Horizontal grace

Chuck Swindoll is focusing on the subject of grace for nearly 6 weeks of broadcasting and in his monthly newletter, Insights. He opens the lead article of the August 2004 issue, "It's Time to Embrace Grace by Embracing the Unlovely," with this:

Is horizontal grace missing in your life? You may have embraced God's vertical grace to you, but missed its all-important connection in your relationships. Allow me to probe under your skin with a few penetrating questions: Do you free people or do you hold them hostage? Do you relieve them of guilt and shame, or do you increase their load? Do you encourage others or do you discourage them? Do you find yourself participating in the world of construction or the world of destruction?

Good questions.

In an accompanying note, Swindoll says:

The liberating truth about our freedom in Christ flies in the face of do-it-yourself religion and challenges Christ's followers who are enslaved to man-made rules and regulations to break free. At the same time, grace promotes a powerful devotion to Christ and obedience to His Word, not to someone's guilt-giving list of do's and don'ts. Count on it, church bosses who want to play king of the mountain won't like it. Modern-day Pharisees can only see grace as a threat. Never doubt it, modern-day Diotrepheses still live (3 John 1:9-10)

I hope to discuss this further when I'm finally home and not forced to use a clunky library computer...