Memories From Sharing God's Word

A songwriter in the late 1990s wrote of the people we will see in Heaven because we or they took time to minister to the sick, serve in a soup kitchen, or teach a children’s Sunday School class. It is a poignant song for me because of the people I remember as I listen. My love for God and His Word is the result of people who gave their time and talent to teach me God’s truth. I look forward to exploring a lesson I learned forty years ago as we continue our #LeadMeToJesus series.

A Discipleship Class

Just ahead of Easter, several of my 4^th grade friends and I took part in a class designed to teach the basics of Christian faith and salvation. I remember well what I learned in that class, and I responded in faith and was baptized. In that class we learned big concepts, daunting to any ten-year-old. Consider Romans 3:22b-25:

…For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

Instead of dragging us through a long dictionary definition of the word justified, Mrs. Kuester gave us a simple phrase, unlocking the meaning of the word in a memorable way.

A Simple Phrase

Whenever I read or hear the word justified, it transports me to that 1980 something classroom. Though a memory, I clearly hear and see Mrs. Kuester explain justification to squirrely 4^th graders. She said,

“Justified means “just—as—if—I’d never sinned.”

A wise teacher and a simple phrase turned an out-of-reach concept into an easily accessible one. The beauty is that I have never forgotten it, and it blesses me each time I to share it with children. Teaching this to current 4^th graders, one little girl said, “Wow!” because the meaning was unlocked.

The Impact

As members of God’s family and Christ’s body our words and witness to each other are weighty. A small word or deed motivated by love for God can be a long-held and cherished memory for another. What helped my 4^th grade self understand the riches of God’s grace, has since been handed down to two more generations.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1)

May the love of God, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you now and always until the day of Christ’s return.