₦airaland Forum

The Heart of Grace

Many believers today have not truly known God. What they know is the “god” their pastors, prophets, and religious systems presented to them not the true God revealed in Christ. Growing up, I was taught that God could leave a person. That made me live on eggshells, always afraid of missing one step and being abandoned. But as I grew in Christ, I discovered that it was false. He never leaves us.

The character of God is revealed perfectly in Jesus. He came to show us the true image of the Father. Yet when Grace is taught, many religious people become angry. They accuse, saying, “You are giving people license to sin!” But that is an ignorant statement. If you truly understood God’s mission, you would realize that grace has always been the heartbeat of God from creation itself. Grace defeated sin.

Look at Jonah’s story. God sent him to preach to Nineveh, but Jonah ran away. He faced a storm and was thrown into the sea, yet God did not send judgment, He sent preservation. The great fish was not punishment but mercy, keeping Jonah alive until he yielded to his mission. Where sin abounds, grace abounds much more. Jonah didn’t deserve that mercy, yet God gave it. This is who God is.

When Jonah finally preached, the people of Nineveh believed. But in Jonah 4, Jonah became angry that God spared them. Can you see the religious heart at work? Jonah himself had just enjoyed God’s mercy, yet he could not stand to see others receive it. He thought it was evil that God forgave them. Many Christians behave the same way today.

Religious, legalistic people are quick to shout “judgment!” Many prophets today prophesy doom, death, or destruction. And when it happens, they run to their churches, pulpits, or social media saying, “I prophesied this before it came to pass.” It’s Jonah’s syndrome the ego of wanting to be validated as “a true man of God,” even if it means delighting in destruction.

This religious mindset also plays out among believers. Job’s friends accused him: “Surely this suffering is judgment from God.” The elder brother of the prodigal son became angry: “I never sinned, yet you never threw me a party. Why show my brother grace? He deserves punishment.” The people who caught the woman in adultery screamed: “She deserves to be stoned!” In churches today, we see the same spirit ridicule, embarrassment, and rejection. People are told they don’t deserve forgiveness, as though anyone ever did. What we all deserved was death, but grace and mercy found us.

Yet even now, many Christians pray religious prayers of vengeance: “God, let my enemies die! Let them catch fire!” And some even share testimonies that their uncle, mother, or neighbor died after such prayers. But how does the death of a sinner glorify God? Heaven rejoices, not when people perish, but when they repent.

Even when Jonah was angry over the plant that withered, God still spoke to him. That was grace again God dialoguing with a man lost in religious pride. God asked: “You cared about a plant you didn’t plant. Should I not care about the 120,000 people who don’t know their right hand from their left?” (Jonah 4:11).

This is the true heart of God. Jesus revealed it on the cross when He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

So today, the question of God to Jonah still comes to us:

Do we rejoice when sinners repent, or get angry like Jonah?

Do we want vengeance on our enemies, or salvation for them?

Do we see people through the lens of wrath, or through the lens of grace?

Beloved, check your heart, change your heart. Drop the religious mindset, let go of legalism, and embrace the heart of Grace.

I agree with what you have written except your disbelief that God could leave a person. Well not God but the spirit of God can indeed leave a person, and that is true.

Though you don't have to walk on eggshells because of that, due to being afraid of making mistakes because if any sins they can repent and ask God for forgiveness and He is faithful and just to forgive.

Well but we also have to be careful and watchful because there are deeds, sins, mistakes that lead to death, that remove a person from abiding in Christ. So we are advised through the letters not to be careless in the name of being carefree because there's an enemy seeking for whom to destroy.

The grace of God keeps us from living in sin.

Please read john14:16 and see what Jesus said about the Spirit and is God different from His Spirit?

gohf:
I agree with what you have written except your disbelief that God could leave a person. Well not God but the spirit of God can indeed leave a person, and that is true.

Though you don't have to walk on eggshells because of that, due to being afraid of making mistakes because if any sins they can repent and ask God for forgiveness and He is faithful and just to forgive.

Well but we also have to be careful and watchful because there are deeds, sins, mistakes that lead to death, that remove a person from abiding in Christ. So we are advised through the letters not to be careless in the name of being carefree because there's an enemy seeking for whom to destroy.

The grace of God keeps us from living in sin.

iamteegee:
Please read john14:16 and see what Jesus said about the Spirit and is God different from His Spirit?

John 14:16 you quoted where John records Jesus telling us to ask the Father for the Holy Spirit and clearly shows the distinction between the Holy Spirit and the Father who sends the Spirit.

So to answer your question Yes, God is different from His Spirit, for His Spirit lives in his children while He, God, dwells above the heavens.

The promise was to give us the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God that is from God

You missed the point of john14:16, the point is that God never leaves, you saw it there, I can still go further but I will leave you to do the research.... God the father, son and Spirit is one, God decided to appear in those 3 form for the redemption of man

gohf:
John 14:16 you quoted where John records Jesus telling us to ask the Father for the Holy Spirit and clearly shows the distinction between the Holy Spirit and the Father who sends the Spirit.

So to answer your question Yes, God is different from His Spirit, for His Spirit lives in his children while He, God, dwells above the heavens.

The promise was to give us the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God that is from God

iamteegee:
You missed the point of john14:16, the point is that God never leaves, you saw it there, I can still go further but I will leave you to do the research.... God the father, son and Spirit is one, God decided to appear in those 3 form for the redemption of man

so your point is that God is His Holy Spirit that he sent to us?

Because that's absolutely not the point in John 14:16, which reads, John.14.16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--

On this same subject, of being with someone "forever" (Jesus and the Father) Jesus said in John.14.21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

Listen carefully to the condition recorded by John concerning Jesus revealing himself to anyone or them being loved by God. Listen again, continue reading John.14.23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.


Now do you think God our Father and His son Jesus will go to those or stay with those who disobey the teachings of Jesus?

Infact it's so important to obey the teachings of Jesus that's why the Holy Spirit was sent
John.14.26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

So that you can obey and abide in, that Christ as well abides in us.

Look this things are clear for those upon the right foundation that is there is only one God who sent his son Jesus Christ to us, but when you build upon a false doctrine like Trinity, you build upon sand and you hope upon that which is a lie that feels so sweet to make one reject the truth