Chapter 4 ~ Redeemed By Grace

I am guilty of being a little over focused on things sometimes. You may be like that as well. When I get an idea about a particular topic stuck in my mind, wild horses are required to budge it.

As I reflect on this weeks chapter, I was re-reading previous times I have read through this book and taught it in some class settings. I have to say that the words I typed a few years back still say best what my thoughts are concerning this chapter.

So, at the risk of repeating myself and some of you getting bored becuase you remember this post from our previous read through, here are the words I penned during our last journey through this chapter....

If you grew up in church, which I did from age 12 on, you've heard messages about God's incredible standards preached from the Old Testament and how he blessed those who listened and really came down hard on those who didn't.

When I first heard Andy teach on the 10 Commandments I knew what he was going to say, we may all know what he was going to say. I've heard it many, many times, Keep 'em and get blessed! Now you may not have had that blatant of an approach, but really down deep all of us knew the "keeping" made us better and the breaking made us bad.

I have to say, after listening to him teach the 10 Commandments, my opinion didn't change a whole lot, I still think that God allows our good and bad actions to work for us or against us. Instead I've added, as Paul Harvey used to say, the "rest of the story."

I may have been told the rest of the story before so I won't blame the messengers who taught on the passage before. What would I say is the rest of the story?

Here's the thing that amazed me so much... The 10 Commandments were given to the Iraelites because God HAD a relationship with them, not so they could GET a relationship with him.

Why is that important? Because that tells me that God loved the people he had chosen and that in his "Grace" he gave them ways to relate to who he was and how to be more aware of his goodness and provision by keeping him as the central focus of our lives.

You see, love seeks the good for the one it loves, perfect love (God's love, see I John 4:18) would then seek the ultimate good for us!

Some food for thought...

How have you tried to earn God's favor by being good?

What struggle do you have if you're good and bad happens?

Do you find yourself distracted when those who deserve "judgement" don't get "what is coming to them?"

Aren't we blessed by grace!

Till next week, comment away...