Amazing Grace (Forgiveness and Redemption)
We all were once lost. Some still are. Some of us have found forgiveness and redemption… but not everyone. Some are still stuck in that vicious cycle of hatred, anger, sorrow, and self-pity. Not only is this unhealthy, but it drives us farther from God’s grace. You see, I think we often tend to forget about how we all were forgiven. It took an act of perfect sacrifice. Yes, in order to forgive we often have to make sacrifices: pride, ego, self, etc. But our sacrifices are nothing compared to the sacrifice that afforded us forgiveness and, ultimately, redemption. Think about it for a minute. Think about that scared young woman, many, many years ago, getting a sudden visit from an angel, telling her that she would give birth to a son that would eventually be responsible for saving the entire world… past, present, and future. Now imagine that little boy, growing up, knowing that he’s special but his young human mind not yet grasping the full implication of what that meant. Imag...