Mar 23, 2011
The Wildness of God's Grace
Should God be fair in dispensing His grace? How we answer that will reveal something about our own sense of fairness. Check out Teaching Pastor Gabe Gilliam's message last Sunday on the parable of the workers in the vineyard from Matthew 20:1-16. As you read the passage, make the following word substitutions and see how your thinking on the subject might change:
- Substitute "kingdom" for "vineyard"
- Substitute "God" for "landowner"
- Substitute "humanity" for "workers"
- Substitute "grace" for "denarius" or "money"
There were 3 easy to remember take-aways from the message:
- Be exceedingly grateful for the grace we have received. We need to let go of any sense of entitlement to what we think we deserve over and above another person because we are inside the Kingdom. Our lives are now hidden in Christ and He promises abundant living to all who trust Him, both in this life and the one to come.
- Be exceedingly grateful for the grace others receive. We need to rejoice (not be envious) over the grace God gives to others and not delight when others get what is coming to them when they fall down.
- Extend grace to others exceedlingly. Because none of us in the Kingdom get what we deserve but instead get all the riches of God's blessings, promises and inheritance, we can be agents of God's wild grace, joyfully sharing abundantly with everyone.
Anybody got any comments or questions on this? Do you like the idea of God being wild with His grace? Why or why not?
