"Saved By Grace"

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:8-10

     There is no hope for him. She is beyond help! There is no way they will ever change. Have you ever been guilty of making such a statement? I am sure we have all said these words concerning someone we knew. These statements presuppose that a person is able to change themselves or their current situation. I am also sure people with enough willpower can do just about anything they put their mind to like; quit smoking, drinking, cussing or overeating. People can change their habits but they cannot change their heart, only God can do that.

 Jocelynn and me

      Jocelynn James is my younger sister by five years. She and my brother Jeremie are paternal twins, we have the same mother but different fathers. We grew up pretty close knit as siblings who loved each other despite having different fathers and at times living in difficult situations. As we got older and time passed I moved out of the house on my own. I went one way and they went another. Even though we did not see each other much we still loved each other. 

     As the years passed we each got married, had children and started our own families. It was during this time Jocelynn began to journey down a dark and dangerous road. It was a road filled with drugs that eventually consumed her life. A place where I had been at one time myself. A place filled with lies, begging, and stealing in order to get the next fix. Jocelynn finally found herself at the end of her drug-filled road, which landed her in the Franklin County jail for 6 months. It was during this time God began to do a work of grace in her life.

     As children, we were taught the difference between right and wrong. We went to church where we learned about God, Jesus, and our need for the forgiveness of our sin. However, going to church never changes a person's heart and merely knowing about God is totally different than knowing God. As Jeremiah wrote, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots. Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil" (Jeremiah 13:23). Jocelynn was in need of something more than just going to church, she needed an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ.

     Family and friends prayed often for her but once she was incarcerated there was nothing anyone could do but keep praying. God in His grace allowed her to serve 6 months in the county jail where God began to do a work in her life. I say, "in His grace" because this allowed her to sober up and to begin to think straight. I remember making a visit or two while she was there and how I wept as I left the jail. She was released to an all women's Christian rehab center in Birmingham, AL called the "Love Lady" after her six-month sentence. It was during her time there God in His grace had mercy upon her and graced her with salvation. I remember she had the chaplain there contact me to come and minister to over 100 women at their chapel service. While I was there Jocelynn and I had a conversation about true conversion. I told her, "that time would tell if she had truly been converted." 

     I would say, time is telling, so far. The Lord has used Jocelynn in a multitude of ways. She is growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. She has traveled to different states, churches, and venues to share what God in Christ has done in her life. She now has an on-going ministry at the county jail, which she called home for six months, where she shares the hope of Christ to other women inmates. She is a woman who is not perfect but has been redeemed and forgiven by the blood of Jesus.

Jocelynn giving her testimony

     I am constantly amazed by God's grace. The very one's we would think there is no hope are the very one's God chooses to call and save. It reminds me of some of the last recorded words of the hymn writer of Amazing Grace, John Newton, when he said, "I know not of two things. I am a great sinner, but I have a great Savior."

 So, what can we learn? We learn there is no one beyond the reach of our Great God. God is able to save and change whomever, whenever, and it is for His glory and that person's good. I marvel at what God is doing in my little sister's life. God's grace causes me to rejoice and give thanks to Him for all that He is doing. For it is only God who can change a heart and He does this solely by His grace. 

Here is the link to a magazine article that featured Jocelynn last month (article begins on page 14):
https://issuu.com/franklinco/docs/franklin_living_janfeb_2017_web