The Point of Your Obedience

When we believe these lies, we wander from the truth. We've got to bring each other back. I can't stand Christianity that isolates itself. “I'm good. As long as I read my Bible and I pray, and I go to church, I'm good.” And James says, you can save the life of a Christian if you go - and what: be patient and gentle and kind and loving. We don't isolate ourselves. He says you gather and you confess just how messed up you are so that you can be healed into one. I mean, Paul describes this supernatural thing that happens. He says when God gives you the gift of mercy and grace and the spirit comes and lives in you and all of a sudden you have this ability to do something that you didn't have before. And he says when you take your ability, and you connect it to the rest of the body, the spirit comes, and he says, the whole thing grows, grows into what - I love this - love. The point of your obedience is to help your brother and sister grow in the love of Christ. That's the point. The whole entire point. This is why he says to consider how to build one another up daily. So James writes a letter to scared, fighting, sin-sick, wandering Christians. And you know how he always brings them back? He grounds them in their faith, and he reminds them of the grace of God. That's how he does it. So, I think the conclusion can be that there is no hope for us in this world, none. Whatever you think money, a political party, or time will fix hasn't worked in 6,000 years. Do you know why humans are so stupid? Because we keep throwing a brick up in the air, thinking it is eventually going to fly, and it keeps killing us. We're dumb. And you know what opens blind eyes to be able to see the darkness of this world? When Jean Valjean dies, back behind him on the mantle are two candles lit. And the picture was that he died in the light of his mercy. He took them with him for the rest of his life. It was a reminder of what he had received. What is it that the father gives us as a symbol of his mercy until we die? The blood and his body. Everyday Grace 015