Are We Missing the Mark?

Are We Missing the Mark?
Posted: Today 9:34am
I heard a sermon yesterday about GRACE and it made me think of all of the folks on this site and others, myself included, whose zeal for God leads them to post devotional readings, challenging questions, opinions about various topics related to religion, etc... More specifically, it made me question our motives and tactics as we strive to live our faith and be witnesses of Him.

The sermon focused on the story of the woman caught in adultery who was brought before Jesus for his judgment on what punishment she should receive for her sin.

Jesus, when he was asked what should be done to her, stooped and wrote on the ground. He then said, "Let he, who is without sin, cast the first stone."

When confronted with their own guilt, they all walked away, leaving only Jesus and the woman. Jesus then asked her who was there to condemn her. She replied, "No one, Lord."

"Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more."

"Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more." WOW! As I began to consider the response of Jesus to this woman, His light was shined upon my own responses towards others. I immediately thought of a situation currently happening in my oldest child's life and I realized that "GRACE" was not in the response I had been planning to give to her at the appointed time. I repented and thanked God that his GRACE had prevented me from committing a terrible sin against my daughter!

Then I thought about us here on this site and I determined to consider this when I came back to the board this morning. In doing so, I went over to other boards on this site and in no time at all I came upon a discussion about religion and, in particular, this board. With each comment I was even more convicted about how we have made others feel towards Christians, religion, church, etc... all because we are missing the mark, with regard to GRACE.

You see, we have become like those people who brought the woman to Jesus. We have become so quick to focus on the sins and short-comings of others, that we fail to remember that such were some of us before GRACE. We have become used to assigning values to sin, so that one sin, usually our own, is not as bad as another. usually someone else's... We have forgotten that WE WERE that sinner and still would be, were it not for GRACE. We have not only taken that GRACE for granted in our own lives, but we have withheld it from the lives of others... Shame on us! It's no wonder that so many people want nothing to do with Jesus after their encounters with us...

Do you remember the pit from which you were plucked...? I do. Do you remember what God forgave you of? I do. Do you still need GRACE every single day? I know I do, and so, my brothers and sisters, do those we are so quick to condemn. On one hand, I want each of you to understand that I am not personally accusing anyone here of anything, but on the other hand I want each of you to consider, as I am considering, how we can move from condemnation of non-believers or those who have chosen to distance themselves from mainstream Christianity, to extending the GRACE that Jesus has given to us, to them.

I was driven to my knees in tears and repentance yesterday! Today I am driven to live and give GRACE! Will you join me?

Peace to you, today and every day.