For over 10 years, a story has circulated in cyberspace:
A woman bought a book and a box of crackers before she boarded an airplane. Once on board, she settled down with her book, but she was already tired from a long day, so she dropped off to sleep. When she woke up, the man beside her had opened up the box of cookies, placed the box between them and was busily eating her cookies.
The woman did not want to make a scene, but she was annoyed that this stranger had the nerve to open her cookies and start eating. She was not about to let him have all her cookies so she reached in, got a handful, and started to eat herself. He then reached in and got another handful. She wanted to punch the guy; however, she was a Christian so she did not do that. But she made sure that whenever he ate a cookie, she ate a cookie. She was at least going get half of her cookies. It got down to the last one. With a smile, the man took the last one, broke it in two and gave her half. She thought, this guy has some nerve. He did not even say, 'thank you'.
A little later the plane landed, and the stranger left. She was glad to see that cookie thief go. She got up and began to collect her belongings. She opened her bag to put her book in, and saw her box of cookies.
In total shock, she realized that she had been eating his cookies that he had willingly shared with her. She was the rude and unthankful person who had been treated with startling kindness by this stranger.
To a point, this story conveys something of the love of God toward ungrateful sinners. But, the gospel of Jesus Christ is about more than a voluntary division of food, and more than a Divine willingness to share. The gospel is about something unnatural, something that it difficult for us to truly understand. The gospel is about supernatural kindness heaped upon God's former enemies who have received His Son as Lord and Savior. According to Luke 6:35b, God "is kind to the unthankful and evil."
In previous devotionals, we have touched upon the promises of heavenly blessing for every true believer in Christ. Certainly, supernatural kindness is evident in God's communication of these promises to us. God has never been under an obligation to reveal anything to us; yet He kindly has revealed these wonderful promises.
Additionally, supernatural kindness is given every time a believer in Christ recognizes his or her sin and cries out for forgiveness from God. God is the Ultimate Forgiver. The Holy, Sovereign, All-wise Creator and Sustainer of the universe is mercifully inclined toward those who confess their sins to Him, in the Name of Jesus Christ. And He always will be.
Recall the moment of your conversion. Remember your startled wonder at the kindness of the Most High God lavished upon you. Bring to mind the stunned awe you experienced when you realized the scope and degree of God's love for you. Contemplate again the astounding spiritual reality: You who were once an enemy of God, full of ingratitude and wickedness---you have been brought into a condition and an estate of salvation by the eternally self-existent Being Who can get along just fine without you.
"But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."--- Titus 3:4-7.
A woman bought a book and a box of crackers before she boarded an airplane. Once on board, she settled down with her book, but she was already tired from a long day, so she dropped off to sleep. When she woke up, the man beside her had opened up the box of cookies, placed the box between them and was busily eating her cookies.
The woman did not want to make a scene, but she was annoyed that this stranger had the nerve to open her cookies and start eating. She was not about to let him have all her cookies so she reached in, got a handful, and started to eat herself. He then reached in and got another handful. She wanted to punch the guy; however, she was a Christian so she did not do that. But she made sure that whenever he ate a cookie, she ate a cookie. She was at least going get half of her cookies. It got down to the last one. With a smile, the man took the last one, broke it in two and gave her half. She thought, this guy has some nerve. He did not even say, 'thank you'.
A little later the plane landed, and the stranger left. She was glad to see that cookie thief go. She got up and began to collect her belongings. She opened her bag to put her book in, and saw her box of cookies.
In total shock, she realized that she had been eating his cookies that he had willingly shared with her. She was the rude and unthankful person who had been treated with startling kindness by this stranger.
To a point, this story conveys something of the love of God toward ungrateful sinners. But, the gospel of Jesus Christ is about more than a voluntary division of food, and more than a Divine willingness to share. The gospel is about something unnatural, something that it difficult for us to truly understand. The gospel is about supernatural kindness heaped upon God's former enemies who have received His Son as Lord and Savior. According to Luke 6:35b, God "is kind to the unthankful and evil."
In previous devotionals, we have touched upon the promises of heavenly blessing for every true believer in Christ. Certainly, supernatural kindness is evident in God's communication of these promises to us. God has never been under an obligation to reveal anything to us; yet He kindly has revealed these wonderful promises.
Additionally, supernatural kindness is given every time a believer in Christ recognizes his or her sin and cries out for forgiveness from God. God is the Ultimate Forgiver. The Holy, Sovereign, All-wise Creator and Sustainer of the universe is mercifully inclined toward those who confess their sins to Him, in the Name of Jesus Christ. And He always will be.
Recall the moment of your conversion. Remember your startled wonder at the kindness of the Most High God lavished upon you. Bring to mind the stunned awe you experienced when you realized the scope and degree of God's love for you. Contemplate again the astounding spiritual reality: You who were once an enemy of God, full of ingratitude and wickedness---you have been brought into a condition and an estate of salvation by the eternally self-existent Being Who can get along just fine without you.
"But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."--- Titus 3:4-7.