God’s grace and forgiveness is real. He saves us and gives us goodness we don’t deserve. When we are wrong, he gives us time and space to come back and get it right. As his beloved children, we don’t have to live in unsettled fear of what unknown wrong we may be doing and the lightening on it’s way to strike us. Jesus covers us in grace. We don’t earn his favor and love, but it’s offered to us anyway.
But know this, along with the grace of Jesus comes the space to change. And we are expected to change. God’s grace doesn’t give us license to keep doing wrong. Everything we do has a consequence and God doesn’t come in between our choices and the consequences of those choices. Nope. If you crash your car, then your car is crashed. That doesn’t change. If you charge up your credit cards, then you’re in debt. That doesn’t change. If you never wash the dishes, then you have dirty dishes. That doesn’t change.
Where is God asking you to change, but you’re delaying because you’ve been getting away with it so far? So far you haven’t gotten caught. So far it hasn’t created disaster. So far there haven’t been any consequences. Please understand, that’s not God just letting you continue in the wrong direction … that’s God’s grace allowing you space to change that. If you don’t, there will be consequences and you won’t like them.
You know how you give a child a countdown to respond appropriately? “Little Johnny, I’m going to count to 3. 1 … 2 …” What’s supposed to happen if you get to 3 and that child has not responded with appropriate action? Consequences. And those consequences are not because all of a sudden you hate that child. No, it’s because the only way they will learn is to experience negative consequences for negative behaviors.
Some of us are walking around on a 2.9997 thinking God will never get to 3. Oh, he will. You’re in your grace period, but grace periods do expire. Just how far are you going to push this?
Jesus told John to write a letter to his people in the town of Thyatira. These were people who were doing great and admirable things, but they were allowing a negative influence in their lives. So, Jesus sends them a letter in their grace period. He says to John, “Write this letter to the angel of the church of Thyatira. This is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire, whose feet are like polished bronze.”
Now remember, when Jesus reveals a specific image of him, it’s for a reason. He’s telling them my eyes are like flames of fire because they have power and they see absolutely everything. He draws attention to his feet like polished bronze because they are strong and ready to move in battle. Our Jesus is one who sees and one who is ready to move. He’s not oblivious to what is happening, nor is he unable or unwilling to do anything about it.
Revelation 2: 19-29:
“I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things.”
So, good job! You’re doing good and you’re constantly getting even better. Jesus sees that. He honors that. He loves that about you!
“But I have this complaint against you. you are permitting that woman – that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet – to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality.”
What’s happening here is an allowed continued negative influence. The people just looked away, made excuses, and allowed it to continue. And as it continued, God’s people became confused and what was w...