By Brad Dupray
David Clark”s July 1 message at the North American Christian Convention was, “Grace that Heals,” a sermon aiming to help those who are carrying scars and pain of unresolved conflicts. At the end of his message, he invited people to bring their brokenness before God in a time of prayer for healing. In his 28 years as lead pastor of Central Christian Church in Beloit, Wisconsin, Clark has seen his church grow, not just in numbers, but in amazing outreach to the community. He and his wife of 35 years, Deby, have been blessed with four children, two of whom were adopted from Haiti.
How does grace heal?
First, let”s begin with the fact that when we sin, we do severe damage to our souls (Romans 6:23). I”ve heard it said: Sin always hurts more than we thought it would, hurts more people than we thought it would, and hurts longer than we ever thought it would. Sin also damages our relationship with God. When we accept God”s grace, our relationship with him is restored and our damaged souls are healed. This sin damage is temporary””the healing effect of grace is forever. My concern is that sometimes people understand forgiveness yet never truly experience the healing of grace. So they sit out in the pews every weekend and continue to struggle with their brokenness.
Does everyone have some level of brokenness?
In today”s culture, absolutely. The struggle is made even more severe as Satan intensifies it.
By . . .?
Telling us lies. “You”re not good enough.” “Nothing you do will ever matter.” “You don”t deserve peace or forgiveness.” “You”ll always be second-rate.” It”s likely we could bear the pain of the hurt we do to ourselves and to others through our sin, but when we fall for Satan”s lies, it can feel unbearable.
Do you think the average Christian understands the healing power that is available to them?
It is so hard to believe the reality of it. After David covered up his sin, was confronted by Nathan (2 Samuel 12), and was forced to face reality, he said a man like him deserved to die. Nathan told David the Lord had taken away his sin and he was not going to die. Even a man after God”s own heart found it hard to comprehend there could be a grace that was so unconditional.
So grace is not just a New Testament thing?
It certainly wasn”t for David. It”s amazing to me that David hadn”t even repented and God had already forgiven him. There were, however, consequences that he suffered.
Is there a disconnect between the consequences of sin and grace?
David suffered consequences, but there are times when we are even spared that. We can truly experience the reality of Psalm 103:10″”that God does not treat us as our sins deserve, or repay us according to our iniquities. Grace is utterly amazing in its healing, restorative power.
Are Christians adept at hiding their pain?
I don”t know that anyone is adept at hiding it. When we try to hide it, it intensifies and comes out in ugly ways””addiction, bitterness, unrestrained anger, depression, insecurity. Instead of hiding our pain, if we lay it at the foot of the cross, the grace of Jesus redeems it and cleanses us of our guilt and shame.
I believe there”s potential for pain to work itself out in positive behaviors. When we are deeply grateful for the grace we”ve received, then we can become very grace-oriented, extending grace to others. The appropriate response to grace is to be gracious.
Sometimes it goes the other way, however.
Jesus told the parable of the servant whose huge, unpayable debt was forgiven (Matthew 18:23-35). That same servant then attacks a person who owed an inconsequential amount to him. That can happen in unhealthy ways in the lives of churchgoers. They have been freed of their sin debt by the work of Christ on the cross. Yet if they still feel like debtors, they will treat others like debtors. If you know about mercy, but have never experienced mercy, you will be an unmerciful mess.
Does brokenness sometimes just “bubble up” from the past?
People can be unaware, though I think the power of the convicting work of the Holy Spirit makes us aware of the damage within us via his loving kindness. Then we can take our brokenness to the cross. The healthy Christ follower listens to the Spirit, senses the brokenness, and does the spiritual work to appropriate grace, to be transformed by a renewal of mind. I think there is great danger in hiddenness.
What has been your hope for your NACC sermon?
I”ve been around the block long often enough in the ministry to know we bring our hurts and our baggage and our damaged souls to an event of this nature, and to some degree, we put on a happy face. There”s always the danger of going back home without healing. There”s a danger that on the inside we”re eaten up with a sense of inadequacy. My hope is that the Holy Spirit comforts and convicts people to take the appropriate steps to find healing that is ever available. God is in charge of the response. I”ve just trusted him and prepared myself in prayer, with the hunch that he has goals he wants to achieve.
Why is it important to come to someone for prayer about personal issues of brokenness? Is it something they can”t deal with on their own?
This is a wonderful opportunity for a personal and profound God encounter, which can be facilitated by a prayer counselor. Another wonderful, spiritual dynamic is the level of humility that must be exercised when a person goes to someone else. I don”t think you have to tell the specifics of where you need the work of God in your life. But humbling yourself before someone and allowing another person to pray for you is huge.
It does create a different kind of connection.
God exalts the humble and lifts our heads. Offering an invitation to people who rarely respond to an invitation””because they are elders or pastors or church leaders””is a tremendously unique opportunity to experience healing grace and walk away, literally, transformed.
How about people who are afraid their vulnerability will backfire?
I think it is a matter of trusting the faithfulness of God. In Psalm 103, the psalmist reminds us (right before he says we will not be repaid as our sins deserve) of the unwavering character of God””he is full of compassion, full of grace, slow to anger, and abounding in love. He is going to set us free. There is a possibility of real release from our brokenness. The struggle is that this broken stuff within us keeps us from doing well. It often causes us to sabotage our success. People can get a vision of walking away, finally free from the broken stuff inside them that keeps them living in defeat.
Brad Dupray is senior vice president, ministry development, with Church Development Fund, Irvine, California.
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