Devastating Grace
Rev. David Hintz, Flint Hills Christian Church
Friday, June 5, 2009
By the Rev. David Hintz
Flint Hills Christian Church
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
— Ephesians 2:8-9
With these simple words the apostle Paul entirely dismantles mankind’s natural religious impulse. Simply put, we want to earn our keep. There is a certain pride we take in personal accomplishment. And when applied to salvation, we’d like to think that in some measure we earned our way. But according to this verse, salvation is not achieved — nor even assisted! — by the good things we do. It is simply a gift of God’s grace, given to sinners.
This clear teaching has been dismissed by the vast majority of Christendom because, while everyone loves a gift, we struggle with the concept of grace. Here are some reasons for our struggle.
1. We want to think that we are better than others. A T-shirt reads, “Jesus loves you, but then again, he loves everybody.” Each one of us has a desire to be recognized, to stand out, in some way. I work hard to get the highest grade, but my A+ is meaningless if everyone in the class is given that grade, too! So if everyone receives the same gift of grace, doesn’t that seem to trivialize my own faithfulness and commitment?
Grace eradicates our competitive nature because rather than comparing what we’ve done to what others have done, it instead focuses us entirely on what Christ has done for us on the cross.
2. We want a part in the glory. Let’s say that I showed up at your door. In my hand are the keys to the brand-new, fully-loaded Cadillac Escalade which is now sitting in your driveway.
“You can have it for just $100!” I say, and you immediately grab the keys and hop in the car. And when your envious friends ask where you got your new ride, you say, “I got a guy to sell it to me for a hundred bucks!” You savvy shopper, you.
Is that grace? No, that’s a good deal!
But if I simply gave you the Escalade as a gift, what would your friends say?
“Wow. What a generous, kindhearted guy. I’d like to meet him.”
In the same way, when salvation is purely a gift from God, as this verse states, He alone receives the credit and honor. Not a shred of praise can be diverted our way.
3. We Fear libertinism. We tend to value what we’ve worked for more than what we’ve been given — the young woman who puts herself through college values her education more than the one whose parents foot the entire bill. Therefore, we reason, if salvation is free, we won’t value it, and we’ll disregard obedience.
But grace teaches that God cannot be obligated by anything we do. He doesn’t survey your ledger of good deeds or “redeeming” qualities and say “I love you because of _____.” No, he loves you because you are his, not because he must. He loves you because he is love. God’s grace causes us to obey him not so we can get something from him, but in reverent response to his love.
4. We can no longer put others in our debt. Why do people hold grudges? I believe it’s from an innate sense of justice. When someone wrongs us, we reason, they owe us. They mustn’t receive the benefits of our friendship, kindness, or the like until they make up for their wrongs. Grace changes this dynamic. As undeserving recipients of God’s grace, we must impart grace to those who have wronged us as well (Matt. 18:21-35).
5. God could ask too much of us. If we were saved by being good, then there would be a limit to what God could ask of us — like a union contract in which we agree to work certain hours for a certain wage, and as long as we fulfill these duties, the boss can’t ask more of us. But if God covers all of our debts himself, then he can ask anything of us. See, grace leaves us without any rights. We are completely at the mercy of God — we have no control, earning capacity or taxpayer rights! Grace makes God big and you small.
Is it any wonder so many “good, God-fearing citizens” become queasy at the thought of grace? Grace is devastating. It devastates the notion that we have any redeeming qualities. It shows us that we are so flawed and fallen that the perfect son of god had to die so that God could save us. But grace also tells us that God is love, and that Jesus was glad to die for us. Let’s praise God for his devastating grace!
• “Sunday Sermon” is a forum for Emporia area ministers to share their sermons, thoughts and observations. This week’s sermon is from the Rev. Dave Hintz, of Flint Hills Christian Church.