It's not something we usually say (or admit to thinking), but here it is: grace is a scary thing. Why? Because we don't really deserve it. And if I didn't do anything to earn it, why me and not someone else? And why me? Period. One girl recently said about Jesus, "That sounds too good to be true. I think I'd better take you up on it!"
Grace is great when we feel like it's the icing on the cake--we did something well but got more than we expected. Grace is great when it's within reason--somehow we can repay the kindness, make it up, or pay it forward. That kind of grace makes me feel good about myself.
But too much grace? Too much grace makes me feel wrong. Unworthy. Undeserving. A gift can be too expensive. It can read too much into a relationship. There must be a mistake. Something is wrong...
And that's the way of God's grace toward us. It's simply too much--or is it? In my mind, I know God's not wrong--but my heart doesn't want to admit that my sin is really that bad.... and that God's grace is really that good.
What does it mean that God actually left heaven and took on earthly form? Was it really necessary that He give himself over to be tortured, mocked, humiliated and mutilated? When I try to get my mind around what it cost Jesus to die and pay the debt of my sin, I can't imagine it. To think of how much pain and suffering God the Father experienced to buy me back from the slave market of sin, I will never fully comprehend it. That is His grace--something He didn't have to do, but chose to, because of love.
If He did all of that, then there must be something I can bring to the table.... Perhaps He saw ahead of me and knew I would do this special thing or be a wonderful kind of person?
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy... (Titus 3:5)
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)... (Ephesians 2:1-5).
I didn't do good deeds. I was actually dead (dead people are rather useless). I chose to live in disobedience and rebellion. Life was all about me and getting what I wanted.
And that's what makes grace so uncomfortable. Unsettling. It's not about me anymore. It never was. It's all about God's goodness and grace--goodness, grace and riches that He lavishes on those who come, by grace alone, though faith alone, in Christ alone (Ephesians 1:8; 2:8-9).
Got grace? I will lavish as much grace on others as I take hold of myself. In my grumpy moments, my selfish moments, my didn't-get-my-way moments: I have been given limitless grace at no cost to myself. I have received more than enough grace to forgive an offense, let go of a grudge, return good for evil, confront with love, and give generously. What does it cost to give it to others? Only that which is dead, forgiven, removed, and best forgotten: pride, self-seeking, envy, anger, bitterness, resentment. To give grace is to die to self.
Grace. It's just that amazing...
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Grace is great when we feel like it's the icing on the cake--we did something well but got more than we expected. Grace is great when it's within reason--somehow we can repay the kindness, make it up, or pay it forward. That kind of grace makes me feel good about myself.
But too much grace? Too much grace makes me feel wrong. Unworthy. Undeserving. A gift can be too expensive. It can read too much into a relationship. There must be a mistake. Something is wrong...
And that's the way of God's grace toward us. It's simply too much--or is it? In my mind, I know God's not wrong--but my heart doesn't want to admit that my sin is really that bad.... and that God's grace is really that good.
What does it mean that God actually left heaven and took on earthly form? Was it really necessary that He give himself over to be tortured, mocked, humiliated and mutilated? When I try to get my mind around what it cost Jesus to die and pay the debt of my sin, I can't imagine it. To think of how much pain and suffering God the Father experienced to buy me back from the slave market of sin, I will never fully comprehend it. That is His grace--something He didn't have to do, but chose to, because of love.
If He did all of that, then there must be something I can bring to the table.... Perhaps He saw ahead of me and knew I would do this special thing or be a wonderful kind of person?
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy... (Titus 3:5)
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)... (Ephesians 2:1-5).
I didn't do good deeds. I was actually dead (dead people are rather useless). I chose to live in disobedience and rebellion. Life was all about me and getting what I wanted.
And that's what makes grace so uncomfortable. Unsettling. It's not about me anymore. It never was. It's all about God's goodness and grace--goodness, grace and riches that He lavishes on those who come, by grace alone, though faith alone, in Christ alone (Ephesians 1:8; 2:8-9).
Got grace? I will lavish as much grace on others as I take hold of myself. In my grumpy moments, my selfish moments, my didn't-get-my-way moments: I have been given limitless grace at no cost to myself. I have received more than enough grace to forgive an offense, let go of a grudge, return good for evil, confront with love, and give generously. What does it cost to give it to others? Only that which is dead, forgiven, removed, and best forgotten: pride, self-seeking, envy, anger, bitterness, resentment. To give grace is to die to self.
Grace. It's just that amazing...
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