“Is anyone ever too bad to receive God’s grace?”

Dear CrossPointe,

This Sunday we will be digging into 2 Chronicles, which is considered by many to be one of the most neglected books in all of the Bible. To be fair, this book isn’t known as a thriller but instead serves as an historical account of the kings of Judah. Most of the accounts are designed to summarize whether a king “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” or “what was evil in the eyes of the Lord,” which at times can cause us to simply see good and bad behaviors that are to be “put on” or “put off.”

We must be careful, however, not to simply designate these short, historical biographies as a mere collection of moral lessons. Of course, we learn many things by the good and bad examples that are set before us, but it’s often when we become hyper-focused on a moral model that we tend to miss God’s overarching purposes of redemption which point us to Christ. And so, instead of seeing faith and repentance, we may be tempted to see do’s and don’ts.

The king upon which most of our attention will be focused comes to us by way of 2 Chronicles 33, king Manasseh, who is infamously known to be the most wicked king to ever reign in Judah. It’s through this short historical eulogy of Manasseh’s reign in Judah that we will meet with God and behold his glory. It’s a beautiful picture of a most wicked king and the most gracious God. And it helps us answer a massively important question: “Is anyone ever too bad to receive God’s grace?”

I’m looking forward to gathering together and digging into God’s Word this Sunday!

Tyler