In my last post, I mentioned my husband, Ron as being a grace man. He wasn’t always that way. Before I met him, he was a drinking, brawling guy. That was the way his family was, even back in the day, his grandmothers’ s male relatives were rowdy.
I met Ron in late 1982. We worked in the same building, me in the office upstairs, and him in the warehouse below. The boss thought it would be a good idea to show each working group what the other did to get a better idea of how the system worked. Ron came upstairs for training and no one wanted to train him so I said I would. ( They knew him as the rowdy guy.) This was the very first time I met him. He was handsome and strong and really funny! The training went well, he was smart, too!
A few days later, I asked a guy in the next office about him and he said, “Stay away from him. He’s wild.” Our paths kept crossing when we worked the same weekend shifts. Eventually, we got together.
Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
That is Ron’s favorite scripture and he lives it! He found Jesus in South Korea. As soon as he received Jesus he quit smoking and drinking and cursing. Not because he got saved, but because it was no longer who he was. He lost all desire to do those things. He had the revelation that he was now the son of the Creator of the Universe. A new creation!
Galatians 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Strong’s Concordance (5485/5463) defines grace as: The divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; acceptable, favor, gift, joy, liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, worthy) and to be “cheer”ful, i.e. calmly happy or well-off, be glad, rejoice.
Thorndike Barnhart Comprehensive Desk Dictionary (1950’s) defines grace this way: 1) pleasing, agreeable quality 2) good will, favor 3) mercy; pardon 4)God’s free and undeserved favor to and love for mankind 5) The condition of being influenced and favored by God 9) virtue; merit; excellence. (6-8 omitted intentionally.)
I’ve known Ron for a long time and I know for a fact that he has never, ever turned from the Lord, but rather turned TO the Lord in all circumstances……good and terrible. He manifests all the fruit of the Spirit. He helps others even when he is worn out. He responds in love when others, even loved ones, reject him and are unkind. He listens hard for the Lord and He speaks to him even in the night hour as he sleeps. He washes us with the Word, sharing the things the Lord has revealed to him, and my favorite, he asks the Lord to see our hearts and for the wisdom to minister to us in those places. He is the best friend a person could hope for and a great encourager. He prays hard to not have to be in a position to hurt someone, but if anyone were to try to harm his loved ones, he is quite capable of ripping their arms off and beating them with them. He is a man of honor and integrity. He is kind and still very funny! He is a grace man and I am so thankful he is mine.
Because Ron got the revelation of who he is in Christ, so did I. You see, when you live under grace, you grow and mature into the full measure of the stature of who you are in Christ. (Ephesians 4:13) The letter (Law) kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:4-6) It doesn’t mean that we should break the law. It shouldn’t be in our hearts to break the law any more.
