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24603 |
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Date: November 05, 2023 at 08:44:13
From: Nevada, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Unmerited Generosity: has God given us more than we can handle? |
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Unmerited Generosity
It is by grace that you are saved through faith, not by
anything of your own, but by a pure gift from God, and
not by anything you have achieved. Nobody can claim the
credit. You are God’s work of art. —Ephesians 2:8–10
By grace you notice, nothing to do with good deeds, or
grace would not be grace at all. —Romans 11:6
Happy are those servants whom the master finds awake. I
tell you he will put on an apron, sit them down at
table, and wait on them. —Luke 12:37
Father Richard summarizes the good news of God’s
freely-given grace:
I think grace, arising from God’s limitless love, is
the central theme of the entire Bible. It is the divine
Unmerited Generosity that is everywhere available,
totally given, usually undetected as such, and often
even undesired. This grace was defined even in the old
Baltimore Catechism as “that which confers on our souls
a new life, that is, a sharing in the life of God.” We
always knew it on paper, but much less by way of
experience and therefore inner conviction.
In the parable of the watchful servants (Luke 12:35–
40), God is presented as waiting on us—in the middle of
the night! In fact, we see God as both our personal
servant inside our house and the divine burglar who has
to “break through the walls of our house.” That’s
really quite extraordinary and not our usual image of
God. It shows how much God—the “Hound of Heaven,” as
Francis Thompson says—wants to get to us and how
unrelenting is the work of grace. [1]
Unless and until we understand the biblical concept of
God’s unmerited favor, God’s unaccountable love, most
of the biblical text cannot be interpreted or tied
together in any positive way. It is, without a doubt,
the key and the code to everything transformative in
the Bible. People who have not experienced the radical
character of grace will always misinterpret the meaning
and major direction of the Bible. The Bible will become
a burden, obligation, and weapon more than a gift.
Grace cannot be understood by any ledger of merits and
demerits. It cannot be held to patterns of buying,
losing, earning, achieving, or manipulating, which is
unfortunately where most of us live our lives. Grace is
quite literally “for the taking.” It is God eternally
giving away God—for nothing, except the giving itself.
I believe grace is the life energy that makes flowers
bloom, animals lovingly raise their young, babies
smile, and planets remain in their orbits—for no good
reason whatsoever except love alone.
Abundance, largess, excess are the name of the
spiritual game, “full measure, pressed down, shaken
together, running over and pouring into your lap” (Luke
6:38). Grace will always be experienced as more than
enough instead of a mere survival mode.
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Responses:
[24608] [24604] [24612] |
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24608 |
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Date: November 07, 2023 at 10:34:57
From: shatterbrain, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Unmerited Generosity: has God given us more than we can handle? |
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Tons and tons of blessed examples in scriptures. Of particular special interest is King Solomon. All he ever wanted was: WISDOM... and not riches, longevity, 800 concubines etc. But it was given unto him anyways. So in other words.....Solomon was SPOILED ROTTEN
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24604 |
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Date: November 05, 2023 at 10:24:51
From: chaskuchar@stcharlesmo, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Unmerited Generosity: has God given us more than we can handle? |
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excellent post. i try to get grace all the time
although i forget constantly in my daily life. do you
say 'amen' after the our father. some do, some don't.
i say the amen because i thing i get a speck more grace.
God only knows for sure.
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Responses:
[24612] |
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24612 |
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Date: November 11, 2023 at 23:33:26
From: Kat, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Unmerited Generosity: has God given us more than we can handle? |
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The definition of Amen is ‘Let it be’. During my classes to get certified to
teach CCD the Father taught this to us. George sends me a prayer every
night. My response is ‘Amen’- 3 times ( The Father, the Son, & the Holy
Spirit)
Comforting way to end the day. Prayers later in bed. I fall asleep praying
most nights. Christ is my savior. Humbly said. Thank you Charlie for you
being you.
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