One of the best things to happens to me, and it happens often, is when someone who has been in church for a long time, been a Christian for a long time, realizes what grace is and how God has been applied it to them.
The Good News that Jesus Christ has come into the world to save sinners is not just a message for the lost and dying, but for the saints as well. If you’re a Christian, you need to keep applying the Gospel message to yourself or you will continually become more proud, more entitled, less compassionate, and less bearable.
Jesus’ parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector in Luke 18 reminds us of our state apart from God and our mindset when we forget that we are in need of great grace now. The Pharisee praises himself and thanks God that he is not like to lowly tax collector. He goes on to list his righteous deeds. The tax collector won’t even look up, but he beats his chest and says: “God have mercy on me, a sinner.” Jesus says the tax collector went away justified. The Pharisee did not.
The Good News is that because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross we can be born again as the children of God. As you hold that thought in your mind, don’t forget that God is still applying daily grace to you. The work that God began in you through depositing the Holy Spirit inside of you is still advancing.
In this time of disunity, look at your political, spiritual, cultural opponents and ask God to help you apply the same grace, an ample amount of grace to your enemies. Remember that you are one of the sinners that Jesus came to save.
