Coming to Grips with Grace

Dear Christian, have you ever felt worthless and unlovable before the Lord? Have you burdened yourself with the weight of your spiritual discipline, or shamed yourself with the guilt of your spiritual or practical shortcomings? I know I have. My prayer for you today is that you would be ushered by our Father into the warmth of His lavish love, which abounds in grace towards you and has never left your side.

I believe that there is a great need for professing Christians today to come to a daily understanding of the grace of the gospel. I do not quite know what it is that burdens men’s hearts with lingering feelings of shame, regret, and unworthiness. I don’t think these things are inherently wrong because to a degree they are a natural part of life as we know it, under a holy and majestic God. It is perfectly natural for a puppy to come before its master with tail between the legs and eyes to the ground after it has rolled around in the dirt- certain things are just shameful. Therefore I do not protest the conviction of the Holy Spirit that teaches me what the will and character of God is by making the things that are not of Him so starkly and unavoidably undesirable.

But I do know that Christians, myself included, can place themselves under unnecessary stress and depression when they live as though they are under the law, and not as though they are under grace. By this, I mean that it is altogether too easy for me to cease to believe in the reality of God’s abounding grace and love for me. When this happens, I cease to live in God’s will, I dilute the power of my witness with my own doubt, and I cut off my ability to share the love of God with others because I cannot accept it for myself. As I examine my own heart in overcoming this cycle, join me in giving a brief glance to the epistle of Romans.

First of all, what exactly is the law? It’s not like we’re living under the strict rules of New Testament Jewish custom anymore. From the outset of Romans, the law is presented as that intrinsic, integral part of the universe that is the reaction to the sheer existence of God. Here’s a shameless plug for Theology- God and His character unavoidably define reality. In describing God’s wrath against unrighteousness, Paul states that “His divine attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made.” (Romans 1:20) The fact that God is such as He is leaves an irremovable mark on the created order that reflects moral truth. There is ‘right’ in this world simply because God exists and He is holy; also there is ‘wrong’ in this world simply because God exists and He has allowed men to choose to be other than like He is. This law is written in creation and also in human hearts, as Paul gives reference to in Romans 2:15. Hence, why shame over things that are shameful is natural.

But a large portion of Romans consists of Paul explaining between the law and grace. He states outright that the law is good! It is the testament of the character and holiness of God in our world. However, the law also brings death, because the simple fact is humans cannot become like God without God. Queue stage entrance for the gospel. “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith.” Romans 3:21-25a

Natural shame at our shortcomings exists, but if we who are Christians continue to shackle ourselves subconsciously with shame under the law, we will never be free to breathe in the fresh air of God’s grace or to convey His gracious love to other people like the Lord wants us too.

I just want to point out a couple of things. In order for Christians today to truly come to grips with grace, they must

1) Recognize their sinfulness. (Rom 3:23) It’s true, you are a faulty person. You are covered in sin from head to toe, and there is absolutely no way for you to become ‘good’ like God on your own. You cannot move on until this fact is recognized- so recognize it, and then move on.

2) Embrace mercy. (Rom 3:24) There is no room in expressing the gospel for your work or action. You are justified by grace as a gift, through the redemption of Jesus Christ! He loves you so very dearly and He extends to you His mercy, compassion, and forgiveness. It is up to you, however, to decide whether or not you will accept it.

3) Believe. (Rom 5:25) Salvation must not only be accepted as a gift, it must be accepted on a basis of faith. Faith is the basis and birth of your imputed righteousness, but it is also the means of your spiritual life- the air that you will breathe every day for the rest of your life in order to continue walking in righteousness. You cannot accept God’s grace unless you choose to believe in it.

4) Live without fear. (Rom 8:1) This is where it gets good. “There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

There will be times in your Christian life when it is hard to continue believing in the abounding wonder of God’s grace. Take Paul for an example. Even though he recognized and preached the grace of God on the basis of faith and not on the basis of the law, there were still times when life sucked for Paul, and God’s grace had to prove sufficient in light of his weaknesses. (2 Cor 12:9) The law of God that is written in our hearts is good, but through sin the devil still has the capability of wreaking havoc. The truth is that we will be embroiled in spiritual warfare until the day that we are completely saved from the marring stains of sin that remain in our mortal flesh. Paul knew this well when he said, “For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? But Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 7:22-25a

Living without fear means frolicking in the grace of God. It entails faith to know that in every moment of your life the Lord has nothing but love and longing for you in His heart. There is no condemnation against you. There is only grace. So, daily, throw off the shackles of shame in your life that keep your from living in the joy of the Lord and in the power of His resurrection!

I’ll close with 3 verses and the chorus of “The Power of the Cross” by Keith and Kristyn Getty. There will still be days when I and my fellow believers are confronted by the overwhelming weight of our sinfulness. But throw your shame to the Lord, and frolic in His grace!

“Oh, to see the pain

Written on Your face,

Bearing the awesome weight of sin.

Every bitter thought,

Every evil deed

Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

Now the daylight flees;

Now the ground beneath

Quakes as its Maker bows His head.

Curtain torn in two,

Dead are raised to life;

"Finished!" the vict'ry cry.

Oh, to see my name

Written in the wounds,

For through Your suffering I am free.

Death is crushed to death;

Life is mine to live,

Won through Your selfless love.

This, the pow'r of the cross:

Son of God-slain for us.

What a love! What a cost!

We stand forgiven at the cross.”