“I doubt God keeps track of how many arguments we win…”

A thought by Philip Yancey (2014-10-21) from his book, Vanishing Grace: What Ever Happened to the Good News? (p. 34). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

He then finishes the statement with, “God may indeed keep track of how well we love.” So how are we doing on that list, I wonder?

Philip shares earlier in this book, “Jesus ‘came from the Father, full of grace and truth,’ wrote John in the preface to his gospel. The church has worked tirelessly on the truth part of that formula: witness the church councils, creeds, volumes of theology, and denominational splits over minor points of doctrine. I yearn for the church to compete just as hard in conveying what Paul calls the “incomparable riches” of God’s grace. Often, it seems, we’re perceived more as guilt dispensers than as grace dispensers.”

Yes we need truth and we need to share truth but the world really needs grace and love.

Philip says, “When we make condescending judgments, or proclaim lofty words that don’t translate into action, or simply speak without first listening, we fail to love — and thus deter a thirsty world from Living Water. The good news about God’s grace goes unheard.”

As Paul says in 1^st Corinthian 13, “the greatest of these is love.” Yes there were times that Jesus argued but He came because He love us.

So how are you doing in this area?

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