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Choose Grace

   Oftentimes when we see someone who is engaged in an obvious struggle with sin, in our hearts we judge them. We wonder how they could be so far off the mark. How could they be so into drugs, alcohol, sex, etc.? We see the obvious extremities of the pit of sin in their life. Most of the time, we have no experience with these types of things which makes it hard to put ourselves in the other person's shoes. We consider them as fallen impossibly far from Jesus and His grace.

    If I haven't gotten into any "hard-core" sin, am I more worthy of His grace? Is it easier for Him to dish out grace to cover my white lie than it is to cover her prostitution? My gluttony versus his drug addiction? The truth is we all sin daily! Even unknowingly. We are a fallen race and it is in our nature to sin. All sin is worthy of death and we are all in dire need of grace. It doesn't matter how "severe" our sins are from our view, they still make us worthy of death.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NIV)

     Jesus made the decision to give everyone who accepted Him grace to cover our sins. Who are we to say that one is more deserving? We all deserve to die if we go by merit! We have to stop judging our brothers and sisters in our hearts and move into a mindset of compassion. The decisions people make are always for a reason. Have empathy when you see someone struggling because there is a deeper reason behind it. Love people and lead them into the arms of the comforter and healer who can put them back together again. Just like the woman who was to be stoned for her sin, Jesus (the only rightful judge) has compassion for our sins. Be like Jesus and show love and grace to those in your life.

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (ESV)

John 8:1-11 
Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.
“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”
“No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” (NLT)

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