Grace being God’s “unmerited (or
unearned)” favour, means that we cannot do anything ourselves to earn or merit
God’s love and favour; for God has loved us completely and unconditionally from
the moment of our creation. God has deemed us worthy recipients of his love
purely because we have been given human life. Thus there is nothing we can do
to make God love us anymore; or indeed love us any less! While, our sins and
misdeeds and self-centredness are not proper responses to God’s love, this does
not at all stop God loving us.
The most important part of God’s grace
is the mercy he offers, even when God has been personally offended, which leads
to our forgiveness and salvation. The fact that God is so merciful and
forgiving, should lead us to be forgiving people who seek reconciliation
wherever possible. God’s grace is a revolutionary concept that can lead to all
sorts of improved outcomes and fulfilled hopes.
Let us read again that great statement
about God’s grace contained in Ephesians 2:4-9. How does grace operate?? God,
whose desire to be in relationship with us goes higher and wider and longer
than any of the fallout from our sins, reaches out to us in love and mercy, and
offers us Jesus as an object of faith and source of salvation. Receiving this
offer of forgiveness and salvation gives us a new experience of life empowered
by Jesus’ own resurrection from death. As our inclinations toward the sinful
life die with Jesus on the cross, we are raised into an eternal association
with Jesus and a new purposeful way of life. This new life orientation is
beautifully described in verse 10. And this very point will be the subject of
future messages.
But let’s return to the state affairs
that God’s grace seeks to address (as described in verses 1-3). The perpetual
pattern of doing the wrong thing by others, yourself, and God, leads to a
living death. Ultimately this life is on a hopeless trend of hurting many,
especially oneself. There might be certain occasional ‘highs’, but these never
lead to any substantial happiness or well-being. There are two factors here;
and they are pretty stark and shocking! One is the self-centredness that leads
to no other concern than the immediate gratification of the desires of the
“flesh” – meaning feeling good in the moment, in personal control, and feeling dominant
over others. This is a selfishness that ignores most needs of other people. This
is following a pattern in complete opposition to the God who encompasses
kindness and sacrifice.
Then secondly there is the tendency to
just follow a whim, or simply float down the path that others take, or just do
(and say) what everybody else does (without any proper critique); or as
Ephesians puts it, “… following the course of this world, following the ruler
of the power of the air”. This is uncritically or uncaringly cooperating with a
society (or a social value-system) which is functioning without reference to
God (and often in opposition to God); and then ultimately, albeit subtly (or
even unconsciously) becoming captive to it. This is often a prevailing culture
heavily influenced by materialism, commercial advertising and greed, and one
preferring simplistic black-and-white solutions to complex human problems.
The only thing that has any chance of
turning all this around is a gift of grace. A desperate problem requires a
radical solution! Many people try superficial remedies hoping that these will
release them. Some Christians will try to use shock tactics on others, but the
threat of judgment or punishment only raises fear. It is only “grace” that truly
offers the hope of new opportunity. It is true that God desires justice and
purity, and God could be angry about all sorts of earthly abuses (v.3b), but we
read in verse 4 where God’s emphasis and wealth of character really lies … in
his “mercy”. God’s mercy is vast! God’s mercy forgives sin, removes guilt and
delivers from shame. God’s mercy breaks the cycle of negativity and the bondage
to evil (‘slavery to sin’).
What a great outcome this richness in
“mercy” can bring about when it is gratefully and fully received (refer
verses 6-7). These verses seem to depict a new quality of life in the here and
now … true life … that anticipates our eternal life in heaven. And it will be a
life lived that brings due attention to God, and displays God’s inexhaustible
availability to transform the human condition. True life has a peace and a calm
attached to it, also displaying joy, courage and endurance, as well as a
natural concern for the well-being of others. Leonard T Wolcott writes: When
our lives become pure agencies of God’s love, the world knows it is in the
presence of the living God.
So, how do we live by “grace”?? What
are the elements of “grace” that orient our lives??
·
Considering
our shortcomings
·
Receiving
God’s forgiveness, and accepting we are forgiven – as Charles Swindoll puts it,
“[Grace] silences guilt and removes self-imposed shame”
·
Forgiving
others
·
Seeking
to grow into the image/likeness of Jesus
·
Worship,
prayer, involvement in Christian community & witness
·
Serving
others (doing good works … v.10).
Now, as we well know, God’s gift of
“grace” is for all. If only people would hear about this “grace”, see this
“grace” lived out, and experience this “grace” for themselves. Then there whole
lives can be turned around. Some people need to be turned around just a little,
and have their lives redefined by God’s character. Others need a total
turnabout, so that their downward spiral can be halted. God’s grace is up to
either job! From the extreme of behaving in completely self-destructive ways
through to the possibility of just wasting our lives altogether, Jesus can put
us back on track. God’s grace can transform the broken elements of personal
lives into something beautiful, as yet another example of God’s own creative
glory!
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