20170810 God’s Grace Completely Undeserved

I seem to spend a lot of time in the course of executing my duties in the leadership roles I have, most importantly as Executive Principal here at DCC, but also in the church and para-church contexts I spend time in, wrestling with the understanding I have regarding grace.

As I look to see what the Bible has to say about God’s grace extended to me – to all mankind, I will be drawn to reflections on its application in Bible passages such as these: Romans 3:20-24, John 1:14, Romans 1:1-5, 2 Corinthians 12:8-9, Ephesians 2:6-9, 2 Peter 1:2, 2 Corinthians 8:7, Romans 6;14, Ephesians 4:7, 1 Peter 1:10-12. In reality, you, the reader, can probably add your own to this list. Christian authors, over the decades, have readily acknowledged it as one of the hardest concepts we as believers have to grapple with.

Here are some of the struggles I have – best summed up by presenting contrasting perspectives as I have grown to understand them.

Perspective 1	VS	Perspective 2
I am sinful, and in God’s eyes, by myself and my actions, I completely undeserving of favour	VS	God extends grace to me, undeserved, in spite of me and my actions.
I am sinful, I think I can do a deal with God on the basis of some good works I have done	VS	The wages of sin are separation from God for eternity
Christ is my perfect example; grace acted out is perfect in its pure form	VS	I am imperfect and I get it wrong when I try to imitate him
What does corporate/group graciousness look like	VS	What am I called to do as a follower of Jesus, as an individual
I know I can ask nothing of God; instead I must accept his grace extended to me as a gift from Him	VS	How much can I ask my fellow believer to extend grace to others within the community we are both part of
God does not promise a perfect life and the Biblical narrative contains many examples of where God explained that their circumstances are the result of their actions and fallen nature	VS	There are other examples in the Biblical narrative where God rescues people from themselves and their sins, in an act of grace
Grace is not a transaction; it is a gift freely given, devoid of reason other than godly love extended to the completely underserving	VS	I live in a world where being transactional in relationships is the norm – is it appropriate for me to ask for grace (which is perfect in its intent) in such an imperfect way?
I want to extend grace wherever I can	VS	What does graciousness actually look like in each circumstance?
God’s grace does not rely on any human being able to show why they deserve grace	VS	The human tendency towards wanting to give reasons for why grace should be extended in some circumstances
God’s grace extended to us results in our forgiveness	VS	Wanting to measure a person’s capacity to extend grace to others by how they express their forgiveness

Grace is not a transaction; it is a gift freely given, devoid of reason other than godly love extended to the completely underserving VS I live in a world where being transactional in relationships is the norm – is it appropriate for me to ask for grace (which is perfect in its intent) in such an imperfect way?

I want to extend grace wherever I can VS What does graciousness actually look like in each circumstance?

God’s grace does not rely on any human being able to show why they deserve grace VS The human tendency towards wanting to give reasons for why grace should be extended in some circumstances

God’s grace extended to us results in our forgiveness VS Wanting to measure a person’s capacity to extend grace to others by how they express their forgiveness

Daily, in a Christian community, we should be looking for opportunities for moments of grace, extended to other members of our community. Sometimes, in fact often, it will be tough love. It will mirror our parenting at home. Lessons are sometimes learnt by limitations being applied. This is still being gracious. Because we are sinful, it is likely to be imperfect, but it can be an act of grace. Do we get it right? Only time will tell. Trusting God in these times can be hard; not knowing the outcome five to ten years ahead can push us to the edge of our ability to trust. Leaning in on our believing friends, and seeking their support in times such as these, is part of being part of God’s people here on earth; not that it is always easy.

In addition, I am enriched, blessed and gratified constantly by those moments as they are extended to me. It is my prayer that some of my actions enrich, bless and gratify others each and every day. It is also my prayer that our community will be informed by God’s grace in all that it does. Within a context of God’s grace understood better and better each day, may the way we handle the little things equip us better for how we handle the big things in our corporate life together.