{"id":37711,"date":"2016-07-10T09:23:02","date_gmt":"2016-07-10T07:23:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kernbeisser.ch\/become-wide\/"},"modified":"2024-11-18T20:12:51","modified_gmt":"2024-11-18T18:12:51","slug":"become-wide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kernbeisser.ch\/en\/become-wide\/","title":{"rendered":"Become wide"},"content":{"rendered":"

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“It is perplexing, indeed downright frightening, that some who are justified in God’s grace for nothing, who have been undeservedly made partakers of His goodness, rebel fiercely at the thought that those presently less fortunate will one day also be reconciled to God.”<\/em>
\n– Cecil J. Blay, “Become Wide.”<\/p>\n

It is not without consequences what we believe. Hard lessons make hard hearts. But the Bible speaks quite differently. We should not “receive the grace of God in vain,” Paul writes to the Corinthians (2 Cor. 6:1). We should do something with this grace, respectively it may do something with us. Grace educates. Grace aligns the heart with God’s work. This may be seen in a lifestyle pleasing to God.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”679294″]<\/p>\n

Grace causes a new start<\/h3>\n

When we are gifted with grace, we may live out the grace we have received. Grace is something that wants to keep flowing<\/a>. Just as God has reconciled Himself to the world, this may work in us and through us. We may become more like Christ (2 Cor. 3:17-18). It won’t make us flawless, but it can recalibrate our thinking, our expectations, our priorities, and everything that makes us human.<\/p>\n

This recalibration is a process. We may be directed to His riches (Rom 12:1-2). It is quite logical if this is then also visible to the outside world. Thus grows the fruit of the Spirit, which becomes visible as love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-discipline (Gal 5:22). This is the result.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”182640″]<\/p>\n

No religious piety<\/h3>\n

This effect is not to be understood as religious piety. On the contrary, it has something to do with our vocation, but nothing to do with a particular religious feeling or, say, religious rituals. It does not manifest itself in the amount of hours prayed daily, nor in the attendance of religious services. We may fulfill<\/em> our holiness in the fear of God (2 Cor. 7:1). Then we will implement what<\/em> we have been called to do.<\/p>\n

Those who live out grace will not receive grace “in vain”, but will bear fruit.<\/strong> So no performance, no merit, no conformity to religious customs, but behavior that promotes growth – we realign our lives.<\/strong> Ultimately, it is about reflecting exactly what we ourselves have received to all those around us.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”101709″]<\/p>\n

Today is a day of salvation<\/h3>\n

The context in which Paul writes is significant. We are talking here about the letter to the Corinthians. Between the two verses mentioned at the beginning of the 6. and of the In chapter 7 Paul speaks to the believers in Corinth. The apostle writes so that something can move in this church. The purpose of his words is to change and improve. They should be aware – because of the grace given – that today<\/em> is a day of salvation<\/em>. It is not “the” day of salvation, as if it were the only day, but the Greek speaks of “a” day of salvation, which does not exclude other days. The focus of the text is therefore not that salvation is only<\/em> possible today<\/em>, as is often prematurely claimed. (This is a narrow interpretation and not the theme of the section). The focus in the text is that it is about salvation<\/em>. It is the imprint of<\/em> our time that we should exploit. We are to take advantage of the opportunity (Eph. 5:15-16).<\/p>\n

So Paul sees two things here:<\/p>\n