What is Grace? The Bible's Perspective on Painful Grace

When we talk about grace, what do we mean?

It often depends on the context of our conversation. If we are talking about music, grace means one thing, but when talking about how people interact in relationships, grace means something else.

What do we mean when we talk about God's grace?

Often, we guess at this, because our understanding of grace has been shaped, for the most part, by the culture we are brought up in.

At the church I participate in, we often talk about the grace of God in salvation. We speak of Ephesians chapter two, and how we are brought from spiritual death to spiritual life, and made heirs of the Kingdom of Christ by the Sovereign work of God's grace, given to us through the death and life of His dear Son.

But now, I want to take a look at a passage of Scripture that teaches me to think of grace in a way most of us are not familiar enough with. Which is that the worst pains in our lives, according to the Bible, are actually the grace of the our Lord Jesus Christ being worked out in our lives. Christians who experience hardship, are experiencing it for completely different reasons than unbelievers most of the time. What happens to you or to me is never an accident, but is part of the Sovereign grace of God.

Take a look at 2 Corinthians 12:7-10:

Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations [Paul had seen visions and received revelation in heaven from the Lord], for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me--to keep me from exalting myself!

Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (NASB)

That is not an unfamiliar passage to me. I've heard that last line quoted all my life, "for when I am weak, then am I strong." However the concept is what is radically contrary to our natural way of thinking, even if we've been familiar with it for a long time. The concept that grace gives us pain so that we may not glory in ourselves, but in the power of Christ.

For this reason, let us exalt in our lowly positions that we find ourselves in. Whether it is pain, persecution, distress, difficulties, insults, weakness, heartache or whatever situation you find yourself in by the Sovereign Providence of God.

What I say to you, I say to myself here: Be well content with it my friend. The power of Christ will dwell in you for the glory of God and for your joy in Him.

Just meditate on this

For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all. Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the LORD, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:32-36 NASB).

Just meditate on that.

Human Reconciliation with God

"For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved by his life." (Romans 5:10).

The meaning of this text is simple and clear. We (meaning Christians born again by the work of the Holy Spirit) were reconciled (brought into a peaceful relationship with) God, even while we were His very enemies.

What a statement!

We (Christians) were enemies of God; and while we were His enemies, we were brought back to God in a right relationship and belief in Him.

How did this happen?

By the death of His very own Son, God made us to be reconciled. And not only that, but by the life of Christ (resurrection) we will be saved forever from the ultimate wrath of God (Romans 5:9-10).

This means that our reconciliation was made effective by one act in history -- the death of the Son of God. That is how and when we were reconciled to God.

To the non-believer, or anyone living in unrepentance, there is no peace with God, no friendship with God, no escape from the wrath of God, whether one believes in His existence or not.

The only reason why Christians can claim a right knowledge of God, a right relationship to God and a right hope with God, is because Jesus Christ died and rose again for us.

That is our only boast.

We are nothing but recipients of undeserved mercy, and so we have become Christians because Christ died to bring us into peace with Him. The unreconciled are left fighting against God and ultimately defeated by Him without reconciliation.

So in order to explain ourselves, the reason why Christians are the way we are and have the hope we have is one reason -- Jesus died for us.

You cannot ask us to change our minds, we cannot change our minds, because God has reconciled us to Himself by the death of His Son. This is our solid defense and unfailing hope.

He has done it, we can't deny it.

"While we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son."

Don't be afraid of the world's hatred

If you say in your heart, 'These nations are greater than I. How can I dispossess them?' You shall not be afraid of them but you shall remember what the LORD your God did to Pharoah and to all Egypt, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, by which the LORD your God brought you out. So will the LORD your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid.
(Deuteronomy 7:17-19).

The advice God gave through Moses to the wandering Israelites, about capturing the promised land, is good for Christians today. Especially those Christians feeling a little afraid of all the threats, blasphemies and hatred being expressed from unbelievers in our own country.

I'm hearing story after story in the US news lately, expressing extreme prejudice from people in public, against Christians.

Much of this hatred toward Christians attempts to seem veiled behind the gay rights movement. It is nothing more than an attack on the very children of God. Hatred for those sheep for whom God the Father sent His Son to die on a cross.

We as Christians should be very bold at a time like this. Ready to give a defense of the gospel with great patience, gentleness and kindness. Praying for those who oppose us, standing firmly on the solidness of Biblical doctrine and truth. Remembering that we serve a King who is alive and enthroned in Heaven.

We should not be surprised at all that we are seeing prophecy fulfilled today, this is just stronger evidence for the truth of our faith.

Simply roll your mouse over the following Scripture references to read it:

John 15:18-19,
John 15:20.

John 16:1-2,
John 16:3,
John 16:4.

1 Peter 3:13-14,
1 Peter 3:15,
1 Peter 3:16-17.

And the list could go on... but each verse here is selected for your encouragement!

Grace be with all my fellow Christians. We are so blessed to be washed by the blood of our Lord! Thanks be to our Triune God!

