Brennan Manning on Grace.
My life is a witness to vulgar grace -- a grace that amazes as it offends.
A grace that pays the eager beaver who works all day long the same wage as the grinning drunk who shows up at ten till five.
A grace that hikes up the robe and runs breakneck toward the prodigal reeking of sin and wraps him up and decides to throw a party, no ifs, ands, or buts.
A grace that raises bloodshot eyes to a dying thief's request -- "Please, remember me" -- and assures him, "You bet!"...
This vulgar grace is indiscriminate compassion. It works without asking anything of us. It's not cheap. It's free, and as such will always be a banana peel for the orthodox foot and a fairy tale for the grown-up sensibility. Grace is sufficient even though we huff and puff with all our might to try and find something or someone that it cannot cover. Grace is enough...
Sin and forgiveness and falling and getting back up and losing the pearl of great price in the couch cushions but then finding it again, and again, and again? Those are the stumbling steps to becoming Real, the only script that's really worth following in this world or the one that's coming. Some may be offended by this ragamuffin memoir, a tale told by quite possibly the repeat of all repeat prodigals. Some might even go so far as to call it ugly. But you see that doesn't matter, because once you are Real you can't be ugly except to people who don't understand...that yes, all is grace. It is enough. And it's beautiful.
God loves us as we are, not as we should be.
Brennan Manning
God's grace is wonderful. Grace that is greater than all our sins.
ReplyDeleteBut we also need to remember that even though we are forgiven and have been shown mercy and grace it doesn't free us of any consequences of our actions.
While Christ's death on cross has resulted in forgiveness of all our sins some acts of disobedience result in more severe consequences than others.
While God's forgiveness ensures that a repentant killer will never have to face God's judgment, it does not exempt him or her from facing man's justice.
Even though an adulterous person can be shown grace, sexually transmitted diseases, divorce, and dismissal from leadership positions in a church are just some of the consequences.
God showed David grace, nevertheless, he spent many years experiencing the consequences of his actions. A dead child, a dishonored reputation, a disobedient son, and a divided kingdom which God linked to David's adulterous relationship with Bathsheba were part of his life until the day he died.