This is a great example K...Kurieuo wrote:A natural outworking of grace, I think, is to melt someone the inside-out and a natural change and disposition is brought about. A movie that came to me when I thought on this was Beauty and the Beast. The grace shown by the Beauty despite the offense, even if imperfect, melted and changed the Beast. The Beast looked to remain cold and hardened for a while, but eventually change happened -- and I think that is akin to God's grace working in us. People who come to Christ as they are begin at their own starting point. Some may be extremely hardened in their ways, some may be entirely wrapped in a sinful life, but eventually the layers peel off. To an observer it may not be seen, because the layers are peeling off from the inside-out. And eventually the refined gold starts to be seen...
And you are right about this. There is a form of legalistic grace that actually teaches that this illustration is false because it is works based. Such folk don't understand God's intent of Grace is to change a person just like you illustrated. If there is absolutely no change brought on by such gracious grace - that soul faces a bleak future in the afterlife...
Hope you don't mind me using that illustration in a message!
Thanks!
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