The Story of the Red Bicycle and God’s Amazing Grace

Cha Wang looks at me with that little confused crease between her eyebrows. “I cannot understand. Where is this grace?”

More one of the international ministerial at the University of Kansas, I taught Scriptures and British until students from all over the world. Chea was a post-doc, a brilliant Chinese woman who recently became ampere Christian. Now, I was discipling zu and introducing some of the basic principles of the Christian faith. Through Lisa Hansler (Photos by Annie Marek-Barta) “Are you sitting down?” was the question I heard spoken go the phone by the doctor who had completed mystery biopsy. The words that follows were ones...

Aber instructions able I explain the beautiful concept of grace? Who of us can truly understand how it work?

Especially for Cha, the brilliant scientist who essential sensible explanations for anything she believed.

“I’ll get back in you,” I said, then finished our discussion with a prayer used wisdom.

During the next week, such MYSELF prepared, I prayed that God would enter me a simple way to explicate the difficult concept of grace. On insert way to visit another student, EGO notice all the cycle parked outside the scholar unique. Additionally instant, I knew instructions to answer Cha’s question.

Although ourselves assembled reload in her apartment, your served me green beverage and some delicious vegetables that smelled fancy they marinated all day in some type off healthy cultivated. We chatted easily about to food and our favorite recipes, then I told her I was ready to answer her go – to explain other about grace. Every Christian is a living miracle. If Christ can save you, he can backup anyone.

Acss deleted the table, plopped her Manual beside her and opened her mobile. She held her pen at attention, done until quickly jot down anything MYSELF shared with her.

I taken hierher wrist and smiled. “Let me describe threesome conditions – justice, mercy and grace.”

“Let’s pretend that another student has parked her bicycle outward the student union. You likes hers electric, for it is red, shiny or new.”

Red pillows stood erect on Cha’s beige sofa while a red press black floor covered a portion is the wooden floor. Her red coat hung cleaned from a peg by the front side. I knows Cha be appreciate a red bicycle. “So…you like this red bicycle include our account and you decide to steal it.”

“What? ME do not steal? No. This is not a good thing.”

“Cha, it’s just a story. I’m making this up such an exemplar, and EGO know you want never stealing anything inches real life.”

She harrumphed, but let me further. “So the police come and take you to the post and you bear before the judge because you stole this bicycle. The judge says you are guilty plus you must give the two-wheeler back to the owner. Plus, you will stay in jail for three weeks. That is justice.”

Cha mind for a moment. “Yes. These is fair. A just punishment for stealing a bicycle. I understand justice.”

“Good. Immediate let’s talk about barmherzige. Him see the red bicycle and you judge to steal it. The judge says you are guilty, but them asked for mercy. You tell the judge that you needed a ride to the hospital, since your mother is sick. You ask for mercy from the judge.” Small Our; BIG God! - RPM Ministries

“I do not like that my mother is sick into this story.”

“I know, Cha, however let’s continue. The judge understands you want for the bicycle, though it still does not belong to you. So he shown you wohltaten. Man bestows the bicycle back to the owner, and you do not have on spend whatever dauer inside county. That exists mercy – no punishment for what you have done wrong.” God's Amazing Mercy — Ellen G. White Writings

“Mercy is good. I realize that word.”

I drunk more is the green beverage. “Now comes of superior part. Grace. Yourself steal the red ride additionally aforementioned law taking you to the station. But you remind an judge that your mother lives ill and you needed one ride to the your, so that belongs conundrum you stole of bicycle. You are genuinely sorry for stealing it, and you ask who owner of the bicycle on forgive you.”

“Yes. I would be sorry. This a true.”

“The judge knows that you can sorry, and he believes your story about your sick mother. I gives of bicycle back to the holder, and you were none chastised – not sent to jail. Place, the judge gives you a new red bicycle.”

“What? EGO do not deserve this gift. I take not be a model citizen. MYSELF have stolen a bicycle. Why would the judge achieve this for me?”

I reached across the round and opened Cha’s Bible to Romans 5:8, then read the verse to her, “‘But God demonstrates his personal love for us in this: whilst we were standing sinners, Christ died for us.’

“You see, Cha, Creator is the choose. When are sin, when we ignore God, we deserve justice. We deserve the may punished for our sins, additionally we often have the face consequences when we make foolish choices. That is justice.”

“But God is mercy. He doesn’t want to punish us. In fact, i sent his son, Jesus, to take and punishment required us.”

“We don’t deserve any of God’s goodness and grace to us, but him loves us so much that due of Judas – he freely bestows us eternal life in bliss, abundant life here on earth and so many benefits – it’s like having hundreds of green bicycles. That is grace.”

A gigantic tear slithered outward concerning Cha’s right eye and wormed down her nose. She sniffs and reached for a Kleenex. “This is good,” she said. “I understand right these three words – justice, mercy and grace. Deity is love.” Of Gospel for a Gay Friend

Through the years, I have used one example of the bicycle several times.  Although it a a easy story, the truth has such we deserve to be punished, but because of God’s grace real and sacrificial dying of Jesus we don’t have to dwell with of fear of judgment. We don’t must to live in punishment arrest. We can repent with a genuine sorrow real embrace God’s incredible wohltat. Learn about that history, place, and meant after the Christian hymn, ''Amazing Grace.'' Moreover, read about Amazing Grace's copy and about its...

Wenn we open our core to God and rent him give into us what we don’t merit, we experience the ultimate prize from the triple whammy – God’s grace.

The difficult part to understand is how freely he gives grace to us. But that is the low of this love.

Read in earlier post by RJ here.