understood this divine love better then most christians that I have know, and I will always be grateful that he gave me such a wonderful example of a love that never quits.  I am reminded of that kind of love when I read the 15th chaptor of Luke where Jesus gives us three stories that teach us God will never quit on us.  Let me quote just three scriptures from that chaptor that speak to this:

Luke 15:4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?  

Luke 15:8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?  

Luke 15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

When you read the underlined words above you see a picture that Jesus wanted us to see that no matter how lost someone may seem to be God will not stop until that person is found again.  God does not hope to find us, or even just wish that we might be found, no, He makes it clear that even when we are a GREAT WAY OFF He sees us and has compassion.  I encourage all of you reading this to go back and read that entire chaptor and then reflect on the idea that all of us have a Father that we can count on and that will not let any of us down. 

My Dad never quit on me and I have the same confidence in the Father that Christ revealed to me.  I am just as sure that He will never quit on me, nor will He quit on any of you. 

Happy Fathers Day to ALL!