..::*+ Small Talk +*::..
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39 NIV
How powerful is that.
p/s: Sorry this took awhile to be uploaded. I finished reading this book more than a month ago.
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To be honest, my perspective of life got changed after reading this book. Perhaps I didn't speak this out, but i always had the idea that I have to do a thing to deserve ONE blessing from God. So I made a lot of promises to God, which in the end failing most of them, hopefully in return of His blessings.
Max Lucado started the book by telling "The Parable of the River". About 4 brothers got "washed away" by the gushing riverflow and stuck in some no-man-land. Then their person is revealed and is compared to Paul's letters to the Romans (Romans 1-2)
1. The hedonist - The one who traded the Glory of God who lives forever for worshiping idols of the earth. Mostly because they couldn't wait for the eternal.
2. The judgmentalist - The one who points at the hedonist and patted himself and say, "at least I'm not as bad as they are". They think they can judge others.
3. Legalist - The one who thinks his own effort is enough to bring him back to God. Or tries to. And in the end they'll give up because none of their effort seems to bringing them back to God.
4. The one who patiently waiting for the fifth, older, and stronger brother to come to save them because the Father sent him."Not because of what I've done, but because of who You are"Who Am I - Casting Crowns
It's a great start to see and how these can actually relate to the people in this world today - just either one of them.
What A Mess I'm In!
That was exactly my thought half way through the book. When we talk about God's justice, the standard is so high that ALL of us fall short of it. It's so easy to fall under temptation of this world - fame, wealth, position etc. And the moment when we seek after all these worldly things, we are considered sinners. He is a jealous God, after all. And it is impossible for anyone to be sinless. And thus it is impossible for anyone to be total righteous before God.
So technically you and I are meant to be.. dead.For the wages of sin is death.Romans 6:23a NIV
Credits Where Credit Is NOT Due
Despite the fact that God's standard is so high, He's also a loving God. And here comes the famous quote:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.John 3:16 NIV
And that's Jesus. Our salvation is secured thanks to Jesus who is blameless and sinless, yet was given as the wage for the sins we've committed, committing and will commit. It is this Grace of God that was given to us so that we could come back to God. It is this gift that we're not deserved that our relationship with God is restored to how it supposed to be, back in the Garden of Eden, before the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil incident.
Often, however, this credit is not given back to Jesus who has done so much for us. The price that He paid on the cross wasn't big enough for us to understand how much God loves us. The gift, which is given to each and everyone of us, is left unopened by some of us, because it's just too good to be true. If you want something, you need to work for it - that's how things are in this world. But it is exactly because this gift is not from this world that the Grace of God works differently - It is because you're undeserved that it is given to you. (Now open it if you haven't!)
And the great thing doesn't just end here. His love endures forever. This love that He has for you, it's eternal. God doesn't hate you just because you sinned against Him. He loves you more than you could ever imagine. And we are called to do the same.
It comes back to the power verse that I quoted in the beginning of this post:Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Romans 12:9b NIV
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39 NIV
And I'm so blessed to have given a first-hand experience of this grace. Here's my testimony on April 7 2014:
So here I am, sitting in Starbucks Forum. And suddenly this guy approached me, begging for money with a paper scribbled with some broken English. He was just another beggar, I thought.In short, read the book. I highly recommend this book. Ask from me if you want to read the book. I think this book gives a perfect picture of the whole grace and salvation that Christianity is preaching.
Reminded of the conversation I had with Jien-Mae yesterday regarding giving, and I was reading Lucado's regarding freely giving just as we are given(pg110), I decided to give 2 euros. Practically 50% of the cash I have on myself now.
Then he kept asking for more, kept pointing at his paper (I've read it but have no idea what's it about). He's now looking into my eyes, full of pity. And I looked at his, a little frustrated.
Suddenly my phone vibrated - Facebook notification of a comment made on my status from Gloria who helped me a lot to know Christ.
That's when I realized his other hand was 2 inches from my phone and tablet. That explained his awkward positioning of his paper which was then beside my bag. That's when I quickly took away my gadgets. That's when he turned and fled.
That's when I understood how much God loves me. I am, in the grip of His marvelous grace. Felt like crying, not because of I was nearly get picked, but stunned and amazed by His protection over me. Our God is greater.
