Grace is....
I have spent the last week teaching on grace at Youth With A Mission's campus in Muizenberg, South Africa. I speak about grace often on this blog, but I realized I have never done a post on the essentials of grace.
So here it is. A Collections of the haves and have nots when it comes to grace.
Grace, when used in the New Testament, comes from the Greek word "Charis". This means undeserved kindness and unmerited favor.
Grace is always described as a free gift.
Grace is at the initiative of the Giver. We cannot ask for grace, we can only cry for mercy.
Grace is given at salvation to all who believe, with no levels or degrees to it.
Grace is the forgiveness of all sin.
Grace is the declaration that believers are righteous.
Grace is the power to break the chains of slavery and set believers free.
Grace is the active force by which Christians live and grow.
Grace is not condemnation.
Grace is not performance or striving.
Grace is not based on human effort or initiative.
Grace is not a back door to heaven as some form of cosmic favor.
Grace can be abused. We do it each time we sin.
Grace is not an excuse to sin, but rather the best reason not to.
Grace is God telling believers to get off the spiritual corporate ladder, since He already came down the ladder to Earth.
Grace tells believers they do not have to be bigger, better, faster, or stronger in order to succeed. It says they can be weak.
Grace does not need to be improved upon.
Grace breaks the rules society and culture hold dear.
Grace is less about what we do and more about who we love
Grace does not always make sense to our logical, fallen, and finite minds.
Grace makes smoke come out our ears.
Grace is the most powerful force in the universe.
Grace is what makes Christianity different from all other religions. Grace is truth.
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Add a commentWhy Christianity is True
We can be confident Christianity is true for one simple reason.
It is so different than all the other religions.
If man began a religion, human nature would dictate it be focused on man climbing towards God. We inwardly feel there must be works and merits we must produce in order to achieve blessing from the gods.
Surely fulfilling certain rules and rituals to be bigger, better, faster, and stronger would gain us the acceptance of a higher power.
In this kind of a merit based, tipping the scales system; one question remains.
How much rule keeping or ritual observing is enough to achieve the standard of the Almighty? When is enough, enough?
Never. There can never be assurance when works we do are the focus
Culture and society tell us this is the way to success. Most religions echo this climbing the ladder mentality.
Christianity plays by different rules.
Instead of man working his way to God.
God came down to man.
God gave man the good gifts of salvation, redemption, and righteousness first. If man would have designed this system, we would give these gifts at the end of the journey, not the beginning
"God pronounces believers righteous at the beginning of the course, not the end…it cannot be on the basis of works they have not done yet…but purely an act of God's grace." F.F. Bruce
No man would have come up with this. We would have required meeting a standard first, followed by the reward. Only God gives grace undeserved and unearned.
We can (and often do) attempt to live up to God's standard. But success is only found when we realize we cannot. We declare failure and accept that only Christ can meet the standard of perfection.
The conclusion can only be one - the source of this faith called Christianity is a gracious God giving good gifts to those who trust HIm to do what we cannot do.
Grace makes Christianity unique. Grace makes Christianity true.
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Add a commentFreedom Day: How Grace Changed A Nation
"We dedicate this day to all heroes and heroines in this country and the rest of the world who sacrificed in many ways and surrendered their lives so that we could be free." Nelson Mandela
April 27 1994
This is the date of South Africa's first democratic national elections following Nelson Mandela's release from prison.
The world waited with baited breath for the country to descend into chaos, or worse; war.
It did not happen. Grace prevailed.
Apartheid fell and with it the racist, oppressive rule which sought to completely separate the different races.
Mandela forgave his oppressors, even including them in his inner circle as the newly elected President. Forgiveness triumphed over judgment and set this nation on a path towards success.
Mandela became a world wide figure for his grace and forgiveness. He led a nation off the path of hatred and towards freedom.
There are still many issues to be resolved in South Africa. Freedom has only been around for 18 years. It often takes a generation to chance
But Freedom Day, is not a long-ago holiday in South Africa. It is a holiday of yesterday with a promise of a new future being written before our eyes.
