How Does a 'Graced' Person Act?

In the early 1990's, I was blessed enough to have authored a weekly column in the WV Tech newspaper 'The Collegian,' entitled, 'The Conservative Corner.'

Being in a heavily Democrat area, on a college full of young men and women thinking they can conquer the world, with Bill Clinton as the President of the United States - I had all the fodder I needed to combine sarcasm with truth for a collision of entertainment and enlightenment.

Or so I believed.

You see, that was the period of my life when I realized young liberals don't really have a desire to poke fun at themselves or the outlandish behavior/comments of our leaders who bare a 'D' after their name.

It was also a time when I learned that hate mail is very hurtful; especially over issues that wouldn't matter in twenty years.

And I learned how wonderful it is to have a woman as your wife who will stand behind you no matter what the circumstances and pray for you, simply because she believes in you and in her vows.

Those were important lessons for a young man, who is now middle-aged, to have learned. 
And I'm thankful for that time; yet, I wouldn't go back and write then knowing what I know now and having learned and matured as I have.

Back then, I would sometimes write things that were funny or sarcastic; working off the belief that in absurdity, truth can be revealed because people would begin to think.
In many ways, I still believe this; yet, the point one may be trying to make isn't as clear as it is to others.

Which brings me to why I'm reliving the early 1990's.

Question: How is a person, who has experienced God's grace and lives in His mercy minute by minute, how is that person supposed to act when they are among the unbelieving world?

Just in our lives alone, we've seen examples and probably committed a few ourselves, of how not to do it.
But how do we live in a manner showing God's grace to others, rightly and honorably?

In the '90's, President Clinton was a God-send for humorists and satire. It was scandal after scandal, some were serious and some were ridiculous. Some were more pronounced than others but the truth is that it was a constant (*ahem*) affair .
As a slightly biased media tried to defend the President and an overwhelmingly biased talk radio pontificated for impeachment and removal - the President strode onward and completed his second term, the first Democrat President win re-election and serve it fully since FDR.


Since that time, I have met former-President Clinton, as well as President George W. Bush and our current President, Barak Obama. 
All three men were actually not what I expected; we tend to have an image of what a President is supposed to be in our minds, not unlike our expectations for Pastors. 
But what I found surprised me; they were humans, simply - flawed men trying their best.

In the 1990's, most would have agreed that President Clinton was nothing short of a hypocrite; to some extent, that will always be a shadow on his legacy.
Yet, people loved him and still do; his ability to maintain his popularity and survive scandal has even earned him the title of 'Slick Willy,' and nobody uses that as a compliment.

Also in research and observation, President Clinton is known for his extra-marital escapades; one man stated he was the only politician he ever knew that could have a brazier in one hand and a Bible in the other and not get shot by his wife nor struck dead by God.

Maybe so.

Back when writing for the Collegian, President Clinton received more criticism than any man deserves.
Yet today, I do not see him in the same light as I once did.

A few years ago, I met with President Clinton in Charleston in my official capacity as a Chaplain in the United States Air Force, Air National Guard. 
There were many people there and I only had a few minutes alone with him before I knew he would get overtaken by well-wishers. 
We spoke for a very brief time and then I asked if I could say a quick prayer with him; he agreed.
I prayed, he thanked me and then was met by people thrusting their hands toward him and snapping constant pictures with their phones.

Many will call President Clinton a hypocrite, a user, a philanderer, an adulterer and  many other degrading, insulting things - and these may be true.
I can even remember people calling he and his wife, Ahab & Jezebel - referring to the wicked rulers of Israel. 
But to me, Bill Clinton is a flawed human being; and I believe his faith is very real.

I have often said that Bill Clinton is a typical Christian in the modern world, he's just criticized more and publicly because he was, after all, the President of the United States.
Most of the believers which we set next to on Sunday morning try to separate the failings in their lives from the faith to which they aspire in their hearts.
Is Bill Clinton any different than you and I in this regard?
I don't think so.

Now, I use President Clinton as our example for a reason - though a Christian, we forget that he is prone to failures, mistakes and sin, just like you and me; as a result, the 'Christian' media condemns him with what can be described as nothing short of poison and many individual Christians and churches all across America follow suit.

And to make matters worse, what was poison for Clinton has become pure venom directed toward the Obamas. 
But that's another story for another day.

Instead of grace, Christians have been exhibiting the noxious fumes of 'NO GRACE.' 

And this should never be.

