The Prism of God's Love and Grace
We humans are the only creatures on earth who spend hours viewing their behavior or reading about and contemplating it. For example TV, theater and books! Viewing the behavior of others reveals our deep curiosity about the good, the bad and ugly of our lives. I have manifest all such behaviors over my lifetime.
The gift of God's righteousness according to Scripture is our salvation. I have no righteousness of my own for my nature is to serve my own self-interest! The "I" in the middle of the word sIn is at the core of my brokenness and rebellion. I desire to answer to no one, FRANKLY I DON'T GIVE A DAMN reflects my core. Thus I am entertained by reading and viewing human behavior of every variety. Deep inside I hungered for that which would realign my life and values, I knew I was broken. JESUS CHRIST was just a good man that was trying to help me be good, was my initial response. This I soon discovered would not work. Then into my moral and religious fog came the simple message of God's Grace, that Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for my sin and rose from the dead was a reality, offering me a pardon from my sin debt. My response was a reach in the dark but it introduced me to a peace and a joy I had never known.
For the first time in my life I desired accountability and discovered a growing love and respect for others I had never known. Reading about and viewing human behavior causes me now to see the rift between God and man! The Bible became a different book and I saw for the first time the warts and brokenness of it's characters and thought, THEY ARE JUST LIKE ME AND GOD LOVES THEM AND DESIRES THEM FULFILL THE PURPOSE OF LIFE! He also turns them over to themselves and their choices to face the penalty of their options.
Jesus didn't come into the world to DAMN OR CONDEM IT BUT TO REDEEM IT! Jesus did not come to rain on OUR parade but set US FREE TO BE A CONDUIT OF GOD'S LOVE AND FORGIVENESS WITH HOPE AND HELP!
Now what I read and what I view is always through the PRISM of GOD'S LOVE AND GRACE. Thus mankind with it's ability to chose, lives self-condemned APART from GOD'S FREE, BOUGHT AND PAID FOR GIFT OF HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS OR FREELY RECIEVES THAT GIFT! BECOMING A HIGHLY FAVORED, IMPERFECT BUT FORGIVEN CHILD OF GOD! IT'S NOT RELIGION BUT A RELATIONSHIP!
So-Be-It