Acts 17:22-23 22 Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious;23 for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the one whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you."
NKJV
We should build bridges with people who don't understand the good news about Jesus not just stand back and throw stones at them.
It is easy to throw stones. It takes more effort to build something and costs much more to restore it. What then, is the price to redeem? Well, that price is far greater than we could ever pay. Only Jesus could pay that fine. Jesus died on the cross. He bore the penalty for our sins. It is by grace that we are saved and not by works (Ephesians 2:8, 9).
As Christians, we possess this knowledge. What should we be doing with it? Should we be using it as a crowbar to pry people apart? Should we use it as a wrecking ball to tear people down? Should we strike hard with this tool, pinning nail to wood with one mighty blow? Certainly not! What a horrible misuse of God's grace toward us that would be!
How we love to nest ourselves in the grace we have been given, and then, thinking ourselves to be on a higher branch, we drop stones on everyone else. We didn't have to earn our grace, but everyone else had better get to work! How hypocritical! When we are unwilling to show grace to others, we are misrepresenting God.
Jesus humbled Himself and dwelt with sinners.
Luke 5:31-32 Jesus answered them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor--sick people do. I have come to call sinners to turn from their sins, not to spend my time with those who think they are already good enough." NLT
In Acts 17:22-23, it would have been easy for Paul to start throwing verbal stones. Instead, he demonstrated God's grace by seeking to build a bridge of understanding so that the great news of the Gospel could be communicated. Instead of pointing out differences, he used a bridge to present the Gospel message to the people. Are you a bridge builder?
Dear Father,
Thank You that it's not by any works of my own, but by Your grace that I'm saved. Please forgive me for times when I have torn down bridges instead of building bridges to tell people about Your Son, Jesus Christ. Please give me the fortitude to speak out of love instead of boasting. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment