The popular first season of NBC's sitcom My Name is Earl is an indication that today, Hindu is hip and karma is cool. But although our society is open to individual Hindu concepts, it doesn't mean that it's adopting Hinduism as a lifestyle.
People today are open to matters of spirituality. But mostly, we take a cosmic buffet approach. You know...take what you want and leave what you don't like behind.
But true Christianity won't have that. Jesus is radically invasive. His desire is for disciples to invite Him to speak into every area of their lives, not just those which are convenient and comfortable.
The road of discipleship is long. And if we are honest, it can sometimes feel as though following Jeus is so difficult that we're never going to make it. The good news is that we aren't taking this journey alone. Instead, God gives us grace for the journey in forgiveness, in process, and in community.
Scripture Lesson: Hebrews 10:11-25.
God gives us grace for the journey in forgiveness. Jesus sacrifice was final, never needing to be repeated. That means that those who follow Jesus are already perfected. Even though we have sinned...even though we will sin again...Jesus has made us finally perfect in heaven and perfectly forgiven before we arrive. "By one sacrifice he has mede perfect forever those who are being made holy" (10:14). For God gives us His grace in forgiveness.
God gives us grace for the journey in process. Notice that verse 23 does not say "For WE who have promised are faithful". It says "HE who promised is faithful". Being made holy is a process of change and growth and transformation. That doesn't happen overnight. But if we truly follow Christ, we will change...we will grow...we will be transformed. For God gives us His grace in the process of being made holy.
God gives us grace for the journey in community. Nowhere in the Scriptures is it assumed that Christianity is an individual endeavor. Everyone in the church should have their spiritual story and journey of transformation known by other people. Somebody else needes to know you your gifts and struggles. Somebody else needs to aks you had questions and grant you kind words. For God gives us His grace as we offer and receive the community which provokes and encourages each of us to present the whole of our life to the reign of Jesus (1024-25).
The road of discipleship is a long journey. But the good news is that God gives us grace for the journey. Grace means forgiveness. Grace means change. Grace means company along the way.
And God offers his grace to all who will receive it. Will you?
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