Sovereign Grace: Understanding the Bible

Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.
(Luke 24:44-49).

Only Jesus can give us a proper understanding of the Word of God, since He is in fact the living Word (John 1:14). I have been praying for more understanding of the Scriptures, as well as for strength to be able to comprehend God's great and incomprehensible love. Just as Paul prayed for the Ephesians, that God would grant them according to the "riches of his glory" to be "strengthened with power through his Spirit" in the inner man, so that "Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." He also prayed that "being rooted and grounded in love, [you] may have strength to comprehend with all the saints... the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge" (see Ephesians 3:15-19).

Sovereign Grace: Evangelism

"And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed." (Acts 13:48 ESV).

I am thankful to God that evangelism is not a man-centered duty or field of labor. It is one that is empowered by His Holy Spirit (Acts 4:31), and is rewarded with joy as the word of the Lord is glorified, since He had caused them to believe who had been "appointed to eternal life." Praise God that we can pray and labor to evangelize a world which hates the light (John 3:19-20), for some will believe, because they must believe and be saved, since God is ever faithful to His own promises (Genesis 12:1-3)! "...and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

Why Give Thanks to the LORD?

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. (Psalm 136:1 ESV).

I love that verse, and the more I read it, the more I delight in what it says. First, it tells the people of God (who were chosen by God, see Psalm 135:4-6) to give something to YHWH (JEHOVAH). What are they told to give? They are told, "Give thanks to the LORD."

And for what reason are the chosen people of God (and not them only - Rom. 1:21) commanded to give thanks? It says, "for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever." The rest of this Psalm continues to show how the Sovereign LORD is good to all His creation and how He has shown steadfast love to His people by saving them and giving them an inheritance.

For these reasons then, we are told to give thanks: First, because the LORD is good. To even know what goodness is, we need to know the LORD. He is good. There is no good apart from Him (Psalm 16:2). God is the very definition of what good is, and so we are to give thanks to Him for His wonderful goodness. Second, we are told to give thanks for His steadfast love endures forever. Other translations of the Bible use the words mercy, kindness or lovingkindness. The Hebrew word translated as steadfast love in the ESV is chesed (Stong's #H2617), which has the meaning of kindness, as well as all those I just mentioned. The point is this, God's kindness, mercy, His steadfast love toward His people never ever ends. What does it say, "for his steadfast love endures forever."

God is eternal, His goodness is eternal, His mercy and kindness and love are eternal; never ending, never changing, never failing. However, we need to remember that because God is good, He must destroy sin and sinners (Rom. 3:5-6). I thought, after reading this psalm, of all the people around the world who are suffering terribly. This is God's goodness and mercy. Why? Because instead of destroying us all immediately for our numerous sins, He has instead been patient, inflicting us with daily reminders that we have sin, we are under judgment, and if we believe the gospel that Jesus Christ is the answer from God the Father for this problem, He will save us forever.

Here is how God shows His steadfast love for such wicked and wretched people who have been chosen for salvation: Jesus unrolled a scroll given to him in the synagogue at Nazareth and read,

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

(See Luke 4:17-19). Jesus stepped into a world that hated him, had rejected him, was under the condemnation of the holy law for sin, is totally worthy of destruction by God, and yet He came to set people free from their own deserved guilt and judgment by dying for them on the cross. He came to show the never ending steadfast love of God for wicked, vile sinners. This love is unending if you are one of His chosen, because His resurrected life is unending (Rom. 6:9; Heb. 7:25). And whom does God choose? The poor (poor in spirit - Matt. 5:3), the captives (captive to their sin - John 8:34; Rom. 6:15-22), the blind (spiritually unseeing - John 9:35-41), the oppressed (by the devil - Acts 10:38). In other words, God's unending steadfast love is shown to those who recognize they are completely miserable, helpless, worthless and bankrupt of all righteousness of their own, and so find eternal goodness and kindness in the righteousness of God given solely through Jesus Christ our Lord! (See Rev. 3:17-19)

If you are one of these who have fled to Christ Jesus for help, then "give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his steadfast love endures forever!" Hallelujah!

Sovereign Grace: Hope

"Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope." (Psalm 119:49 ESV).

So, some people like to argue that man has the free will to choose to believe, trust, hope in God, and God graciously gives us that option to choose. I don't like to argue about free will, although I feel like doing that sometimes when someone misuses the Bible (and have been overly zealous at other times to blast away with Scripture), but here is my reason why I believe God is completely Sovereign over my ability to have faith: The Bible teaches that God made me hope in His Word. It is plain, simple and true.

1 Corinthians 1:30:
"And from him [God] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written [thus the title for my other blog :D], "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

It cannot be more clear! But how hard it is to humble our pride and admit we depend on God for even the least amount of genuine believing, hoping, trusting faith? And knowing this must not make us proud and rough toward others, on the contrary, filling our hearts with confidence in God as the supplier of hope, we encourage and exhort others to look to Him in Christ.