We meet again this Friday for Food n fellowship at the start of our next topic ...which is Grace.
Apparently it is mentioned some 170 times in the Bible. Some of us describe it as Gods unmerited favour...or a free gift . What do you think ?
7 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Grace - a concept so wonderful and yet others find difficult to comprehend. A freely given gift from God given without strings - no expectation of return/thanks required - wow !
how can the God of grace we see in the Old Testament be the same God who gets angry and smites people in the New Testament?
Just take a look at Revelation for an expression of God's wrath in the NT, also what is the cross if not an expression of God's judgement and hatred of sin! Grace is that Jesus took it for us!
The Old Testament is full of GOd's mercy, it is the story of God reaching out with love to his people only to be rejected time and time again.
The mystery is how we can come to enjoy so much grace while we wait for Christ's return.
Partly tied up with the concept of absolute justice: sin has to be punished hence smiting in both OT and NT (Ananias and Saphira in Acts 5 spring to mind) : there are no exceptions.
But Jesus took the punishment (hence ..at Christ's expense in the little Sunday School mnemonic I still recall 40 years on) which is the gracious bit letting us off the hook. In the OT people had only to repent, such as Ninevah, and His mercy was shown.
Reminds me of the comments a few weeks ago about the juxtaposition of good and bad in many accounts (the birth of Jesus followed by the slaughter of the innocents) where we often feel that somehow if we were in charge we would have less of the "smiting" and more "forgiving" but then we do not see things quite the same way as God. I have to leave some of these weighty matters with God and trust that He will come good. I suppose the really important thing is that I choose to accept God's offer of grace.
I thought it was a great evening. Well done to Barbara for the food. I look forward to more evenings like this where we can enjoy each others company ... and the food!
It is difficult to understand grace, but we never have any trouble accepting it!
7 comments:
Grace - a concept so wonderful and yet others find difficult to comprehend. A freely given gift from God given without strings - no expectation of return/thanks required - wow !
I was always told it was
God's
Riches
At
Christ's
Expense
I shall graciously accept the offer of food - hopefully this time I will not take unwell part way through!!!
Mmmm...
a comment from r t choke and then one from "anon"... who I suspect is the same person :o)
So it prompts me to ask... how can the God of grace we see in the New Testament be the same God who gets angry and smites people in the Old Testament?
Anyone want to comment?
You could just as well ask:
how can the God of grace we see in the Old Testament be the same God who gets angry and smites people in the New Testament?
Just take a look at Revelation for an expression of God's wrath in the NT, also what is the cross if not an expression of God's judgement and hatred of sin! Grace is that Jesus took it for us!
The Old Testament is full of GOd's mercy, it is the story of God reaching out with love to his people only to be rejected time and time again.
The mystery is how we can come to enjoy so much grace while we wait for Christ's return.
Partly tied up with the concept of absolute justice: sin has to be punished hence smiting in both OT and NT (Ananias and Saphira in Acts 5 spring to mind) : there are no exceptions.
But Jesus took the punishment (hence ..at Christ's expense in the little Sunday School mnemonic I still recall 40 years on) which is the gracious bit letting us off the hook. In the OT people had only to repent, such as Ninevah, and His mercy was shown.
Reminds me of the comments a few weeks ago about the juxtaposition of good and bad in many accounts (the birth of Jesus followed by the slaughter of the innocents) where we often feel that somehow if we were in charge we would have less of the "smiting" and more "forgiving" but then we do not see things quite the same way as God. I have to leave some of these weighty matters with God and trust that He will come good. I suppose the really important thing is that I choose to accept God's offer of grace.
Look forward to other's comments on Friday
I thought it was a great evening. Well done to Barbara for the food. I look forward to more evenings like this where we can enjoy each others company ... and the food!
It is difficult to understand grace, but we never have any trouble accepting it!
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