Everyone needs it but we don’t know a lot about it. We name churches after it, “Grace Church”. We even sing about it, “Grace, grace God’s grace. Grace that is greater than all our sin.” Yet even name people after it, “Grace.” But we sure struggle with its application. Grace, how illusive is it really?
A common definition of grace is “unmerited favor.” I think most believers easily understand the importance of God’s grace in their lives. We are all sinners, “fellow strugglers” if you will! We all need God’s grace.
Therefore, grace is an important element in the life of all believers and in church life or “body life” as it has been called. I know that people in churches have always struggled with getting along with each other. In Paul’s writing to the church in Corinth he says that there will be differences among them so they will be able to tell who has God’s approval. In other words, church squabbles are nothing new. But frankly, there seems to be more unrest in the local church today than I remember in the past. It seems commonplace that pastors and congregations develop an “us against them” mentality. And people regularly gossip about each other. Sometimes they are just downright mean to each other.
I also cannot remember a time when I have heard of so many pastors being asked be their congregations or church boards to resign from their churches. To say there is unrest in the many local churches would be an understatement. Grace, grace, we need some grace. But not only God’s grace but also grace for each other.
The church was built on relationships. Jesus built relationships and so did the disciples. If you read Romans 16 you find Paul had relationships. We suffer today in the church due to the lack of relationships. Relationships are built on grace that first come from God and then is extended through out lives to others.
We are each vessels of grace. But there are two kinds of vessels. There are those vessels that respond at the shortcomings of others with a pure heart, extend grace to them and develop a relationship. Then there is the vessel that responds to the shortcomings of another person with bitterness and judgment, no grace. They become embittered because they can receive God’s grace for themselves but cannot find a place in their heart to give God’s grace to others. Basically, they are a container of grace. If we fail to extend grace to each other the church becomes full of bitter, disappointed people with no friends who must make each other and the pastor the target of their unhappiness.
So what makes one person able to have joy, develop relationships and have a wonderful relationship with Christ? They are not a container (vessel) of grace but they are a ‘broken’ container of grace. Broken containers leak!
And, of course, the most important relationship is our relationship with Jesus Christ. If a believer does not have a ‘grace driven’ relationship with Christ they cannot have a ‘grace driven” relationship with others. Perhaps even more important today than the ‘purpose driven’ church is ‘grace driven’ church!
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