Evidences of Grace

Weekly Update – January 13th, 2022

Last week we looked at 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13 in our worship service.  In this passage, verse 6-7 says this:

“But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you – for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith.”  

Paul in a similar way opens up his letter to the Colossians by saying, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints.”  Likewise, Paul in Ephesians 1:15 says, “For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints…”  What I think Paul is doing in these verses, and in other areas of the New Testament, is offering what might be called “evidences of grace” to the believers in the various churches that he writes.   

Now the apostle Paul wasn’t a man who shied away from telling the truth.  Later in 1 Thessalonians 3:10, he tells believers that they are lacking in their faith.  Likewise, the apostle Paul didn’t shy away from conflict either.  In Galatians 2, he confronts Peter for wrong thinking, then in Galatians 3, he confronts the Galatians for wrong thinking.  Even so, Paul did not always look to criticize.  He simply dealt with problems out of his faithfulness to Christ.  I think it is safe to say that Paul would have much rather offered encouragement for the way that Christ had been at work in the lives of his listeners than he would to focus on what was wrong with them.

By nature our natural tendency is not to offer encouragement.  We don’t naturally look for “evidences of grace.”  On Sunday I shared an illustration from the classic Peanuts cartoon.  In this particular one, there is a picture of Linus curled up in a chair, reading a book to himself while Lucy stands behind him with a funny look on her face.  “It’s very strange,” Lucy tells him, “It happens just by looking at you.”  What happens?”  Linus asks.  Lucy answers, “I can feel a criticism coming on.”  That is how we view people by nature.  Why?  Because we are proud.  It takes an act of humility brought about by God in our hearts to want to look for the positives and identify evidences of grace in others.

Therefore, in 2022, I want to challenge you.  Instead of looking for criticism in others, take a divine perspective instead.  Within the church, we are brothers and sisters who have been redeemed from the kingdom of darkness and forgiven of our sins.  We were once separated from God, but we have now been brought near through the blood of Jesus Christ.  As C.J. Mahaney in his book titled Humility says, “We must remind ourselves, this individual has been previously acted upon by God.”  Only when we take this divine perspective of seeing others as co-heirs with us in the eternal inheritance that awaits us will we be able to put aside a critical heart and look for evidences of grace. 

Even still, with a divine perspective, what is it exactly that we are looking for? We are looking for areas where God is at work.  Consider looking for how the fruits of the Spirit (“joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23)) might be at work in someone’s life.  Look for how the Spirit has led someone to serve or to lead or teach.  Be mindful of how someone has shown faithfulness to God throughout circumstances and situations.  These and more are all manifestations of the Holy Spirit at work in someone’s heart and they provide a basis for us to identify evidence of grace.  Then, from there, praise God for what he is doing through us in his church. 

Let us follow the example of the apostle Paul as we consider our relationships with one another within the church.  Imagine the encouragement you could bring to someone by pointing out an evidence of God’s grace that you have seen at work in their lives.  In a culture where people naturally are moved to complaining and criticizing, lets strive to be counter-cultural as a church and look at others to build up to push them forward in God’s grace.   

Serving Him with You,
Pastor Michael Nelson