There is a quote that has been attributed to Churchill which my father often quoted. Apparently there is no record of Churchill actually saying it, but it goes "If you're not a liberal at 25 you have no heart. If you're not a conservative by 35, you have no brain". No surprise that my dad was a a staunch conservative and therefore liked the quote. But it's not the quote that I am actually wanting to blog about. I've been thinking about grace a lot lately. So, I've made up my own quote. If you're not full of grace by your 40s (as a Christian), then you have no heart.
I recently attended two Christian funerals. Both were lovely and celebrated the lives of those who had passed in very meaningful ways. But the two sermons by two different pastors were light years apart. One was gracious and inviting. He shared the gospel message and asked questions about eternity. Funerals are natural occasions to bring up life after death and how one gets to heaven. Any Christian pastor worth his salt is going to make you think about what will happen to you when you die. But the sermon came across as caring, deep concern that you would be in heaven one day with the one who had passed.
The other sermon was all fire and brimstone. Although I think (hope) that it also came from a place of care and concern, it came across as judgemental, harsh and ultimately uncaring. Sitting there, knowing my non-Christian neighbours were in attendance, I was embarrassed. Not embarrassed for the gospel, but that someone would choose that moment to call any unbeliever wicked and slothful. Wow.
And that brings me back to grace. As I continue in my Christian walk, I make mistakes. I learn more about how hard life can be sometimes. Like the apostle Paul, I do what I am not supposed to do and I don't do what I am supposed to do. Life rarely goes how I thought it would. As I grow in sanctification, I actually realize that I fall short more and not less of the mark. My understanding of God's holiness and sovereignty expands and I see my own sinfulness more clearly. And so I understand more and more a need for grace. I appreciate what a gift salvation truly is. And I extend grace to others as I empathize that they too are just doing the best they can and need God too.
