Most Christians are well aware of what the word grace means.
We have heard it described as unmerited favor. Instead of getting what we
deserve, we are given mercy. There is nothing we can do to earn or deserve the
grace of God. He freely bestows it upon us in Christ. We are saved by grace
alone. This is a glorious truth, and there is no one more gracious than God. In
this post however, I want to focus on an aspect of grace that we often forget;
myself included.
Free Grace
God is totally free. Have you ever really thought about that?
He has no restrictions. He is under no obligations. He is absolutely free to do
whatever He pleases, (Psalm 115:3, 135:6, Daniel 4:35). This is also true when
it comes to His grace.
The mistake that many make is to assume that because God shows
mercy to some, He must therefore show mercy to all. But God is under no
obligation to show mercy to anyone. Grace cannot be demanded. The fact that He
has mercy on anyone at all should astound us, because we deserve nothing but
the fires of hell. The problem is that most people, including many Christians,
don't really believe this. We have fallen victim to the entitlement mentality
of our culture. We think everyone owes us something, even God. On the contrary,
God owes us nothing. The moment we think we deserve God's grace is the
moment we misunderstand its meaning.
"...I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and
will show mercy on whom I will show mercy," Exodus 33:19.
Paul quotes this passage in Romans 9:15 to prove there is no injustice
on God's part for choosing Jacob over Esau before they were born. It does not
depend on human will or exertion but on God who has mercy (verse 16). Then in
verse 18, Paul concludes by saying, "So then He has mercy on whomever He
wills, and He hardens whomever He wills."
We must understand that God is God. He has the right to bestow
grace as He sees fit. No one can point their finger at Him and say, "You
have to be merciful to everyone!" No He doesn't. If He didn't show mercy
to one single person on planet Earth He would be doing no wrong. If God were to
send everyone to hell it would be perfectly just. The question is: do you
really believe that? Would you consider God to be just even if He condemned you
to hell?
The question we must ask ourselves is not why does God show
mercy to some and not others, but why does He show mercy to anyone?
We must remember that no one deserves forgiveness, redemption, or heaven because no one is good.
We have all sinned (Rom. 3:10-11, 23). We have committed cosmic treason against
a holy God. No, we do not deserve His grace. And yet, God is still
gracious. That is what makes Him so glorious. That is what makes the gospel
such good news.
"But God shows his love for us in that while we were
still sinners, Christ died for us," Romans 5:8.
Don't you just love the phrase "but God" in the
Bible? If it wasn't for the free grace of God in Christ we would have no hope.
We would be lost, forsaken; eternally condemned. But thanks be to God that for
the sake of Christ, we were granted repentance and faith (1 Cor. 1:30,
Phil. 1:29, Eph. 2:8).
Holiness
We will never appreciate the grace of a God until we begin to
grasp the holiness of God and the utter wretchedness of our own hearts. God is
not like us. He is altogether other. He is holy beyond imagination. When we
read about God striking down Nadab and Abihu because they brought strange fire,
or Uzzah because he tried to steady the Ark of the Covenant, or the sudden
death of Ananias and Sapphira, we gasp in disbelief. And if we were honest, we
are appalled. We think the severity of the punishment doesn't seem to fit the
crime. But isn't this what sin deserves? The Bible says the wages of sin is
death (Rom. 6:23 Ezek. 18:20). In fact, the only reason you're still breathing
right now is because of the sheer grace of God. God doesn't owe you life and
breath. He isn't required to give you health, prosperity, a home, food, and
security. We take all these things for granted, especially in America, but God
is not obligated to provide them. He does so because of grace.
We tend to compare ourselves to others and as long as we're
not committing adultery, theft, or murder, we think we're okay. But God doesn't
compare us with others, He compares us to Himself, and His holiness demands
perfection. Which one of us has honored God and kept His commandments
perfectly? We all know perfection is something we can never attain. Our
righteousness is nothing but filthy rags. That is why our only hope is the
righteousness of Another imputed by faith.
"He saved us, not because of works done by us in
righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration
and renewal of the Holy Spirit," Titus 3:5.
All Because of Jesus
Until we recognize the depth of our own depravity, we will
never truly appreciate grace. If you think you're not that bad, you do not
understand the gospel. Only against the darkness of our hopeless condition does
the gospel of grace shine so bright. And where better to fix our gaze than upon
the Lord Jesus Christ? What better demonstration of grace is there than the work
of Christ on the cross? Never in a million years will we be able to repay
the debt we owe God. Because of our sin, the very curse of hell hung over our
heads by a frayed cord, ready to plunge us into a fiery sea of endless misery
until Jesus washed away our guilt with His precious blood. Jesus endured
the wrath of the damned for the sake of the elect. Upon the cross, He suffered
the full fury of God's righteous anger against sin so that you and I could be
forgiven. The very thought should bring us to tears. It should cause our hearts
to burst with gratitude; falling to our knees with eternal praise for the glory
of His amazing grace!
Grace, grace, a thousand times grace! May we never, ever take
it for granted, for it was not cheap. It cost Jesus everything.
