Preston Sprinkle

From beginning to end, our Christian lives_ highs and lows, fasting and fornication_ are a tapestry of grace.Charis: God's Scandalous Grace for Us (p. 31).

We are a generation of lovers who long to be loved. We spend exorbitant amounts of money to compel others to delight in us. We construct our ideal life on Facebook because we are unsatisfied with our real life, which is tainted with boredom, loneliness, insecurity, and a lack of friends and followers . We do not enjoy the person God created us to be or the life God has gifted us with. We think we are overweight, underweight, too pale, too dark, too plain, or just plain boring. Yet we crave to be delighted in by a significant other. So we pursue misguided avenues to make ourselves delightful, to satisfy our craving to be loved.Charis: God's Scandalous Grace for Us (pp. 118-119).

God hijacks and bends evil to work peace and healing. If God were only a God of justice, He could punish evil but do no more. Only a God of grace can use our evil to work His good. God__ grace is so much bigger than our sin . Sometimes He__l let us pursue our idolatry until it kills us. Then He will resurrect us and turn our evil into testimonies of God__ grace.Charis: God's Scandalous Grace for Us (p. 86).

Grace is more than just leniency and unconditional acceptance. Divine grace is God__ relentless and loving pursuit of His enemies, who are unthankful, unworthy, and unlovable. Grace is not just God__ ability to save sinners, but God__ stubborn delight in His enemies__es, even the creepy ones. Grace means that despite our filth, despite the sewage running through our veins , despite our odd addiction to food, drink, sex, porn, pride, self, money, comfort, and success, God desires to transform us into real ingredients of divine happiness.Sprinkle, Preston (2014-07-01). Charis: God's Scandalous Grace for Us (p. 24). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition.

And when Jesus declared, 'It is finished,' He meant it. God__ punishment for our sin was paid for, permanently settled, finished_ 100 percent. If you have responded in faith to God__ free pardon through Jesus, then God will never punish you for your sin. It__ finished. No more. If you screw up today or tomorrow (which you will), it__ already been paid for through Jesus. 'There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,' Paul said (Rom. 8: 1). None. God will not and cannot condemn you after He has already condemned Jesus for you. It__ impossible. God will never be angry with you since His anger was poured out on Jesus. All of it. One hundred percent.Charis: God's Scandalous Grace for Us (p. 169).

Grace, on the other hand, means that God is pursuing you. That God forgives you. That God sanctifies you. When you are apathetic toward God, He is never apathetic toward you. When you don__ desire to pray and talk to God, He never grows tired of talking to you. When you forget to read your Bible and listen to God, He is always listening to you. Grace means that your spirituality is upheld by God__ stubborn enjoyment of you.Charis: God's Scandalous Grace for Us (p. 76).

Before we apply Joshua to our lives, we need to make sure which side of the Jordan we are living on. Militarism invites God's wrath.

I wonder how many people have been killed, tortured, and in some cases cannibalized, all because certain Christians (mis)applied the book of Joshua to their lives.