Do not deprive yourself of the grace

"Make sure no one deprives himself of the grace of God ..." Hebrews 12:15

This is a ministry entrusted to all believers (since it is to them that this epistle is addressed).

The various ministries, provided by believers justified by the grace that is in Christ, like all disciples, must also ensure that no one deprives himself of the grace of God. Has anyone sinned ? Do not judge him, do not condemn him, do not banish him, do not make him feel guilty ... But make sure he does not deprive himself of the grace of God.

When bathed in grace, love urges us to please the Lord by doing what is pleasing to Him.

Why ? Because the temptation to replace the grace of God by the merits, personal works, subsists continually. For some, fasting, prayer, praise, tithing, and a thousand other aspects of godliness are duties to be performed, not the expression of God's superabundant grace in their lives. However, it sometimes happens that the various ministries are used more by lesson givers than bearers of this wonderful message : "Let no man deprive himself of the grace of God".

How many sermons revolve around these guilt injunctions : "How much time do you spend reading the Bible, praying to the Lord every day ?" We insist on the importance of coming to the assemblies, of praising aloud, of fasting often ... But we forget to insist on this saying : "Let no one deprive himself of the grace of God." Now, when bathed in grace, love urges us to please the Lord by doing what is pleasing to Him. It is not the duty that motivates us, but love !

If it is from duty, from religious obligation that I do things, I am no longer in the grace of God, and this is expressed by the judgment I make on those who do not do these same things. If you are in such loving disposition, how will you be able to watch over others so that they do not deprive themselves of God's grace ? To condemn, judge, condemn, exclude, that is what the functioning of the Pharisees mentioned in the Gospel was. We see him with the woman caught in the act of adultery, or with the blind man by birth ... In these two cases in particular, Jesus will lead these people not to deprive themselves of the grace of God.

God is already aware of the faults of one and the other, the only thing he expects is that no one deprives himself of his grace.

An action for today

Do not deprive yourself of the grace of God, and make sure that everyone does the same.

Paul Calzada

Source (The Thought of the Day)