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God's Grace
''If by grace, then it is no longer by works...'' Romans 11:6
For all you theatre enthusiasts out there, we're going to connect today's verse with 'Les Mis'. Hit musical Les Miserables tells the story of convict Jean Valjean whose lead character finds himself offered mercy by a kind bishop.
One night, while the house sleeps, Jean Valjean helps himself to the family silver and scarpers. The next morning three policemen knock on the bishop's door with a guilty Jean Valjean.
They are all for throwing him in jail until the bishop speaks: 'So there you are! I'm delighted to see you. Had you not forgotten that I gave you the candlestick as well? They're silver like the rest, and worth a good 2000 francs. Did you forget to take them?'
The bishop not only gets the criminal off the hook, he sets him up for life with the challenge of using the money to become an honest man. And amidst the singing and dancing (and that special song Susan Boyle made her own) a near perfect picture of 'grace' is drawn. Do you see it?
We are Jean Valjean and God is the bishop. Not only does God forgive our sins (or let us off the hook, if you like) He also gives us the family silver. He wipes our slate clean with the challenge to go and make something of ourselves. And it's not something we can earn or buy; it's a gift called 'grace'. Praise God.
written by Bob Gass
''If by grace, then it is no longer by works...'' Romans 11:6
For all you theatre enthusiasts out there, we're going to connect today's verse with 'Les Mis'. Hit musical Les Miserables tells the story of convict Jean Valjean whose lead character finds himself offered mercy by a kind bishop.
One night, while the house sleeps, Jean Valjean helps himself to the family silver and scarpers. The next morning three policemen knock on the bishop's door with a guilty Jean Valjean.
They are all for throwing him in jail until the bishop speaks: 'So there you are! I'm delighted to see you. Had you not forgotten that I gave you the candlestick as well? They're silver like the rest, and worth a good 2000 francs. Did you forget to take them?'
The bishop not only gets the criminal off the hook, he sets him up for life with the challenge of using the money to become an honest man. And amidst the singing and dancing (and that special song Susan Boyle made her own) a near perfect picture of 'grace' is drawn. Do you see it?
We are Jean Valjean and God is the bishop. Not only does God forgive our sins (or let us off the hook, if you like) He also gives us the family silver. He wipes our slate clean with the challenge to go and make something of ourselves. And it's not something we can earn or buy; it's a gift called 'grace'. Praise God.
written by Bob Gass
