Extending Grace
“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” - 2 Peter 3:8-9
Billy Graham was driving through a town one day and was pulled over for going 10 miles over the speed limit. He admitted his guilt but decided to go to court. When the judge asked him how he pleaded, he said “guilty.” He was charged $10, a dollar for every mile over the limit he traveled. However, when the judge realized that it was Billy Graham, he offered to cover the cost. Although Graham was willing to pay the price for his actions, the judge extended grace to him on that day.
We see the alternative happen regarding the unmerciful servant. Matthew 18:21-35 highlights that story of the unmerciful servant who owed his master money but was unable to pay it. The master had mercy on him. But when someone owed that same servant money, he was unwilling to cancel the debt. Finding out what happened, the master handed him over to jailers to be tortured and required that he pay back everything he owed. The servant quickly forgot that act of kindness that he was given; and as a result, he ended up right back where he started: in debt.
God calls us to provide grace to others because He provides grace to us. We do not always say and do what we are supposed to, but God sees our heart. He knows when we make a sincere mistake and when we are unforgiving and unrepentant.
The good news is that our character does not change God’s character. As we highlighted yesterday, God is so loving that He doesn’t want anyone to perish. He gives us time to correct our wrongs and is there to pick us up when we fall. That is not permission for us to abuse His grace. That is more incentive for us to see the error of us ways and make a change for the better.
When you are faced with the decision to extend grace to others or not, always choose the former. For this is what God chooses to do for you.
Billy Graham was driving through a town one day and was pulled over for going 10 miles over the speed limit. He admitted his guilt but decided to go to court. When the judge asked him how he pleaded, he said “guilty.” He was charged $10, a dollar for every mile over the limit he traveled. However, when the judge realized that it was Billy Graham, he offered to cover the cost. Although Graham was willing to pay the price for his actions, the judge extended grace to him on that day.
We see the alternative happen regarding the unmerciful servant. Matthew 18:21-35 highlights that story of the unmerciful servant who owed his master money but was unable to pay it. The master had mercy on him. But when someone owed that same servant money, he was unwilling to cancel the debt. Finding out what happened, the master handed him over to jailers to be tortured and required that he pay back everything he owed. The servant quickly forgot that act of kindness that he was given; and as a result, he ended up right back where he started: in debt.
God calls us to provide grace to others because He provides grace to us. We do not always say and do what we are supposed to, but God sees our heart. He knows when we make a sincere mistake and when we are unforgiving and unrepentant.
The good news is that our character does not change God’s character. As we highlighted yesterday, God is so loving that He doesn’t want anyone to perish. He gives us time to correct our wrongs and is there to pick us up when we fall. That is not permission for us to abuse His grace. That is more incentive for us to see the error of us ways and make a change for the better.
When you are faced with the decision to extend grace to others or not, always choose the former. For this is what God chooses to do for you.
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