Example of God's Amazing Grace

[Taylor]

THis is taken from the book Jesus a Heart Full of Grace by William G. Johnson devotional for September 24 I just thought it was so moving to know this is the kind of God we serve.

Every now and then we hear someone tell the story of the dramtic change in the life after they met Jesus, from drugs and gangs to the Christian walk, and so on. Or we read a book that perhaps goes into lurid detail of the years before Jesus became the writer's Savior ad Lord. None of these stories, however, comes even close to matching the experience of Manasseh.

Manasseh, King of Judah in the 7th century B. C. was one of the worst monarchs to rules anywhere, let alone over the people of God. Only 12 years old when he ascended the throne, he reigned for 55 years. We find his story told in 2 Kinds 21 and 2 Chronicles 33. The accounts are very similar in describing the king's wickness, but Chronicles adds intriguing details.

This king followed the idolatrous practices of the surrounding nations, so that the people "did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites" (2 Chron. 33:9, NIV) He erected alters to the Baals and made Asherah poles; he worshipped the starry hosts, even building alters to them in the Temple of the Lord. He sacrificed his son in the fire (an abominable practice associated with the worship of the god Molech). He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft. He consulted mediums. "Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end" (2 Kings 21:16, NIV) Did you ever hear of such revolting behavior? Surely here was an individual for whom all hope of salvation had long since perished.

Not so fast. Never discount the power of grace. Never give up on a sinner as lost beyond recall. God permitted the Assyrians to overrun the land. They tok Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose (bas-reliefs took him to Babylon. And there, wonder of wonders, this sorry excuse for a leader in God's people had a change of heart. "He ....humbled himself reatly before the God of his fathers" (2Chron. 33:12, NIV) He prayed and God heard him.

God always hears us. He turned Manasseh around, and he can turn us around also. Never give up on a sinner, because God never does.

[Dr. Rich]

Grace? God always hears us? God NEVER gives up on a sinner? Hmmm. What am I missing here? Sounds too good to be true.

Ok, Please show me 'grace' in the Ten Virgin prophecy?

And didn't God say He could NOT be your God IF you did not want to abide in Him by Keeping all of the Commands found in the Covenant, and having the testimoney of Jesus?

And never giving up on a sinner? What happens when the cup of wrath get full? Who was it that said brush the dust off from your sandels?

Yes, I was the one in law school that almost got kicked out for asking too many questions THEY didn't want to answer!

[Neil D]

Grace? God always hears us? God NEVER gives up on a sinner? Hmmm. What am I missing here? Sounds too good to be true.

[David Koot]

Grace? God always hears us? God NEVER gives up on a sinner? Hmmm. What am I missing here? Sounds too good to be true.

God does not give up on the sinner, but the sinner can give up on God and reach the point where he or she is totally immune to the pleadings of the Holy Spirit. And yes, God will finally ratify the person's decision, if that is the person's final decision. I believe that the judgment is God's recognition of each person's final decision.

Dave

[phkrause]

I really liked both of your (david&Neil) replys.

pkrause

[Woody]

Quote:

david&Neil

They do go well together don't they?

Two peas in a pod.

[phkrause]

ha; that's another good one Red

pkrause