The story goes that a public sinner was excommunicated and forbidden entry to the church

He took his woes to God, “They won’t let me in, Lord, because I am a sinner.”

“What are you complaining about?” said God. “They won’t let Me in either!”

Often hobbling through our church doors on Sunday morning comes grace on crutches—sinners still unable to throw away their false supports and stand upright in the freedom of the children of God. Yet, their mere presence in the church on Sunday morning is a flickering candle representing a desire to maintain contact with God. To douse the flame is to plunge them into a world of spiritual darkness.

There is a myth flourishing in the church today that has caused incalculable harm.—once converted, fully converted. In other words, once I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, an irresistible, sinless future beckons. Discipleship will be an untarnished success story; life will be an unbroken upward spiral toward holiness. Tell that to poor Peter who, after three times professing his love for Jesus on the beach and after receiving the fullness of the Spirit at Pentecost, was still jealous of Paul’s apostolic success.

Often I have been asked, “Brennan, how is it possible that you became an alcoholic after you got saved?” It is possible because I got battered and bruised by loneliness and failure, because I got discouraged, uncertain, guilt-ridden, and took my eyes off Jesus. Because the Christ-encounter did not transfigure me into an angel. Because justification by grace through faith means I have been set in right relationship with God, not made the equivalent of a patient etherized on a table.

this is an excerpt from a book i recently read called The Ragamuffin Gospel, by Brennan Manning, an ex-alchoholic Catholic priest. the book's main thrust is grace, and how we are lacking it in showing grace to others. this part, as well as 4 others(which i shall post for the next 4 entries) benefited me, so i hope this benefits you as well.

So today's prayer pointer is to ask God to grant us a desire to see sinners in our church saved. but i guess the first step is to start accepting them, instead of condemning them.

>>and i live just for you my lord.