Too Much Grace?

*I've moved, and my posts have come with me! Check out my new blog at www.jeffrey-davis.net/blog/*

Disheartening is the fact that many of us who call ourselves followers of Christ long for His judgment in place of His mercy. In recent conversations about some, well, um, hot button issues, this line of thinking has butted its way, once again, into the limelight of my world.

What compels some of us to be angered by the fact that some preachers, churches, people, yada, yada, yada..., are more accepting then they are condeming? "All they talk about is God's grace and forgiveness, never His wrath", they say. Pardon me, didn't Christ take all of God's wrath that was being stored up for the entire world when He made Himself the great sacrifice? Yes, He did. And if it were not all the wrath that He took, then it might as well have been none.

Now yes, for those who do not allow themselves to be consumed in the love of Christ and the reality of His forgiveness for all their sin, there remains judgment. But that is left to the God who will one day sit on the great white throne of judgment, NOT to men and women who long to thrust themselves there in His stead.

*WARNING: Do not proceed if raw emotion poured out in words offends you*

That said, who gives a shit if people don't talk about God's wrath enough? Is it real? Yes. Is it dealt with? Yes. Will many still suffer it? Unfortunately, yes (in the scenario described above). The scare tactics of hell are regrettably ingrained in so many of us from legalistic upbringings, but we must rise up and overthrow such evil tendencies. It it is the love of Christ that sets us free. He IS love.

Just like in any relationship, of course there are things we do that upset Him, disappoint Him, etc, but that will never turn His wrath back upon us. He lovingly reveals our mistakes, picks us up out of the dirt, and sets our feet back firmly on the path of righteousness. Sometimes I think He dusts us off Himself, sometimes He leaves it for us to do,  but one thing is for sure, this process is a vital part of being transformed into His image, and I will never again say otherwise.

Its for freedom that the God of love set us free, and I will approach the throne of Grace boldly and frequently, with all others who camp there as well. For those who have not yet discovered that this throne, not the great white throne, is where we meet Christ, I would love to show you the way. Its through love.

Tags: grace, love, mercy, christianity, christ, church, judgment