Ever wondered why The Lord’s Grace to us lasts so long,
Whether to His saints or to sinners it’s extended?
Or when to you, its collateral damages seem wrong?
Grace is AMAZING because it seems …unlimited.
It’s just l-e-n-g-t-h-y, with cloaked ‘use-by’ dates that we cannot see,
And for very good, strategic reasons, I might add!
Imagine life if Grace-end dates were known, explicitly!
We’d push the limit, then know when to stop acting bad! 1
So what might be The Lord’s strategic motive,
For extending Grace to humans for so l-o-n-g.
Put on your thinking caps, and let’s be pensive,
So our curiosity will remain strong.
Grace is ‘The Face of The Lord’s Patience’, enlarged,
To unfold His plan for every person, family,
Society, nation, and the world at large,
To hold before us a two-way mirror, furtively. 2
In this mirror, we’re shown what we were, are and are becoming.
These images remain in sharp focus, internally.
Through this mirror, others perceive that to which we’re succumbing.
They ‘see’ that which we have stored in our hearts abundantly. 3
The Lord allowed 12 decades for this process to play out,
But modern lifestyles have reduced this to up to 9.
Then impacts of sinfulness cause many …early drop-outs!
Thus, we have seriously shortened Grace’s timeline!!! 4
The Bible states, then demonstrates, ‘…as we think, so we are’,
And that we will ‘know people by their word and action fruits’.
Thus, to ‘know’ ourselves and others, it gives us …a low bar:
‘Carefully listen and look to perceive (y)our heart’s pursuits.’ 5
The Lord’s Grace mirror ensures we’re drawn to opportunities,
To ex-press these pursuits outwardly, whether good or evil,
So between our heart-words-actions, there’re no incongruities.
Thus, Grace ensures that, to our own selves, we will be true, fidel. 6
But why is being and demonstrating our true selves,
Both to ourselves and to others, of such importance?
This signifies a strategic point where Grace excels:
Setting the stage for just rewards The Lord will dispense.
You see, at some point, before Him we all will appear,
Our Judge Potentate, to receive His promised rewards,
For all our lifestyle choices we will have made down here.
Grace will have confirmed our key choices in His records! 7
The Bible is clear on both the key choices and His rewards,
And it paints vivid images of such, through key characters,
How differing responses to Grace impacted their ‘heart-hoards’,
And what they will enjoy or suffer in …diverse hereafters.
Friends, though there are times when The Lord’s Grace is quite short,
Amazingly, it generally lasts a very long time.
Long or short, this faithful servant’s job, we can’t thwart!
It’s best that we learn to perceive its …strategic paradigm.
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May you continue to ponder
the raison d’etre for/of Grace.
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1 In this life, Grace clearly has undisclosed expiration dates. Only for The Lord’s saints in eternity, will there be …Grace unlimited.
2 Furtively – quietly, secretively, in a manner unknown. See: Psalm 33:13-15.
3 Proverbs 4:23 warns us, ‘Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.’ (NIV)
4 See: Life Span (Series)
5 See: Proverbs 23:6-8, Matthew 7:15-20, Matthew 12:34 and Luke 6:45. Iterative demonstration effects are one reason the Bible is such a large book. It iteratively states The Lord's expectations for righteous living; and states the positive and negative consequences of obedience; THEN, it demonstrates such consequences in the lives of key actors across its pages and ages! Ever considered that??
6 Ex-press – to push out; to express outwardly. See: To Thine Own Self Be True.
7 Ponder this: Grace gives The Lord’s saints encouragement to continue in their righteous lifestyles. It gives sinners time to repent and to live more righteous lives. Thus, Grace effectively removes any and all excuses both saints and sinners might offer, on our judgment day, for any/all un-repented unrighteous life choices. For more, see: Romans 1:18-32.
