I keep coming back to this topic of resting in God’s forgiveness and grace. A number of things have happened recently to bring it to my attention once again. It is a message that a lot of Christians have missed, I’m afraid, and is yet another example of bad theology leading to despair. Good theology always leads to hope and joy.
Yesterday at lunch, I was reading a bit from St. Augustine’s Confessions, a book that my daughter gave to me for Christmas a couple of years ago. The passage is lengthy (see above). It was a reflection on the grace that God gave to him; in addition to being rescued from all that kept him lost, he also found healing. That word struck me. Healing (in a general sense, more than just physical) exemplifies grace. Through faith in Jesus Christ, God not only delivered us from evil (mercy), but also brings us into a place of restoration (grace).
And so, I took down some notes on a 2″ x 2″ light green sticky note. Here is what I wrote down:
We receive not only forgiveness of our past (present, and future) sins in order to live in Heaven, but also the removal of these things here and now:
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- regret
- fear of judgment*
- a guilty conscience
- the need to perform or earn our salvation
- disappointment
- shame
- separation from God
* For more on this, see Resting in God’s Forgiveness and Grace.
(Note: These are all part of God’s mercy; He does not give us what we deserve.)
I continued on the back of the sticky note. These old things are now replaced with the following new things:
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- fellowship with God
- peace and joy
- hope and rest
- eagerness for His return
- blessed assurance
- good works in response to what He has already done
- a clear conscience
- boldness and confidence
- healing
- a desire to go and sin no more
- acceptance of our new status as totally forgiven sons or daughters of God
(Note: These realities express God’s grace; He gives us more than we deserve.)
That is pretty much all the words that would fit on that four square inch piece of paper.
All these ideas are grounded in Scripture, and come from a clear understanding and acceptance of all that the New Covenant in Jesus Christ brings to those who have repented of our sins and come to Him by faith. (See Heb. 10:15:23, which quotes Jer. 31:33-34.)
This is illustrated well in Deut. 4:37-38, where Moses reminds the Israelites of the love that Yahweh has for his chosen ones. Moses states that He brought them out in order to bring them in. God does not just deliver us from all that is bad; He brings us into a place of promise and abundance. In the OT, God’s people looked back to the Exodus as the defining moment of deliverance. In the NT, God’s people look back to the cross where Jesus died for you and me. This too is a crossing over for the believer from death to life. In the future, there will be a final Exodus at the consummation when Jesus returns, bringing God’s people out of this place where His kingdom is a mixture of already but not yet, into a city where there will be no more sin or sadness and God’s presence will light up the place.
I want to mention a popular song I hear all the time on the local Christian radio station by music artist Matthew West, “Grace Wins”. He sings about the battle between Satan’s message of despair and hopelessness that comes from the regrets, fears, guilt, and shame we so often have because of the things we have done that we should not have done, or the things we have not done that maybe we should have done. All of us seem to struggle with this. However, if we truly understand that Jesus’ death on the cross, by His mercy, took all of those things out of the way (as I described above) and replaced them, by His grace, with the blessings of peace with God and hope for the future (see above), grace wins every time.
Listen to the song video and meditate on the lyrics.
There is absolutely NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). Reflect, rest, and rejoice in your new identity in Christ!
Russell E. Gehrlein holds a B.S from Colorado State University and an M.A. from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. A retired Master Sergeant, he continues to serve the U.S. Army in a civilian capacity. He and his wife of 43 years live in Missouri and enjoy spending time with their grandchildren. To read more of his work please visit Reflections on Theological Topics of Interest.
Image used from Grace Wins.
Yes, to me a deeper meaning of grace is “the effect of God understood” This points to grace as a real and tangible blessing bestowed by our all-loving God.
The Bible speaks of man and woman as the image of God, so understanding God must also mean understanding something about ourselves. If we truly are the image, or reflection, of the one God, who is pure goodness, then wouldn’t this mean that we are entirely good, too?
Since God is Spirit, it follows that our true essence is completely spiritual and good, rather than defined by negative, mortal traits and behaviors we can’t seem to overcome. Learning to see ourselves and others from this perspective liberates us from limitations that hinder healthy lives and constructive relationships.
The profound power of grace to me is that, while it often appears to be something we don’t deserve, it has a way of lifting us to see our innate value as anchored in who God is and, therefore, who we are as reflections of divine Love. In effect, it reveals our true worthiness of God’s love – and equips us to think and act from that renewed understanding.