Life Notes

Gracious Confusion
By Tim Russ

I was miraculously converted to Christianity through a two by four. While I was not exactly hit in the head with a piece of board I did receive a complete shaking of my life. The wonderful thing was that I discovered the amazing grace of God’s plan for humanity.

I was so overwhelmed by the gracious second chance that Christ’s sacrifice offered me that I often spontaneously broke into tears. I voraciously devoured God’s word, completing the New Testament in the first 30 days of my Christian walk.

My patient wife, who grew up in a Methodist church, was thrilled to see me jumping up and down loving every minute of discovery. Until my conversion she had lived with a vulgar man who hated Christianity so badly that he had threatened to shoot a TV set that had a Christian program on if she didn’t turn the channel!

I became severely confused the first time I saw the reaction of Christians to a Christian who had sinned. Judgmental attitudes and expectations abounded. Some were willing to forgive but only with conditions similar to probation. I turned to God’s word where I had found newness of life in search of the appropriate response.

(Galatians 6:1-5 KJV) Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. {2} Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. {3} For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. {4} But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. {5} For every man shall bear his own burden.

God teaches us to take a gentle approach to Christians who sin. Not only are we to be gentle but we also need to think of ourselves. After all, it is very easy to fall into sin.

(Hebrews 12:1 KJV) Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

All of us have sinned. None of us can lay claim to the fame of not sinning.

(1 John 1:8 KJV) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

It is easy for us to fall into the improper mindset of believing that all Christians should live perfect lives. The reality is that if we did not sin we would not need a Savior!

Working hard to live a perfect life is a command of God. Perfection does not come through following a list of rules. It does not come in a work accomplished by the hand of man. God’s domain is the heart. It is the attitude of our heart that identifies our actions as sin. Only God can clearly see the attitude of the heart.

As believers we need to embrace the balance of God’s word. Yes, we are to strive to be perfect. We are to do good works. We are to act and speak in a manner that gives glory to God. We must also realize that nobody is capable of achieving this goal without God’s Spirit.

(2 Corinthians 5:17-19 KJV) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. {18} And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; {19} To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

We all sin and thus we all need the reconciliation to God on a regular basis. Look for someone to reconcile to God this month. Realize that you are capable of falling into sin as easily as that person. Help that person to accept the perpetual forgiveness of our Savior. Often it only takes a word of encouragement. It is said that Christianity is the only religion that shoots its wounded. Let’s make that phrase lose its power by encouraging the walking wounded in the world of Christianity. Pick up their burden and bear it for them until they regain their strength. In this way you will show the love of God and be a shining example of what it means to be a Christian.


Copyright © 2008 Tim Russ.  All rights reserved.