FROM THE DESK OF PASTOR WILL: Walking in Grace

[Rev. William Griffith]

"As not simply believers, but as followers of the teachings of Jesus Christ, we are called to deal with others in grace. Too often, Christians find themselves going against the grain of what Jesus taught. When we see a person or a group of people who disgust us, who rub us the wrong way, who we find 'worthy' of our judgement, and when we utter statements against them that does harm to them or their reputation, we are guilty of murder. 1 John 4:20 tells us: "If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. Jesus goes on to tell us: Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." My friends, no matter what sin we think our brother has, that sin is nothing compared to our sin of feeling disgust, hate and pride against another. We must approach one another in the same state of grace with which God has approached us. Love, compassion and forgiveness. Without His grace we are all guilty before God equally. And if our brother is an alcoholic, drug addict, promiscuous, greedy...they are deserving of the same grace God has given them. To think otherwise only diminishes the grace of God and we delude ourselves into thinking we are better. In such a state, we have no right to boast of God's grace nor of His blessings to us. In that state, we need to love others the way Christ loves us and do so in grace."

-Pastor William Griffith

 Evangel Pacific Ministries