Marvelous Grace
There once was a young man who was homeless. He lived on the streets. Finding shelter wherever he could, he relied on food and clothing that others had discarded. He was hungry and cold, ragged and dirty, and smelled bad.
One day, a very kind man saw him and felt pity for him. The man took the boy to his own home. He gave the young man use of his bathroom and provided him with everything he needed to be clean. The boy was then given new clothes and fed a good meal.
At the end of the day, he was shown to a wonderful bedroom with a soft bed and fine linen. When he awoke the next morning, he was fed a hearty breakfast and sent back out into the street. The young man was grateful for what had been done for him, but he was still homeless.
Now listen as I tell the story again. There once was a young man who was homeless. Finding shelter wherever he could, he relied on food and clothing that others had discarded. He was hungry and cold, ragged and dirty, and smelled bad.
One day, a kind man took the boy to his own home. He gave the young man use of his bathroom and provided him with everything he needed to be clean. The boy was then given new clothes and fed a good meal. After the meal, he was given a wonderful bedroom with a soft bed and fine linens to sleep in.
This is where the story changes. The next morning, the host shared a good breakfast with the young man. After that, the host said, “I have something to tell you. Son, if you choose to stay, you will never have to go back to your old life. I am offering you a new life. From this day forward, everything I have will be yours. My home will be home now. From now on, you will be my son, and I will be your father. You will never be homeless again.”
This is the message I want you to receive. In the first story, a homeless man is shown pity. In the second, Grace was given. In the first story, the boy is given temporary relief. In the second, he was made permanently whole. You should know that God is a giver of Grace. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” God the Father, with His Marvelous Grace, extends an invitation to everyone. He says, “Come with Me, and all I have will be yours.” I will be your Father, and you will be My child. And you will never be homeless again.”
“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sin,in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Ephesians 2:2-10 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/eph.2.2-10.NKJV
Douglas & Deborah Huff
From Down Where the Pavement Ends
Email- pavementendsministry@gmail.com
