A Place Called Grace

There is a place unlike any other, a place where one can go and get a respite from this ridiculously cruel world. Few would argue that life is difficult. It can be a chore to simply make it through the week when one considers the injustices, the evil, the wickedness, and the ruthless gossip that takes place day after day. Its hard to grasp what God had in mind when He created this world. We have fallen so far from Eden that life as we now know it is only a very dim replica. Day after day, the image of Eden grows fainter and fainter. The problem this poses for the Christian is that there is no Eden for us to live in. Therefore, while we pine away for a "Land that is fairer than day," we live in a land that is"darker than night." Invariably the darkness of our world corrupts us. The injustices, evil, wickedness, and slander that plague our society also plague our churches. In fact, the existence of these in the hearts of God's people is what hinders revival from taking place. Our hearts, once set free from the atrocities of sin, have become colored by the darkness of sin once again. Scripture tells us that man loves darkness more than the light. Like the Israelites set free from Egypt, we find ourselves yearning for that which we have been set free from. That which so discolors the paradise that God created also discolors us.
Thankfully, there is a place we can go to find freedom from this malady. There is One who will accept us, even with our bitter spirits and our wicked thoughts, with our tongues that inflame the reputations of others and our hearts that have been filled with the corruption of the world. Though we have sold out to the world, betrayed our identity and crawled back into the miry pit, God still loves us with an unconquerable love. There is a place we can go and be restored. There is a place we can go and be made brand new. There is a place where we will discover that all of our sins have been "paid in full." There is a place called grace. The writer of Hebrews tells us about that place in Hebrews 4:14-16 "Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
We have direct access to the throne of grace because of the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Its time for the church to acknowledge the depth of our need: we need set free from bitter spirits, set free from unforgiveness, set free from gossip and innuendo, and set free from pride. When we acknowledge our sins and approach the throne of grace we will find One who will forgive our sins, renew our hearts, and restore us to our former identity as the express image of the Son (John 1:12). Come to the place called grace today.