Every means of grace is like a hammer or a knife – each can be used to create and heal from sin, or to destroy. The means of grace will be used to create and heal when we allow the Holy Spirit to act in our lives.
When we exclude God’s Spirit and attempt to operate, use, control a means of grace on our own, we can bring harm to ourselves or others – as if we put a child at the controls of a bulldozer or try to make a dead bird fly. A means of grace in our hands can have an effect in the world and in our lives opposite what God intends.
We can put a means of grace in our lives, making ourselves open to the life of God’s Spirit.
If we limit the means of grace in our lives, then we limit the Spirit’s actions in our lives, then we limit God’s continuing act of creation in our lives. Look how beautiful God’s creation is! Why would we want to limit that life in our lives?
|
