A matter of grace

Charisma is a word we often use to describe a politician or a successful entrepreneur. Someone with charisma has that intangible quality that seems to draw people to them. We say that they are “charming” or have a certain “magnetism” (these are both synonyms according to my computer). Charisma can be sought but not bought, it can be copied or mimicked, but not very successfully. Either you have it or you don’t.

Charisma comes from the greek root word Charis, which is translated “grace” throughout the new testament. To describe someone biblically as being a charismatic or full of charisma, is to say they are full of grace.

Grace has been described as “unmerited favor”, receiving a free gift that we cannot afford now nor hope to ever repay. Romans 3:23 says we all fall short of God’s expectations for us, later in chapter 6 we find that the “the wages of sin is death…”. Were it to end there, we would have nothing to give us hope. However, it continues with “…but, the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NKJV). That is grace. A gift offered to all, even though our “wages” our just dessert if you will, is death or eternal separation from the very God who created and loves us.

Are you charismatic? Would you consider yourself a person to whom others are drawn? We need to reflect on the original meaning of “charisma” with an understanding that God calls us to draw others to Him by the love we show towards each other and the love we show to those we come in contact with every day. There are those who feel as though the sin of the world clings to them as they go through the weekly routine of living life, and they need to come to church on Sunday to get “cleansed”. In reality, the opposite is true…we are to walk through world carrying the light of Christ with us. We are to worry less about the sins of others and more about being faithful to share our knowledge of the grace offered to all through the free gift our Savior offered upon a tree some 2,000 years ago.

Pastor Scott Bloomquist

Calvary Bapist Church