“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. ²³ For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. ²⁴ For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.” (1 Peter 1:22-25)

“Living in a climate of deep insecurity, Jesus, faced with so narrow a margin of civil guarantees, had to find some other basis upon which to establish a sense of well-being. He knew that the goals of religion as he understood them could never be worked out within the then-established order. Deep from within that order he projected a dream, the logic of which would give to all the needful security. There would be room for all, and no man would be a threat to his brother.” (Howard Thurman. Jesus and the Disinherited (pp. 34-35). Beacon Press. Kindle Edition.)

“All people are like grass”. Don’t you sometimes feel as if the church has too many people who forget that they are not perfect, are not always solid citizens, and that they are not immune from making mistakes? Even in Jesus’ society, there were those who always believed they were above others – people like the Pharisees and other religious leaders.

I have been a pastor for fifteen years. In those years I have run across a few people in the church who believed that G-d had directly empowered them to point out the “specks” in their neighbor’s eyes, while ignoring the “logs” in their own eyes. They felt empowered to do or say whatever they wanted to do or say. They may or may not have realized this is how they were perceived, but it is clear they believed they had special privileges. Paul says “All people are like grass…but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

I remember a story about a young man who had put himself behind the wheel of his luxury car after he had too many drinks, and in making this decision he wrecked his car causing an accident that killed another human being. His defense at his trial was that his parents had spoiled him too much so that he did not know the difference between right and wrong. We hear about such stories and scoff at the ridiculousness of it all – that people do not or cannot take responsibility for their own actions. Fortunately for you and me the Bible is filled with people who failed to understand the consequences of their wrongful actions. Saul who breathed murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples until his conversion experience. And David, when confronted by Nathan about his indiscretion with Bathsheba finally said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

My friends, all people are like grass. We all will one day wither and fall. Thank the Lord Jesus came to save us all not only from the sinful, but also from ourselves.

Pastor Dave

“But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man’s trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. If, because of the one man’s trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.”  Romans 5:15 – 17

“Perhaps the authentic moral stature of a man is determined by his choice of weapons which he uses in his fight against the adversary. Of all weapons, love is the most deadly and devastating, and few there be who dare trust their fate in its hands.” (Howard Thurman. Deep Is the Hunger . Ravenio Books. Kindle Edition.)

The Grace of Jesus Christ is a free gift. We need to contemplate more fully the reality of Grace – the Grace we receive through the cross of Jesus, and the Grace we are to show others in our relationships. Grace is a gift to the undeserving. Grace is being justified, being made right with G-d, and the only requirement to receive this gift is faith. Now here is the amazing part – faith too is a gift. We cannot earn faith – we cannot purchase faith – we can only receive faith as a gift through the Holy Spirit. Martin Luther’s explanation to the third article of the Apostle’s Creed states: “I cannot come to faith in Jesus by my own reason or strength, but it is through the Holy Spirit that calls me through the Gospel, enlightens me with His gifts, sanctifies and keeps me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church…”

When the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we not only grow in faith understanding, but we also find that our faith lives come alive – we find that we become empowered with the gifts of the Spirit. My friends, remain open to the spirit – open to the Word – open to the presence of Christ. The love of Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit will give you a new purpose in life, and in your faith understanding and faith living.

Pastor Dave