The question which the gospel of grace puts to us is simply this: Who shall separate you from the love of Christ?
What are you afraid of?
Are you afraid that your weakness could separate you from the love of love of Christ?
It can't.
Are you afraid that your inadequacies could separate you from the love of love of Christ? They can't.
Are you afraid that your inner poverty could separate you from the love of love of Christ? It can't.
Difficult marriage, loneliness, anxiety over the children's future? They can't.
Negative self image? It can't.
Economic hardship, racial hatred, street crime? They can't.
Rejection by loved ones or the suffering of loved ones? They can't.
Persecution by authorities, going to jail? They can't.
Nuclear war? They can't.
Mistakes, fear, uncertainties? They can't.
They gospel of grace calls out: Nothing can ever separate you from the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You must be convinced of this, trust it, and never forget to remember. Everything else will pass away, but the love of Christ is same yesterday, today, and forever. Faith will become vision, hope will become possession, but the love of Jesus Christ that is stronger than death endures forever. In the end, it is the only thing you can hang onto. - Brennan Manning (The Ragamuffin Gospel)
2 comments:
Hi Bino;
I enjoyed reading The Ragamuffin Gospel and it was great seeing a portion of it afresh…one can NEVER get tired of grace. It is so completely counterintuitive to people that at first glance they don’t quite “get it” they are suspicious of it, after all if they want to say “I did it my way” they don’t like it, and people like to say “nothing is free” grace is free but it cost Jesus His life, He paid the price for that freedom!
Not enough blogs out there declaring this kind of message.
I was almost overwhelmed with joy to see the depth and sweetness of God's love in Brennan's book. It's amazing. It easily got into my list of favorites.
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31)
Humans are wired to think in human terms, for them love is something that they earn. God's love is not earned. He gave His son. What else do we need other than Son? If we have Son we have life and there is nothing, no evil will ever take that life from us. Thats the blessed assurance and like Brennan says, 'it is a unique grace of Christ Jesus'. Oh ya, it is unique!
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