Throne of Grace part 3
Let's be real: What else but grace could the throne of the God who is love be built out of? Grace is so amazing. So important. Look at 2 Peter 3:17-18, "Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." There's a way that seems right unto a man, but the end of that way is death. Then there's the straight and narrow way that leads to life. The way of grace. Which is what Jesus made for us on the cross. And we respond to that way of grace with the walk of faith. Letting love lead us, guide us, direct us, and protect us. Letting love light our path. Here's the thing though: We can come boldly to the throne of grace to find grace in times of need. Because there are times when we need it. And by that I mean all of the time. We always need it. It's so easy to be led astray. So easy to get mixed up or twisted around. The opposite of that is learning and growing. Making mistakes and learning from those mistakes. Growing in grace. Growing in the knowledge of who we really are--which is who we are in Christ. Which is who Christ is in us. Christ in you the hope of glory. Revealed glory. Christ in you coming out of you. Coming through you. That's what grace is all about. Grace is not "soft on sin." It's not this "greasy grace" that "lets" you do any old thing you want to. "License to sin." I heard a preacher once say people have been sinning without license for a long time. Grace is not freedom TO sin. It is freedom FROM sin. Look at Romans 5:20-21, "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord." Where sin abounded was in all of humanity BEFORE the cross. Then grace did much more abound ON the cross. You know, when the Lamb of God took away the sin of the world. Sin reigned until that death. Jesus's death. Our death. The second death. The death of death. Now grace reigns. What comes from the throne is the Word of the King. And when a King speaks there is power. The Word of God is Jesus. The Word of God is love. What flows from the throne of grace--and remember, yesterday we saw that it is OUR throne. He is the King of kings because we are kings and priests that rule and reign on this earth--is grace, and mercy, and forgiveness... and love. Love is what we need. Love is what makes a difference in this world. The days of heaven on earth come with the abundant life that Jesus gave to us. And love is what makes the abundant life abundant. A life of love is a life that is worth living. A life of service. That's what a true king and a true priest is all about. Being graceful. Giving grace because we have been given grace. Giving forgiveness because we have been forgiven. Loving because He first loved us. Loving HIM by loving people. Receiving and releasing the love of God. Receiving it by releasing it. And releasing it by receiving it. Filling yourself to overflowing with what you've already been filled with. Letting what's inside come out by knowing and believing it's in there. That's what it means to be graceful. To come boldly to the throne of grace. To try things even if there's a chance you'll mess up. To give yourself (and others) the grace to grow. More is lost by indecision than wrong decision. And if your decision is to love it is never wrong!