The endgame of Grace

In the season of Advent, it is good to reflect on the sheer beneficence of God's grace: His favour, freely and willingly bestowed, in love and mercy. Salvation and redemption brought to us in unmerited goodness gifted by God. The Kingdom of God and the wonder expressed and expounded into humanity in the coming of Jesus Christ.

This does not diminish the need for repentance, though. The gift of God's blessing upon us is not the end of the process. God blesses in order to ignite us in His love and mercy. To awaken us to His love and power. To immerse us in the reality of holiness.

But such refreshing and unmerited blessing is not, in itself, the endgame. The endgame is our restoration to effective living as the sons and daughters of God. Transformation and maturity into Christlike conformity.  This is what we hope and wait for.

For restoration to be ushered in, in the face of grace, there need be repentance. Just as Christmas must be followed by Easter, before Pentecost. Repentance leads to Restoration.

Enjoy grace at Christmas. But don't give up on repentance. If you really want to know and see God's full restoration. For that is the endgame of grace.

Another type of taster!

my old pals (and some not so old!) in the Edinburgh baptist fraternal.

Good to visit again for Christmas lunch together

A taste

A beautiful flight from Glasgow to Orkney,  looking down over the snow clad mountains and glens of Scotland. Visiting this weekend Stromness and Westray baptist churches.

I am enthralled with Orkney. This is my second visit within weeks, having earlier spent a wonderful weekend with the church in Kirkwall.  I am deeply attracted to these islands where community is both tangible and meaningful. Where people know on another. And where, living on an island, they can't escape from one another!

On Saturday afternoon and on Sunday morning, I was in Stromness, on the south west of the mainland of Orkney. A community of 2,000 people where the leader of our Union church, James, is also the community councillor. A growing community church that has been there for 10 years. Where the church people are part of the community and where there is an integral, missional presence in the life of the community. People see how you live. People see what you do. This is witness.

In the evening, I took the Ferry to Westray and visited Gavin Hunter and our church there. A community of 600 peole. Again, the same issue of life and witness. a committed community of born-again believers who are thoroughly involved and integrated into the wider community.

This is a different life from life in the Central Belt. And witness takes different form. To see interviews with both James and Gavin, visit my Facebook account or YOUTUBE and my uploads under 'drjimpurves'.