God's Grace Is Dangerous

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The	nature of God's grace or mercy is such that receiving it requires that it be passed on – on the same terms as it was received.
	Failure to do this may cause the person who received God's grace to be burned in one's personal life by whatever had previously been covered by that grace. This is not simply an issue of guilt or of known sin. But everything that is below God's standard is what His grace covers in our personal relationship to Him; and therefore – failure to live toward others through that grace puts us in danger of loosing the covering of His mercy concerning things present and things past...
This	fact is so little understood, or perhaps forgotten, that much of what is spoken of God's grace leads into graceless living and sometimes even into a damaged life experience.
Jesus	explained this in analogy when He told the story of the debtor that lost his forgiveness for this very reason (Matt.18:23-35). His creditor the king says to him –
	". . . should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?"	Matthew 18:33.
This	is so strictly true that it is dangerous to respond to any negative factor in our relationships to others except as God has Himself responded to us in our coming to Him. Jesus continued –
	"And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also My heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."	Matthew 18:34-35
For	this reason in responding to those who offend us, owe us an apology or more, anger, even the so-called righteous-anger which focuses on the failure of the other person, simply does not establish God's ways in our personal relationships –
	"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God."	James 1:19-20
	But who so loves God more than his own life has his life wrapped up in that holy grace – indestructibly . . .