The Christian, though a flawed individual, is called to witness to those outside of the Church, away from the Body and know little or nothing of mercy, grace and forgiveness.
Yet, what many unchurched have seen exhibited by believers in our local communities toward those that don't believe or those who have had moral failures from within our ranks - we've actually turned them off to the things of God rather than attracted them.

The Christian's command is to 'love' and this includes those who have different political views, various emotional needs and those who have failed, along with those that Scripture defines as our enemy.

Somehow, it seems that this command has gotten lost.
As a result, in the last 20 years, we have watched the world become repelled by outspoken followers of Christ rather than being the catalyst which brings them nearer to Him.

In fact, the New York Times once warned its readers that religious conservatives "pose a far greater threat to democracy than was presented by Communism."

I must state two things about this quote:
First, it's the most ridiculous statement I've heard in a long time.
Secondly, this is indeed how many unchurched men and women, who have never been exposed to the Gospel of Grace, perceive anybody claiming to be a Christian.

Christians are often perceived as rigid moralists who want to control the lives of others. 
On the other hand, many Christians are afraid because they perceive that they are under attack by the unredeemed world, which seems to have the undying support of our government; therefore, many believers act ungraciously towards those who are different than them simply out of fear.
As a result, society continues to decay as trust from both camps goes by the wayside.

In reality, Moralism apart from grace solves little and never works; in fact, it becomes its own religion.
Yet, as society continues to unravel, we constantly and consistently hear calls from the church that there should be less emphasis on mercy and an increased emphasis on morality and law.

Maybe I'm mistaken, but isn't this the dangerous trap the Pharisees of the First Century succumbed to in their time?
You'd better believe it.

Instead of learning from the past, some Christians are indeed repeating the mistakes of long ago; not only the Pharisees, but also the mistake of Calvin's Geneva, and even the Puritans in our nations' early beginnings.

Please don't misunderstand, it is to be encouraged that as a Christian, we seek to live a holy life; but as the New Testament teaches, non-believers should never be held to the same standard that a Christian expects of himself.
Christians have been redeemed and should seek to live a holy life; yet, holiness comes from within by the power of the Spirit of God. 
It is not something that can be forced on you from the outside.

In our time, we should be hearing calls from Body of Christ for more mercy and more grace across the board for all people; instead, we hear for more penalties toward those who have failed morally and ethically.
We have seen homosexuals stigmatized, and the shaming unwed mothers; while both need to learn what true, unconditional, Godly love consists of from those who have been given it as a gift through grace. 
There have been those who harass the homeless, turn away the needy and persecute illegals; and while the homeless and needy may have other issues within themselves and aliens from South of the Border are not citizens, they are still human beings in need of a Savior.

Treating people of any designated 'group' poorly and un-Christlike always backfires on the Church to the detriment of society.
Let me give you an example from my childhood.
Back then, there was a political push for what was called the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which truthfully, I never understood the premise because according to the Constitution, all citizens are afforded equality regardless of gender.
But I digress.

The ERA was attacked vehemently by televangelists and religious leaders, although it was a political and not a religious issue.
One religious spokesman from that time said these words:
"The feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians."

I don't know too much when it comes to 'socialist, anti-family' agendas, but I'm pretty sure that name-calling and hysteria over something that you don't understand isn't going to win a person any good-will.
As a result, whether it is this issue or any one of countless others, millions will not look to the church for guidance any longer.

We've seen centuries of how a Christian living and acting in God's grace shouldn't behave; what about how we ought to behave?

It's quite simple, actually. 

Practically, it means that the Christian should stop trying to win arguments over the Ten Commandments and start trying to live Jesus' Beatitudes. 

Scripturually, to do so, it means that we follow the Law, teachings of the Prophets and the New Testament because we want to, not because something is forcing us to do so.
Jesus stated it like this: 
 "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all  your mind and with all your strength' and   'Love your neighbor as yourself.' On these hang all the Law and Prophets."

Spiritually, it means seeking to become more like Jesus everyday; allowing Him to transform us from the person we once were into the person He has created us to be - whether we are a pauper or a President.

NC Disaster Relief (SBC)

Yet, we have failings and we have flaws; we will stumble time and again as we seek Christ in our lives.
But to get back up after falling down doesn't mean you're forgotten, it means you are forgiven and as a Christian, if I see you stumble, I will help pick you up, dust you off and cheer you along your way towards the Lord.

If I am to give the grace abundantly which I have received, how can I do otherwise?

Until next time, win one for the good guys.