GRACE

 

Grace

  I have recently been reading "What's So Amazing About Grace?" by Philip Yancey. Normally I do not get excited about a book of non-fiction nature, a book more akin to what I read while in college as a textbook, but for some reason I began reading this the other day. What is even more amazing is that I brought it with me to Illinois - I brought a total of 6 books and this is the only non-fiction.
  I digress. Grace. Granted I have only read about 1/4 of the book, but I have begun to think: Why should I be allowed to live?
  When we get down to the root cause, none of us should be allowed to live past conception. Upon creation, God placed in us the ability to choose, a choice that I believe God was purposeful about, that God wanted his people to worship Him by their choice and not design; God already has angels. So, what is the first major incident the human race jumps into? Disobedience.
  Now, as a side note, I say we, us, and human race even when talking about Adam and Eve for a reason - yes, they are the ones who messed up and we never had a choice from the beginning. However, we are now born into this world, and we make choices secondly that impact our ability to stand before God's Holiness.
  Back to the point - we disobeyed God's command. We started to do things because we wanted to. We began living for ourselves and not for God's Glory. Fast forward to current. We destroy human life out of convenience sake, we cast blame towards everything other than ourselves, we lie, cheat, steal, covet - generally, if there is a commandment or directive in the Bible, we strive as a race to run full speed the other way.
  If you had an employee with whom you were training to take over your company, a man/woman with the absolute perfect set of skills and abilities for the job, but all they do is break your rules, and disobey your guidelines, would you ever consider letting them take control? Now, this is what is blowing my mind - to that question, God answers with an emphatic "YES!".
  God has rules - He even gave rules for the human race to atone for their discretions - those little things that keep us from Him. He put into place a sacrificial system - a blood sacrifice to atone for the stench of the human race. However, God sent forth His Son to do the unimaginable - He gave His life for the entire human race; no more sacrifices to atone, no more killing for our freedom from sin. Now, why would He do that?
  Yancey puts it well: "When I think about God, I hold up that image of the lovesick father...". God is a just and mighty God, full of righteous anger. But He is also a lovesick father, yearning for even one of His children to come home. When speaking of the human race, and our ability to break the rules - "The people knew how to wound him, and God cried out in pain". God is angry at the sin of this planet, but it is a Holy anger, such that yes He is angry, but wants nothing more than to throw a major party and accept you back the moment you return. He misses you and wants you to return, no matter what you have done.
  This is grace. We do not deserve it. There is nothing we can do to repay the debt we owe to the Lamb of God for His sacrifice. However, this 'free' gift that costs us our lives is nothing short of a miracle for humanity. When we deserve nothing less than death, God is still making a way for us to come home. Though we run as fast as possible away from God, He is still there behind us, holding open his loving Father's arms, weeping for us to come back into His love.
  I don't deserve it. I mess up. I get angry with myself. But in the end, I have realized that faith in God and His grace shed upon me...well, His sacrifice was bigger than I can understand - I feel as though I should live my life by His rules...it's the least I can do.
"Remember, merciful Jesu, That I am the cause of your journey." - Mozart's 'Requiem'.

Dave West, January 13, 2008