Grace has the power to change a nation.
To learn more about South Africa and Mandela, I highly recommend Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela This is far and away the best biography I have ever read.
"Never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world." Nelson Mandela
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Empty Promises
"Are you weary of all the empty promises that leave you longing and aching for more? This performance-driven lifestyle is just another form of idolatry and it will eventually leave you exhausted bitter and ready to give up."
I recently read and reviewed Empty Promises: The Truth About You, Your Desires, and the Lies You're Believing
Wilson has a nice page turning writing style, full of stories and challenging thoughts. One of his techniques is to rip off a list thought provoking questions that challenge readers to really search their hearts and apply what they are reading. Questions like:
Do you find yourself perpetually dissatisfied regardless of what you accomplish at home or work?
Do you find it difficult to celebrate accomplishments because you have already moved on to the next task, job, or mission?
Do tool malfunctions (car, computer, etc) really push your buttons?
Have you ever been told you have "control" issues?
In the back of your mind, do you suspect that the more you obey God, the more he will love you?
Wilson deals with the empty promises of society that can result in idols in our lives. He calls this the "spiritual treadmill", a condition which causes us to work harder and harder and never feel like we're making any progress"
How easy is it for us to fall into this trap, feeling compelled and required to give more, show up more, serve more, pray more, read more, evangelize more…"
More, more more!
Wilson says "Religion always tends to complicate what God has made simple. It is always trying to elevate an action or experience to idol status by adding it to Jesus"
We might feel like we have to be SuperHeroes!
Yes, the parallels between this book and my own are uncanny. To which I am thrilled. The more voices, the more paths, and the more people reading about grace; the better!
We even have some similar headings and titles. using the expression of Jesus +. Wilson says "It is not Jesus plus anything that gives salvation. It is not Jesus plus anything that offers us purpose, comfort, or security. It is not Jesus plus anything that defines our identity. Its just Jesus. Anything else is an empty promise"
Amen.
May the grace of God break our idols and the empty promises which we are tempted to believe.
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Grace for the Single Parent
I am a single parent……for three more days!
My wife has been away at a missions conference for 12 days now. I am often the one in the family who travels, so this is not a whine fest. I have truly gained an appreciation for single parents over these two weeks.
I've been the one who feeds my hungry boys their meals and multiples snacks. I became skilled at packing lunches and organizing school bags. The amount of hours that I have logged in transit this week alone could have been spent writing several blog posts!
At the end of each day I found myself worn out, but not having many checks on my to do list to show for it. I've turned into an "even earlier to bed man" than normal!
Just when I thought I was on top of my routine, I ended up with a chest cold. Now I had to manage all of life with less than normal energy and sleep!
My output at work this week has suffered exponentially.
This led me to consider single parents who do this each and every day. I am worn out after nearly two weeks, they do this for a lifetime.
In years past, I can remember single parents being on the outside of church society. We often have judged them for having sex outside of marriage. Or many of them have undergone the stigma of divorce. Our response is often to take the "don't ask don't tell" tactic; further alienating them. Whatever the reason, the church pushes these people to the fringe.
If there was sexual sin in the past, God has forgiven it and so should we. If divorce played a part, rather than judgment, understanding and empathy may be required.
The church is often strong againt abortion, but offers less support to those children and parents once they are born.
Put yourself in their shoes for a few days. If you find yourself lacking a heart for this demographic, try it on for size for a few days or weeks! Your spouse will appreciate the "get away" you give them!
Let's consider how we can show grace to the single parent. Grace does not wait for them to ask, but rather gives them an unexpected, unearned gift.
We can:
- offer to watch their kids
- send them away on a vacation or day outing
- help out with after school activities or shopping runs
- lend a talent - there are many things that the single parent never gets to
Mercy or generosity will respond to a need or request from a single parent. Grace looks to give first. Just as Christ first loved us, let's love the single parent before they even ask!
What other ways can we serve the single parents among us?
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