I attended my churches women's retreat this weekend. I can sum up what I learned with the very last words spoken at the retreat. We all, as Christian sisters, stood side by side, some hand in hand, some tears streaming down their cheeks, some sitting with so much emotion, some raising their arms so high, as to reach Jesus and say, pull me up with you. We stood there and sang Amazing Grace. It was so pure. So clean. So amazing, just as the name of the song. We talked so much about the grace that He has given us. The undeserving grace, that no one earned, that no one could even know how to ask for. We talked about the grace bestowed upon each of us. We talked about the grace we, as Christians, should give each other. That we should be reminded of Jesus and how he scooped us up. We need to be Jesus on Earth to others. Especially within our church.
Lisa Harper was the key speaker this weekend. She is such a great speaker. She brings the Bible and the stories to life. In a way you won't forget. A way you feel like you were there. You feel like the character she is talking about. Or you feel like the character she is teaching us not to be. That is the painful part. She reminded us of this story in John 8
1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
11"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
That is so powerful. I have read this before, but they way she read it and illustrated it, the Lord was talking to me about something different from the story. A few things I will take from Lisa sharing this story are
1) In the second part of verse 6, you see that Jesus bent down... He bent down to speak to her, to shade her body from the crowd. To show that He doesn't think she is under him in anyway. This is a man you is sinless. He is the sparkling water among the sewer. And He bends down to her. That is the first sign of grace right there.
2) He of course says in verse 7 that if anyone has not sinned, they may cast the stone. I love that it is so clear in this verse that we have no right to judge, but yet we do. Especially when we say, 'I'm not judging them...but..'. Who are we kidding. Ourselves. That is who. We have no right to judge. Jesus doesn't say, if you have not committed adultery..he says sin. When you meet someone that is falling down because of their lack of following the Lord, that is when we need to reach out to them and show grace. Not judgement. Look into your own heart. Did you pass judgement? Did you gossip about someone that day? What sin have you committed that maybe only your Heavenly father knows of? And he does know. Save your judgement for dinner....is it good? or bad?
3) This is the biggest visual of grace for me. In verse 11 He says, "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
Ahhhh. He doesn't say, repeat after me. He doesn't say, commit to church every Sat, Sun and Wed. He doesn't tell her to go and memorize a prayer. He doesn't tell her to confess all of her sins. He give her grace and instructions...'Go now and leave your life of sin.' He is telling us that the grace given to us, that we didn't earn, bc we are not capable of earning that kind of grace, is freely given by Him. Then he is telling us, walk away from the sin in your life. Go forward...
I know we will continue to sin every day. We are not Jesus. We are not without sin. And I think if you look at your week and say, "Oh I was so Christ like this week and didn't sin!" Then the enemy is just sitting there with you like a puppet. But what we can do is try so hard to strive and be Christ like. And when we fall short...and oh we will fall short...recognize it..ask for forgiveness from Him and from the person we may hurt. That is what He wants.
It was such a great weekend! I am so blessed to get to go to PBC retreat!
"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.
T'was Grace that taught...
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear...
the hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares...
we have already come.
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...
and Grace will lead us home.
The Lord has promised good to me...
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be...
as long as life endures.
When we've been here ten thousand years...
bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise...
then when we've first begun.
"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see. "
